Former officer-turned-senior Orangeman: There must be no return to quota system for police recruitment
A policeman-turned-senior Orange figure has said there must be no return to quotas for entry into the PSNI.
Mervyn Gibson, a former counter-terror detective who is now grand secretary of the Orange Order, made the comments in response to remarks by the chief constable about Catholic recruitment.
Meanwhile the DUP also stressed there must be no return to the days of 50:50 hiring following PSNI boss Jon Boutcher’s remarks, with Trevor Clarke MLA accusing the force of having tried and failed to “curry favour” with republicans.
On Tuesday it was revealed that around 3,500 applications have been received in the latest recruitment campaign for the PSNI, which closed today.
Of those, about 27% were from Catholics.
Chief Constable Mr Boutcher said: "The figures are not what I want. There is no doubt about that. But Rome wasn't built in a day."
He was also quoted by the BBC as saying: “I think if you are paying attention to what this organisation is now doing around information provision on legacy cases…
"I think if the nationalist community was to look at that, I think they would see a different side to what we're trying to do.
"Those things don't land in a day. Those things take time for people to see.
"There will always be suspicions, but I think over the next three years, and this is going to be the test for us, if we can see those numbers increase, that's my challenge.
"That's what I will be judged on."
Rev Gibson (now a Presbyterian minister who left the RUC in 1994 with the rank of detective sergeant) told the News Letter: “It's important the police reflects the community it serves.
"However, the best candidates who apply should be taken. Standards should not be dropped for any section of the community.
"There should be no consideration given to the re-introduction of either quotas or 50:50 recruitment.”
The question of raising Catholic recruitment levels is “an issue for civic society, to support all who apply to join the police” he said.
The process of 50:50 recruitment was embedded within the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, passed by Parliament, and meant that the PSNI had to hire one Catholic per every non-Catholic hired.
It was in force from 2001 until the Tory government abolished it in 2011, by which time the percentage of Catholic police officers had hit roughly 30%.
In 2023, then-SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called for it to be re-instated.
Trevor Clarke, DUP member of the Policing Board, said: “Police officers should be recruited on the basis of merit rather than their religion, their socio-economic background, gender or sexual orientation.
"The best people to do the job should be recruited therefore we will oppose anyone suggesting 50:50 recruitment returns.
"Instead, there should be an intensive campaign across all schools to encourage young people to be a police officer.
"There should be a recognition amongst the PSNI leadership that efforts to curry favour with republicans have failed to change recruitment outcomes.
"There can be no more cases where a dozen Land Rovers are dispatched to observe a small band parade yet not a Land Rover can be found to police a Republican paramilitary show of strength where shots are fired.”
He added: “Catholic PSNI officers have been systemically targeted by Republican terrorists. This has undoubtedly caused a chill factor for potential recruits. They realise that being a PSNI officer may mean moving house.
“Political leadership has also been lacking. The PSNI was formed in November 2001, yet only in February 2024 did Sinn Fein lift its boycott of PSNI passing-out ceremonies and fully embrace a PSNI recruitment campaign.”
The PSNI said in a statement from Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton: “Any applicant for a role within the Police Service of Northern Ireland, whether as a police officer or police staff, is recruited fairly and progresses through the various stages of the process solely on the basis of merit.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to being representative of the community we serve.
"Policing is a career that makes a difference to our society and as such we seek to recruit talented, dedicated people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
“We will continue to engage with all communities, and would strongly encourage anyone who is interested in a career in policing and who did not apply in this current campaign to come and talk to us about future opportunities.”