'PSNI reserve to be retained'
MORE than 200 full-time reserve police officers are to be "retained for the forseeable future because of the deteriorating security situation", it has been claimed.
Ian Paisley Jnr said Chief Constable Matt Baggott confirmed the decision at a landmark Policing Board meeting on Monday to discuss the measures being taken to tackle the upsurge in the dissident republican campaign.
"He confirmed that he is going to be retaining the full-time reserve for additional months to get through the present time," said Mr Paisley.
"That is why they came into existence in the first place.
"It is expected that full-time reserve officers are going to be kept on indefinitely in four districts.
"Their leaving has been put on pause because of the deteriorating security situation.
"I am also very, very pleased that the 6 million needed to keep the reserve on indefinitely has also been ringfenced."
It is understood that around 220 full-time reserve officers will be retained.
At the moment at least 100 full-time reserve officers – out of the 350 full-time reserve compliment – have already started their civilian training to leave the service.
Last night a Police Federation spokesman, who said he was aware of the proposals, lashed out at the Chief Constable for "putting officers lives at risk until they are discarded".
The spokesman said the officers were planned to leave the service in March 2011 according to the Patten proposals - adding that the surge in the dissident republican threat may mean the officers will lose their training for civilian life.
He said: "If he is contemplating keeping on the full time reserve he should be ring fencing their deal so that at the end of their time they can still avail of their training entitlement at the end of it.
"It does not make any sense for an officer to put his life at risk until he is discarded."
The Police Federation spokesman said if this was something the Chief Constable was contemplating, "this it is a clear admission that these officers are needed in order to provide an effective police service, something until now he has refused to accept".
He added: "He claimed he could do without them and get officers out from behind desks.
"But it is going to take months to retrain officers who are currently behind desks and to replace them with civilians."
When asked about the claim, a PSNI spokesman said: "The last few months has seen a considerable escalation of terrorist activity as well as a continued determination to murder both police officers and members of the public.
"As a police service we continually monitor our response to attacks and review our capabilities to disrupt the activities of these groupings. In light of the current threat level, we have been examining a number of options to ensure we have the right resources in the right areas to deal with these terrorists.
“The Minister of Justice and Policing Board members have been fully briefed on the options being considered.”
In November 2009 Chief Constable Matt Baggott said he was set to press on with plans to phase out the PSNI's full time reserve by March 2011, a move which was one of the key recommendations of the Patten reforms on policing.
Mr Baggott has said there was no operational need to keep it.
The reserve, was set up in 1970 in response to the growing threat from paramilitaries. At its strongest it had about 3,500 officers.
During the Troubles, the full-time reservists often carried out the same jobs, and faced the same dangers, as regular police officers.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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