Police chief warns of ‘tough choices’ due to budget shortfall

Northern Ireland’s chief constable has warned of “tough choices” to be made as a consequence of the police budget allocation.

Describing a “precarious budgetary situation”, Simon Byrne said PSNI officer numbers may reduce from 7,000 to 6,000 by 2025.

He said the proposed budgetary settlement for policing projects an operating shortfall of £226 million over the next three years.

A three-year budget for the region is currently out for public consultation with a view to being approved before the Stormont Assembly is dissolved for fresh elections next month.

The PSNI has already acted by deferring a recruitment intake, but Mr Byrne said the budgetary situation, if not addressed, will mean police “have to make some tough choices and prudent decisions around the future type of policing service the public can expect to see”.

In his report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Mr Byrne said the maximum savings that can be generated from pay include the option of an immediate recruitment freeze.

He said such a freeze would result in a reduction of more than 1,000 police officers and 350 members of police staff, bringing officer numbers down to 6,027 and staff numbers down to 2,227.

Appearing before a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday, Mr Byrne said: “Clearly we will continue to answer 999 calls, police our streets and deliver neighbourhood policing but without adjustment, inevitably over time things will be different.

“To try and put it into context, this is the equivalent of losing one officer a day every day for the next three years, so it will be a trickle at the start and a tidal wave at the end if we don’t address this.”

He added: “Even if we look at other lines of the budget in terms of contracts, we are not confident we can balance next year or beyond that in the current settlement given.

“As things stand currently, we are not particularly optimistic that this is going to be addressed and therefore these tough choices will have to be made over the next few weeks and in the months ahead.”