IN FULL: PSNI chief constable's speech as terror threat raised to '˜critical'

Chief Constable George Hamilton: Events in Manchester are at the forefronts of all our minds. Precious families torn apart by an act of terror. The pain is quite simply unimaginable.
Police are treating the woman's death as murderPolice are treating the woman's death as murder
Police are treating the woman's death as murder
Read More
Heightened police presence in NI as terror threat raised to ‘critical’

How we respond to such acts of terror matters. To use the words of Jo Cox, the young MP who was murdered by a far right terrorist – “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”. We must stand united in the face of such terror.

We send our thoughts and our sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and those who are injured. And we send our support to the people of Manchester and to the police officers and staff at Greater Manchester Police.

PSNI has offered our help to our colleagues in GMP.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The threat level across the UK has increased from severe to critical level – which means an attack is expected imminently. This critical threat level also applies to Northern Ireland.

In response to this increased threat I have reviewed our operational profile. The public will see an increased police presence at iconic sites, our transport networks and where large numbers of people congregate.

Op Temperer, the military deployment in response to the Manchester attacks will not apply here.

In addition, it has been well documented that the current threat level from violent dissident republicans across Northern Ireland is ‘severe’. This remains the case.

Policing seminar

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for the opportunity to make a few brief comments at today’s Policing Seminar.

Some of you may find it difficult to believe; but I have missed the Public Meetings of the Policing Board. While we have continued to work with the Chair, Vice Chair and Independent members in the background, today is really the first opportunity in 2017 for a public discussion on policing.

The Policing Board is an incredibly important accountability mechanism and the ability to be able to discuss policing in such an open and transparent way can only be a good thing. I am grateful to the Board for the upcoming seminar series which will provide further opportunity for such discussions; and I look forward to the reconstitution of the full Policing Board as soon as is possible following the upcoming elections.

Policing plan

The Policing Plan is an important part of the accountability structures. Through its nine Strategic Outcomes, the Plan sets a clear and sensible direction of travel to which we are fully committed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In particular, I welcome the Plan’s focus on vulnerability and I appreciate the Board’s support in ensuring that our reducing resources will be focussed to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

This Plan sets a high bar for Policing at a time of significantly reducing resources.

Planning for the year is not easy if you are uncertain of your budget; but these were the unusual circumstances in which this Policing Plan was developed. As we continue to get increasing clarity around our budget; a review of the Policing Plan should be a top priority for the new Policing Board.

With reducing resources, we will be forced to prioritise our activity in the Plan towards threat, risk, harm and vulnerability.

Policing budget

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In recent weeks we have been given an indicative budget for 2017-18 on the basis of a 3% or £20 million cut. To give that figure some meaning, £20 million would pay for all our Neighbourhood Policing Teams for one year.

Since becoming Chief Constable I have had to make £108 million in cuts to my budget. In fact, since 2004, PSNI has implemented cuts of totalling some £386 million.

In response to these cuts, my officers and staff have modernised, flexed and, in many cases, changed substantially how we deliver our service. In doing so, we have kept the community at the heart of our decision making, doing our best to protect the frontline, and deliver a balanced budget.

Saving another £20 million from a budget that has already been cut so deep is no easy task; and will not happen without some very significant operational changes.

Police officer numbers

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The reality is that PSNI is at the point where it is no longer possible to absorb budget cuts without impacting directly on police officer numbers. The budget allocated is going to necessitate a reduction in police numbers from almost 7000 to 6700 by the end this financial year and a likely further reduction to 6600 in the next year.

We will also have to make a significant cut to our overtime budget of 500,000 policing hours.

This gives me two main challenges. Firstly, managing the impact on our ability to deliver a service to the community; and secondly, the impact on my officers and staff who are already being stretched to capacity.

It is my job as Chief Constable to be honest with the public about implications of this latest budget cut; and to do my best to continue to deliver a policing service for our communities, while looking after the resilience and wellbeing of my officers and staff.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This is the reality of the public finance situation. Leaders across the public sector, including PSNI’s partner agencies who are struggling with the same challenges.

