PFNI: ‘Nobody in government gives a damn about policing’

Addressing the 53rd PFNI Annual Conference, which this year is taking place in Enniskillen, Liam Kelly accused ministers of abandoning a solemn duty and responsibility to protect people.

Mr Kelly said the Recovery Plan put forward by the chief constable was merely the beginning to re-build, and not an end in itself.

Mr Kelly told delegates: “I take no pleasure in telling you today that the Recovery Plan has been effectively shredded.

“It will not be happening unless there’s a last-minute re-think by the Executive.

The Department of Finance has recently informed the chief constable that it cannot find the money to support the plan.

“To say there is disappointment would be a gross under-statement. It would be more accurate to say this Federation is appalled by this decision. It is a slap in the face to our officers.

“It’s also the abandonment by an elected administration whose solemn duty and responsibility it is to safeguard the entire population and give us the tools to combat crime and terrorism, stamp out a multi-million-pound drugs trade, deal with people traffickers, investigate cyber and make our roads safer.

“The Recovery Plan was such a vital component in steadying the ship. But let’s remember, it was just the beginning of a strategy to get us on to the first few rungs of the ladder. It was not an end in itself.”

He added: “According to research conducted by Leapwise, we actually need up to 8,500 officers to reflect our rising population. Right now, we’re at 6,224 officers which is 2,276 shy of that, and nobody in government seems to care or give a damn.”

Mr Kelly said policing was at the back of the queue when it came to financial allocations with Stormont seemingly prepared to ignore the toll that too few officers and outdated equipment had on the Service.

Mr Kelly added: “The service has been elbowed out of the mix when it comes to receiving a realistic budget. And let’s not forget, if the service doesn’t get what it needs, it’s our men and women who shoulder the full weight of doing more with less.”

He criticised an inadequate PSNI budget, made worse by the increase in national insurance which, when combined with an opening deficit of £14 million, will leave a shortfall of some £21 million.

Mr Kelly said: “This is yet further evidence of the scandalous disregard shown by both this devolved administration and the main ‘paymaster’ in London.”

He revealed how the PSNI lost 427 officers last year – including 199 who left due to ill-health, 142 retired and 65 left the service voluntarily for alternative employment.

“From this podium today, I renew my appeal to our Executive to change course and recognise the desperate need for urgent positive intervention before there is any further shocking damage done to our police service,” said Mr Kelly.

He pointed to planned increases in officer numbers and investment in England and Wales while in Northern Ireland, for example, Neighbourhood Policing was in reverse with the loss of 400 dedicated officers.

“We’re expected to be everywhere, do everything, avert, divert and problem solve with an operational deployable total of around 4,500 officers,” he said.

“Minister, it cannot be done. We are at breaking point. We need a lifeline.”

Mr Kelly announced a major multi-media awareness campaign to highlight the rising number of assaults on officers which will be launched next month.

In the past year, there were 2,810 recorded assaults on police officers – 881 of these involved injury, a 9.9 per cent decrease from 2023/2024.

“This is the first yearly reduction we have seen since 2018/2019, which we welcome,” said Mr Kelly.

However, over the past three years, there was a staggering total of 9,415 assaults. 2,826 of these involved injury.

Mr Kelly called for meaningful deterrents and a new approach to be taken by our courts.

“Mindless thugs think it’s OK to have a go. To take a swing at someone in uniform. To break a nose… a hand… an arm. Headbutt. Punch. Kick. Spit at. Ram a police vehicle,” he said.

“We must see strong minimum sentences and longer terms of imprisonment for more serious attacks on our men and women.

“The suspended sentence, measly fines and strong words of condemnation aren’t enough to deal with this problem. Stiffer penalties produce results.”

Mr Kelly asked the Justice Minister to look at what happens in Malta: “Between 2017 and 2024, following the introduction of heavier fines and longer custodial sentences, violent offending against police officers in Malta decreased by 67 per cent.”

Mr Kelly said: “Our Maltese colleagues expect the assault and attack figures on their officers to be at an all-time low this year.”

Addressing the Justice Minister, Mr Kelly said: “It is deterrent sentencing and fines like these that we require in Northern Ireland. In fact, it is long overdue. A clear, strong, no-nonsense message has to go out, that the days of a verbal rebuke, a suspended sentence or a derisory fine are over.”

Mr Kelly concluded by stating: “This Federation will never give up striving for what is best for policing and we will never allow ourselves to be left feeling we’re not a priority. We are the glue that holds our society together and the sooner that fact is properly recognised by our politicians the better.”

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the message delivered to government today by the Federation chair was undoubtedly “a hard-hitting one”.

“He made crystal clear the relentless pressure on police officers and their families caused by the lack of an effective policing budget, falling officer numbers and assaults on police,” said Mr Boutcher.

“I share the Federation’s concerns and frustration about resourcing pressures. This is a message I hear from officers across the country and it is one I have been delivering at the Policing Board, Stormont and Westminster. The financial challenges facing the PSNI remain critical.

“Each day the PSNI buckles a little more as we desperately try to manage the unique challenges of policing a post conflict society with a wholly inadequate funding. As an example of how the organisation has been let down, our current legacy costs are in excess of £20 million each year and perhaps surprisingly to everyone we are not funded for these costs.

“The cost of dealing with legacy comes out of our core budget that should be spent on policing Northern Ireland today, that money should be providing police officers in our Neighbourhood and Response Teams, it should be paying for detectives to investigate and solve crimes.

“If legacy was properly and separately funded, as it should be, I could recruit a further 400 officers and the PSNI could provide the policing services we all desperately want to. It is beyond frustrating that since policing was devolved in 2010 there has been no funding plan for the legacy costs incurred by PSNI.

“Policing a post conflict society comes with many additional costs. That we are not funded for these has had a direct and detrimental impact on the trust and confidence of communities in the PSNI.”

Mr Boutcher added: “The Recovery Business Plan was a modest and proportionate response to re-build the PSNI. The case is inarguable. I am determined to put back the officers that have been taken away over the years. The consequences of not funding the PSNI will be felt by communities across Northern Ireland.

“Numerous independent bodies have set out very clearly the consequences of the unacceptable funding and its impact on our ability to manage high risk offenders, investigate and prevent serious crimes, deal with anti-social behaviour and tackle the intimidating activities of paramilitaries that ruin lives across our communities.

“Policing is a tough profession and the officers and staff of the Police Service who stand up to serve the people of Northern Ireland deserve our admiration, respect and support. I am immensely proud to lead them. Support for policing, and for our police officers, needs to be society wide. It needs to be recognised and understood that it is simply not acceptable to assault police officers. I remain alarmed at the apparent tolerance and indifference that exists here in Northern Ireland towards assaults of our police.  We cannot, and will not, simply stand by and accept it.

“On all of these most pressing of issues, the Federation and the PSNI leadership team are in absolute agreement. Alongside our strategic focus on victims and communities, the new Policing Plan makes clear our determination to be workforce focused and I will continue to work closely with the Police Federation and others to support our colleagues in every way I can.”