Jon Boutcher aims to have 7,000 officers
The PSNI currently has about 6,300 officers, well below the 7,500 level recommended in the Patten Review.
In his report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Mr Boutcher said he is preparing a recovery plan to address officer numbers.Referring to serious disorder which broke out on the streets of Belfast in early August after an anti-immigration protest, Mr Boutcher said “recent challenging events have shown the reality of deployable police officer numbers, which are now in the region of 4,500 when we take into account sickness absence and duty restrictions”.
Mr Boutcher also hit back at a letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Justice, Hugh Widdis, which cautioned him for having acted “outside well-established financial protocols” by writing to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making the case for more financial support. “The resourcing and funding of the PSNI have continued to worsen over a number of years and I am duty bound as Chief Constable to highlight the impact this is having on victims, the community and the workforce.
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