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Record number apply to PSNI

on 16 May 2009 , 2:07 pm 20 | 3 views

BBC reporting a slightly old story that the PSNI has had a record number of applicants despite the murder of Policeman Stephen Carroll in Craigavon.

Almost 10,000 people applied, 37% of them Catholics, are competing for just 440 jobs.

  • politico

    Heard Ian Paisley Jnr on the radio talking about this and stating that the large number of applications proved that the community had confidence in policing and justice. No doubt this will form part of the DUP rationale for having these devolved. Might I suggest that the large number of applications is due to a lack of confidence in the economy.

  • eranu

    probably politico, but if it helps to get the P&J thing sorted, then its one less stupid argument for us to listen to.

  • Phil

    The record number of applications is purely a result of Sod’s law.

    This is the first time I’ve applied for the PSNI, so naturally 10,000 others would have the same idea.

    Sigh.

  • Comrade Stalin

    politco, I think I’d agree, in all fairness. The PSNI are close to being the only people doing any recruiting at the moment.

  • Andrew

    suspect its down to two things:

    1. Things took away after Sinn Fein backed police back in 2007, therefore people who’d have never thought to join because of Sinn Fein are joining

    2. The economy

    politico

    sure if the DUP hadnt saved Ulster in time in 2003 we’d have seen policing justice by now anyway?

  • Greenflag

    So the ‘odds’ are 23 to 1 for every applicant possibly slightly less for RC’s assuming the ‘target’ of ‘equality ‘ is still in effect .

    A stark comment indeed on the state of the ‘real ‘ NI economy in these times.

    Still good luck to the applicants they’ll need it .

    ‘Where there is law there is injustice . Where there is no law there is even more injustice ‘

  • Andrew

    “1. Things took away after Sinn Fein backed police back in 2007, therefore people who’d have never thought to join because of Sinn Fein are joining”

    meant: things took a while after Sinn Fein

  • Driftwood

    If there is a way of checking numbers of applicants to the Fire service, or Civil service, or any public sector body, I’d guess huge numbers of applicants. Even the army, which has had declining numbers for years, is picking up recruitment rapidly.

    The public sector is now the gold standard for a secure job, with final salary pension etc. I’m surprised the number of applicants wasn’t higher.

  • Glencoppagagh

    The obvious conclusion to draw from this is that police officers in NI are hugely overpaid.
    Luckily, devolved P&J is just round the corner so one of the first acts of the local minister will be to reflect local conditions by imposing pay cuts on the PSNI.
    In my dreams.

  • redskin, co down

    Policing is a growth industry will the increase in a range of criminal activities including those idiots who think we are still in the 1970s. Many of the psni recruits havent a clue about everyday life in working class areas-need more recruits from areas such as newry, west belfast, bogside, ballysillan, shankill, etc

    Havent heard of too many plods signing on these days-maybe special attention should be given to all the guys in the building trade who cant get work-they could do odd jobs for local pensioners in between chasing druggies.

    may the farce be with you !

  • Andrew

    redskin

    I agree with you 100% it would b interesting to find out the geographical spread.

    However I wonder how my catholics, or even protestants applied thinking we they were going to be safe or that its a ‘safe job’ in economic terms I mean.

    Let us remember that many RCs’ didn’t join from the areas you mention because of the threat from their own community … perhaps thats changed now that Gerry and Marty have embraced the Police Service of NI particularly seen by their response to the murder of the policeman in Craigavon (not so much the two soldiers).

  • loki

    DUP/ SF can agree on bugger all- not even whether or not they want to smash each other so why would they agree on a Justice minister?
    Followed by where the hell’s the money coming form to paty for it? Oh aye- Westminster and the DUP/SF don’t want to play nice with anybody there so looks like the extra money needed to do the job properly will be forthcoming

  • redhugh78

    Andrew,
    keep deluding yourself if you think the main reason for catholics not joining the police previously was because of fear from what their own community might do to them.
    They would’nt join the RUC because they were a paramilitary wing of unionism purely concerned with the preservation of the gerrymandered sectarian state that is the six counties.

    Not to mention their murder of citizens they were supposed tgo be serving.

  • redhugh78

    typo, to be serving.

  • Danny O’Connor

    Where they will spend months of intensive training in new techniques of how to fob people off ,pass the buck, and generally explain why they can’t do anything about anything.

  • sure if the DUP hadnt saved Ulster in time in 2003 we’d have seen policing justice by now anyway?

    And what exactly have the DUP saved Ulster from?

    What exactly are the DUP currently saving Ulster from?

    What are the DUP going to save Ulster from in the future?

    British rule by the sounds of ?? etc.

    DUP keeping the mainlanders’ noses out of Ulster.

  • Driftwood

    Where they will spend months of intensive training in new techniques of how to fob people off ,pass the buck, and generally explain why they can’t do anything about anything.

    Err…Stormont?

  • Danny O’Connor

    Driftwood,you may be right,although ,not being a member, I don’t have any role there.I do have a limited role in policing as a member of the local DPP.

  • Ulsters my homeland

    word has it that a large proportion of the applicants are from South Armagh;)

  • This is purely a story about the recession.

    All over the UK, applications for public sector employment are up.

    The Army is up to full strength for the first time in many years because of the recession