Police Federation: PSNI rebranding proposals ‘problematic’ for some officers

The current PSNI logo (left) and the proposed new branding

On Friday, Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the brand review is “focussing on using ‘Police Service NI’ as opposed to ‘PSNI,’” and said that the new logos would “better reflect the breadth and depth of what we do and to improve our connection to our communities”.

Some unionist representatives have raised concerns that the proposed changes could be viewed as “politically motivated” and designed to appease republicans, however, no changes will be implemented until a public consultation has been carried out.

On Monday, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) said many of the proposals around new uniforms were welcome, but said any change to the emblems would be “inappropriate”.

In a statement, the PFNI said: “Much of the operational proposals outlined by the PSNI makes sound sense.

“It is important that the service modernises and has the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

“As clearly outlined by the chief constable, this cannot be a name change or a change in the crest as that is set in law.

“There was hard-won political consensus, and considerable internal pain, around the crest when it was introduced. That fact should not be lost in this debate.”

The police federation statement said the proposals around new livery for PSNI vehicles “is more in line with what is seen in all other parts of the United Kingdom,” and added: “We accept that this is an attempt to provide more operationally practical uniforms for officers and greater visibility for vehicles.

“Altering the crest by removing the name from it is proving problematic. I believe this is inappropriate and it is a view that we will convey during the formal consultation and implementation phase.

“Since the unveiling of the new-look branding, the PFNI is aware of some officers who expressed concern about the removal of the name from the crest that will more frequently be seen in public.”

The NI Department of Justice (DoJ) has confirmed that any change to the official PSNI crest would require new legislation.

A DoJ spokeswoman said: “The chief constable has briefed the Minister and the Northern Ireland Policing Board on his plans for a branding refresh for the PSNI along with changes to improve the functionality of the police uniform, which is an operational matter for the PSNI.

“Under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 any changes to the name or emblems of the organisation would require changes to legislation.”