Ford proposes cutting police numbers in North
Police manpower numbers in the North should be reviewed, the favourite for the justice ministry said today.
Keeping a police station open in every village is not a good use of public money, David Ford told the Assembly.
The Alliance leader is expected to become Justice Minister once powers are devolved from London to Belfast on April 12.
"There will be difficult issues that will have to be tackled there," he said.
"I think it is entirely necessary that MLAs and other public representatives need to face the fact that keeping a police station open in every village is not a good use of public resources in the kind of pressures we are under and there are real issues about what actually contributes to making a safer society rather than managing the previous and ongoing patterns.
"There is clearly a major issue concerning the very large section of the budget for justice immediately swallowed up by the police service, as others have highlighted, by commitments on salaries and pensions which allow no opportunity for free money and in particular by the fact that the police service, despite what perhaps would be wished by the chief constable (Matt Baggott) and others, it is bound to a particular number of officers which may or may not be the necessary number as we move into the future."
The South Antrim MLA also highlighted the danger that legal aid bills could rise further.
Finance Minister Sammy Wilson today introduced a resolution on funding policing and justice functions during the next financial year. The Northern Ireland Office has already allocated £1.2bn (€1.33bn) to policing during the coming year.
There is a £20m (€22.3m) increase for legal aid following negotiations with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Reclassification of police pensions will bring the budgetary treatment of the PSNI pension scheme more in line with that of Great Britain forces.
Mr Wilson said this will make police pension costs more stable.
A spokesman for the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: "We would support any call regarding calling a halt to any reduction in front-line officers.
"From June there will be no full-time reserve officers on front-line duty. We are saying that will be a mistake."
MPs are expected to approve the parliamentary orders necessary to transfer policing and justice powers to the Stormont Assembly on April 12.
With both Labour and the Conservatives backing the move, the result is a forgone conclusion.
A detailed review of the financial requirements of policing and justice bodies was conducted by the Assembly and Executive Review Committee and there were extensive negotiations by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister which resulted in an additional financial package being offered by the British Prime Minister on October 21 2009.
Mr Wilson said: "This motion is a significant milestone in the completion of the devolution of these important responsibilities.
"The Justice Minister will be commencing work on the development of an addendum to the programme for government and it will be in that context that the Executive and Assembly will in the future be able to better reflect their own priorities within this important area."
MLAs will today vote on establishing a justice committee at Stormont to scrutinise the Justice Minister.