While I would like to have 7000 police officers, it’s is simply not possible.

But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t Keep People Safe. What it does mean, is that policing will continue to change.

Policing is changing

Since becoming Chief Constable, I have been honest with the public that policing is changing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Traditional visible crime has given way to new, less visible crime. This crime is often cyber related and can cross international boundaries, making it more difficult and expensive to prevent and investigate.

The recent international cyber-attack is evidence of the scale of this threat and PSNI officers are continuing to work as part of the joined policing response to that particular attack.

Another significant shift in demand has been that many of the people who require police protection today, have an acute vulnerability that requires sensitive policing and closer co-operation with our partners. This is an area that needs greater investment if we are going to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

On average, PSNI receive 1,437 calls for service every day. While only 3.7% of these require an emergency response, approximately 36% of all calls involve some element of vulnerability.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On average, my officers search for 35 missing people every day. Around 50% are missing from a hospital or children’s home. Every missing person ties up one crew until they are found.

In recent years we have invested in a new Public Protection Branch and a Cyber Crime Centre. But our investment in these less visible areas needs to be increased.

And that means taking money from elsewhere in the policing budget.

Northern Ireland policing context

Investigating cyber related crime and protecting the most vulnerable in our society are duties expected of any Police Service across these islands. But policing Northern Ireland’s post conflict society comes with additional complexity and cost.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The severe threat places a substantial financial burden on the delivery of policing in Northern Ireland. There have been four serious attempts to murder police officers in 2017 alone.

Whilst we receive additional security funding from the UK Government, we are still spending over 27% of our main grant budget dealing with Northern Ireland specific issues.

This includes responding to paramilitarism and the significant costs of preventing and responding to serious public order, as well as the costs of dealing with the past.

It is one of my greatest frustrations as Chief Constable that I am consistently forced into a position where I have to make decisions about putting my finite police resources to police the present or the past. The impact that this has on confidence in policing is immeasurably high.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I cannot prioritise legacy investigations over present day threats to the community. I have asked that, in line with our statutory responsibilities, we review the costs of legacy investigations, restrict further growth and, where possible, release police officers and staff to work on present day policing.

I would encourage our politicians to continue to work to bring a resolution to this momentous challenge, not just for policing, but for all of those who continue to suffer the pain of the past every day.

What will this mean for the communities we serve?

The complexity of the demands we face, combined with the budget cuts, means that there are changes in the ways that Police Services everywhere are working to keep people safe.

So what does this mean for the communities we serve?

First of all, I want to be clear – we will continue to Keep People Safe. The 3.7% of calls that are a genuine emergency will get an emergency response. But, we will need the public’s patience in our response to calls that are not an emergency.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While community policing will remain at the heart of what we do, reducing budgets and changing crime types mean that a further reduction in visible policing is inevitable. There will also be further station closures and restricted opening times.

I will not pretend that this is going to be easy. I have a particular concern about a reduction in our ability to deliver proactive policing operations and our ability to be able to invest in innovation to make long term savings.

But, over recent years, rather than get distracted by the numbers of officers and staff we don’t have, my Service Executive Team and I have focussed on modernising and increasing the capability of the officers and staff that we do have. Over recent years, we have become a much more efficient organisation and our ongoing programme of change and workforce modernisation will continue.

We also have in place a much more holistic framework to support the wellbeing and morale of our officers and staff. Our people are our most important asset and we must continue to ensure they are looked after. I will look for the support of the new Policing Board in taking this work further.

Conclusion

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I will bring my comments to a close at this point. But I want to leave you by repeating a commitment that I gave not long after taking the post of Chief Constable. I take my job as Accounting Officer for the PSNI very seriously, my officers and staff and I will work hard to deliver a balanced budget, as we have done every year.

But my first job is that of Chief Constable – and I will never compromise on my commitment to keep people safe.