Catholic recruitment held up by intimidation and threats, says PFNI

Liam Kelly said figures on the religious breakdown of applicants in the latest Police Service of Northern Ireland recruitment campaign showed there was still “a hill to climb” when it came to attracting numbers that more accurately reflected the wider population.

Mr Kelly said: “The chief constable, in a BBC interview, said that 27 per cent of the 3,500 applicants came from a Catholic background and that is some way off the workforce balance that is required.

“A number of impediments are there to make Catholics turn away from a job in policing. We still have the threat that’s posed by murderous dissident gangs and that’s a big issue for people in areas where these thugs operate.

“Societal changes are required. Potential applicants must get to the point where they can seek a career in policing without suffering intimidation or threats. I have a number of Catholic colleagues who are unable to return home to visit parents and relatives, and that is an intolerable situation.

“Applicants should not feel they are going to lose their family networks or their friends but, sadly, too many feel that is exactly what would happen if they became police officers.”

Mr Kelly added: “Society has to change the way it views policing, generally, and provide the encouragement that is needed to make it possible for more Catholics to become officers serving the entire community.

“Ultimately, we want applicants from all backgrounds who will make good police officers. That cannot be based on their religious affiliations but rather on their skills and all-round ability to do the job without fear or favour.”