PSNI: warning over 'worst-ever funding crisis'
Police Federation chair Liam Kelly was addressing the PFNI annual conference
The PSNI is facing its worst-ever resourcing crisis, it was warned today (Wednesday).
Addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland's annual conference in Co Antrim, chair, Liam Kelly said the issue had to be addressed urgently - otherwise policing would be severely stretched.
Mr Kelly warned that officer numbers will slide towards 6,000 unless there is urgent intervention.
He said there is an £80 million deficit in the PSNI budget, which means the organisation will have to "drastically pare back services".
Mr Kelly said: "We will not stop until we convince the Government and the Executive to end their shameful, penny-pinching betrayal of policing in Northern Ireland and, more specifically, the men and women of the PSNI who put themselves in harm's way every day for the benefit of our society."
He added: "There is an abject failure to properly fund and resource policing.
"We felt we earned the right to expect something better from our newly restored devolved institutions. That was misplaced confidence on our part.
"Not even having the ability to stand still is a recipe for disaster for the service.
"Right now, we are in the deepest resourcing crisis since the formation of the PSNI in 2001."
Mr Kelly told the conference in Templepatrick that departures from the PSNI mean the force will slide towards 6,000 officers by either the end of this year or the end of the current financial year.
He said: "This will make our ability to respond effectively nigh on impossible, and without positive intervention the crisis in policing will continue to get worse.
"One officer per 320 of the population is wholly inadequate to meet the multiplicity of challenges that are out there. Great damage is being done and it is dangerous and irresponsible.
"We are being asked to do the impossible. Regrettably, it's taking a heavy toll on our colleagues who are working flat-out in the most trying of circumstances.
"Our paymasters are sleep-walking into trouble."
Mr Kelly also raised concerns over a rise in the number of assaults on officers. He said 3,346 assaults had been notified in 2022/23.
"Incredibly it is probably worse as there is still an element of under-reporting of assaults by colleagues," he said.
"The statistics need to reflect the reality so we can shine a light on the true extent of this problem."
Turning to the issue of police pay, Mr Kelly said: "Let me be clear: any attempt to break with core pay spine parity with our England and Wales colleagues would be a retrograde step.
"I hope this isn't an option being considered in future as it would only serve to further devalue the work our officers do daily.
"I fear the repercussions if we become the worst-paid policing service in what is the most dangerous part of the UK.
"Our officers, like all others in both the public and private sectors, deserve at the very least to be treated fairly on pay."