New plan sets direction for policing in Northern Ireland for next five years

A new draft five-year plan will help set the direction of policing in Northern Ireland, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said.

A public consultation has been launched on the draft Policing Plan 2025-2030 published by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the PSNI.

The plan sets three outcomes for policing: the PSNI will be victim-focused, Northern Ireland will have safe and engaged communities with confidence in policing, and the force will have a representative, valued and enabled workforce.

An online consultation has opened and a number of engagement events will be held across Northern Ireland between now and the end of the consultation period on December 10.

Board vice chair Brendan Mullan said: "Both the board and the Chief Constable have spoken at great length about the challenges facing policing over the last five years.

"This plan gives us an opportunity to turn our attention to the future, and how we hope policing and police oversight will serve the people of Northern Ireland and help create safe and engaged communities.

"We also need to make sure that the PSNI as an organisation is properly resourced and enabled to deliver on the outcomes set so that the community can have confidence in the service being delivered."

He added: "This plan focuses on the positive changes we can make to enable PSNI to deliver the service that the public expect and deserve.

"The Policing Plan is an important part of delivering a safer community in Northern Ireland, but it is not the only part. We must continue to work in partnership across all levels of society, to create the future we want."

Mr Boutcher, who has consistently raised concerns about a budget crisis facing the force, said the new plan sets out what the PSNI wants to achieve in the next five years.

He said: "It reflects our strategic direction, what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.

"As we do the job of keeping people safe and tackling crime we will be focused on outcomes in three key areas: supporting victims, making communities safer and enabling and supporting our workforce."

"We cannot deliver effective policing without the support of the public and our partners.

"Particularly now, against the backdrop of increasingly limited resources and growing demand, it is crucial that everyone takes this opportunity to shape our plans for the future of policing.

"I urge anyone with an interest in making Northern Ireland a safer place to live and work to take this opportunity to engage and share their views."