Recruitment up as 1,000 police in North on sick leave
Recruitment into the new Police Service of Northern Ireland is two thirds higher than planned because of the on-going level of violence, Northern Secretary John Reid revealed today.
The Patten Report on the future of policing recommended that the full-time police force should be reduced from 11,500 to 7,500 over 10 years if the security situation did not deteriorate and the peace process collapse.
Large numbers of officers have taken pay-offs and early retirement under a scheme to reduce numbers and already the establishment of the force is below that envisaged by Patten.
A PSNI spokesman said the current level was 7,103 together with 2,218 members of the full-time reserve and 1,022 members of the part-time reserve.
Patten had proposed the phasing out of the full-time reserve, and the future of the part-time reserve is under review.
However because of the level of violence, especially in north Belfast, the police service has been under growing pressure with up to 1,000 officers on sick leave at any one time.
Dr Reid pledged help saying: ‘‘The government will do everything possible to put in the financial resources required and we will do everything to relieve the high degree of violence that is occurring.
‘‘We are now recruiting at a level which is 66% above that envisaged by Patten precisely in order to ensure we have the personnel required.’’
He said recruitment was at a ‘‘much higher level than was anticipated in order to ensure the police have the resources to cope with the very difficult situation we have’’.
Commenting on the high level of sick leave, he said everybody recognised the commitment and dedication of the police and the ‘‘terrible, terrible conditions’’ in which the service operated.
They were going through the ‘‘biggest transformation of any institution public or private in western Europe in the midst of all these very difficult security situations’’.
Speaking after a visit to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in Belfast, he said the level of injuries was perhaps not surprising and between a quarter and one third of those on sick leave were suffering injuries suffered in riots.
The first recruits into the PSNI which has replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary are currently undergoing training and will be on the streets in the spring.
