“Some policing projects will be affected..”
The Belfast Telegraph reports that, due to budget constraints, the recruitment of the Police Community Support Officers “will not progress this year” – as provided for in the Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 2007 introduced in January 2007 [What about the policing precept? - Ed]. There had been some speculation about those locally-recruited community police units.. in the absence of effective restorative justice schemes.. Although there was, apparently, additional resources for the West Belfast Community Confidence Safety Forum..
The PSNI said that the Comprehensive Spending Review — the method by which Government allocates money to the public sector — seeks to set police budgets for the next three financial years and that the force is legally required to achieve a balanced budget. “There is a shortfall of £88.8m revenue — the day-to-day cost of policing — between what the service considered an appropriate and necessary level of funding to continue to drive forward change and improvements in policing and the allocation. There is also a shortfall in capital funding,” a spokesman said.
More from the Belfast Telegraph report
“Despite the fact that there is a shortfall over the next three years, the police service will continue to work with communities and their representatives to provide the best possible policing service. However, such are the demands facing the Police Service that some difficult choices have had to be made.
“Some policing projects will be affected, including the recruitment of the Police Community Support Officers, which will not progress this year. There will also be a reduction in police overtime. We will all work hard to ensure that the budget proposals will have a minimal impact on front line policing. We must continue to do more with less but endeavour to provide a first class policing service for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
Rumour has it the policing college in Cookstown is shelved with the new training centre to be at Massereene Barracks in Antrim shortly to be vacated by the Royal Engineers.
Why would anyone want to take on a ministry with responsibility for an underfunded, under resourced and overworked police force? Maybe Peter has a few pound up his sleeve that he could throw at it if justice and policing were to be devolved.
The ruc seemed incapable of physical restraint perhaps it will take fiscal restraint to transform it from a paramilitary force to a police force.
Stoneyford atleast can always hope
Goggins was unable to get a reliable supply of baseball bats with blue flashing lights …
I judge a police agency by the constructor set storage of their riot shields.
It it looks like the Pompidou centre, then they might be worth having, they could do stadia design, refurbish the odd dome by a river.
It is a money thing, why can’t the police pick up rubbish as well, they did in NYC at several times, initially with a broom,
the last apparently being Times Square, when they ‘picked up trash’ etc.
So there you are.
G.