Secretary of State 'out of touch', says NI Police Federation Chair

The UK Government and Secretary of State are being accused of being ‘out of touch’ and ‘not caring about policing.’

At the Police Federation for Northern Ireland’s Annual Conference, Liam Kelly also said Mr Chris Heaton-Harris turned down an invitation to attend the event and two requests for meetings to discuss the crisis facing policing in Northern Ireland.

Mr Kelly, in his keynote address to delegates, said: “His failure to meet, or even be here today, is testament to an out-of-touch Secretary of State who seemingly couldn’t care less…. or care about our policing service…. or care about you and your colleagues who do what you do every day of every week.

“When push comes to shove, it is clear that if the policing crisis doesn’t impact on Conservative seats, it doesn’t make it on to the political Richter scale.”

According to the Federation Chair there are 20,000 additional officers in England and Wales, but Northern Ireland numbers are facing a decline.

Mr Kelly warned that force numbers could be reduced to 6,000- the lowest number since the PSNI’s inception in 2001.

That is despite a promise made in the New Decade New Approach Deal that officer numbers would increase to 7,500.

Mr Kelly added that the spending cut comes while Northern Ireland’s threat level remains severe – meaning an attack is highly likely.

He said: “Unlike all other regions of the UK, our threat level here is set at ‘severe’. But we’re told we have to implement savage and unbearable cuts.”

“Even when we had an Executive, it too failed to deliver on policing.

“We sought a three-year budget to give stability and allow for forward planning.

“It didn’t happen.

“We were promised an increase to 7,500 officers under New Decade, New Approach.

“It never materialised and now we could quickly end up with 6,000 officers. The track record of local Ministers is every bit as disappointing as their Westminster counterparts.

“Selective withdrawals from the Executive can no longer be tolerated. If that means going back to the drawing board to remove vetoes, then so be it.

“Northern Ireland cannot afford to be held back by this crude device.

“If there is a problem, sort it out across the table. Walking away isn’t the solution.

“We want real and effective Government. A realistic and effective three-year budget for the Service.

“An end to stop-start local government that results in our inability to maximise, locally, nationally, and internationally, the promises, future and hope envisioned from the 1998 Agreement.

“In this, the 25th anniversary of the Agreement, prove to all of us that it was worth it by getting back to work and building the new Northern Ireland.

“There’s nothing further to be gained by continuing your squabbling. Letting the cobwebs take hold in Parliament Buildings and in all Government, Departments will merely serve to further alienate and make people feel despondent.”

Elsewhere in his conference address, Mr Kelly extended best wishes to DCI John Caldwell and his family as he continues his recovery from a cowardly gun attack in Omagh in February.

Federation delegates also heard a prediction that the Service could shrink to 6,000 by the end of the financial year – its lowest figure since coming into being in 2001 – and a budget shortfall of some £120 million.

Mr Kelly focused on the introduction of time limits for discipline investigations and the rise in assaults on officers. He called for enhanced Personal Safety Training courses for front line officers; the wider roll-out of Taser and stiffer sentencing by the Courts.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said: "The UK Government fully supports the excellent work that the Police Service of Northern Ireland undertakes to keep people in Northern Ireland safe, often in exceptionally challenging circumstances.

"Policing in NI, and police funding, are primarily devolved matters. It is for the devolved administration to determine the allocation of funding to the PSNI from the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) block grant. The prioritisation of police resourcing is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, working with the wider NIE."

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