Recommendation 3

Cuts in police officer numbers due to recent budgetary pressures will impact on the PSNI’s visibility and ability to respond to increased demand. Officer numbers have dropped some way below the 7,500 committed to under the New Decade, New Approach agreement in 2020. More complex crimes, threats to staff and the raised threat level all need to be addressed, too. Given the severe funding situation which the PSNI faces, we urge a rethink by the Treasury, Northern Ireland Office and new Northern Ireland Executive of the PSNI’s financial framework. This would ensure that the PSNI has a greater variety of options in dealing with any financial difficulty in future, which is critical given the importance of the Police Service’s role in Northern Ireland’s post-conflict society.