Failure to recover officer numbers would be “unimaginable” says Chief Constable
The PSNI has launched a recruitment campaign, with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warning that a failure to recover officer numbers would be “unimaginable”.
Amid an ongoing budget crisis, the force currently has 6,300 officers, the lowest number in its history.
Mr Boutcher said he needed more officers to ensure people in Northern Ireland were given the same level of protection as in the rest of the UK.
This is the first recruitment campaign to shortlist candidates to the PSNI merit pool since 2021.
There will be a three-week advertising campaign aimed at attracting new recruits to embark on a 22-week training programme.
Starting officers would have a salary of £34,000.
Mr Boutcher has said he wants to grow the force to 7,000 officers in three years. This, along with the recruitment of additional civilian staff, would require an additional £200 million in funding.
This money would have to be agreed by the executive.
Mr Boutcher said what he was doing was “responsible planning”.
He added: “We last went out for recruitment in 2021. That pool of people that was successful in being selected has now almost run dry.
“When I became chief constable we had not been recruiting for a while because of financial challenges.
“We started recruiting in April last year. We recruited because we are in such a challenging position with our numbers.
“We can't go below what we are currently at, which is 6,300.
“We lose about 350 police officers a year through retirement and normal reasons for leaving.
“This is about getting a pool of police officers that we have selected to join this organisation.
“Additionally to that, it is only right and proper that I plan to put this organisation back onto a footing where it needs to be with regards numbers.
“Our workforce are exhausted. They are doing remarkable things every day.”
He added: “What I want to do, with the support of the executive and the Department of Justice, is to plan for the next three years, to get back to 7,000 police officers.
“To be clear, 7,000 police officers is not nearly enough for this organisation. But it is a recovery plan to get us back into a position to provide the policing service that we want to provide.”
Mr Boutcher said it would not be a resigning matter for him if he did not get the funding he requires.
He said: “I will do everything in my power, with every breath I have, to show the arguments as to why we need to be funded to 7,000 officers.
“Anything below that is almost unimaginable.”
The chief constable said the current funding pressures mean victims of crime are currently being failed.
He said: “Already in my time here we have had to get assistance from colleagues in Scotland to help deal with some of the challenges in Northern Ireland.
“If you have less police officers, you get less of a service, less policing.
“If we don't get the numbers, the reality for Northern Ireland is you will not have the safer communities the programme for government requires, we won't be able to end violence against women and girls.
“Citizens in Northern Ireland should be protected the same as elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in the island of Ireland.”
The application process for student officer recruitment will close at 3pm on February 12.
The PSNI will also launch recruitment for call handler staff next week.