SDLP Policing Board member Mark H Durkan has warned that a £80 million deficit in the policing budget for 2023/24 will see police numbers drastically reduced.
He stated the shortfall would have dire consequences for the future of community policing including the ability to respond to calls and tackle crime.
Said the Foyle MLA: “The PSNI are facing bleak budget cuts which could see police numbers here shrink to the lowest levels in the service’s history.
“These cuts wouldn’t be acceptable anywhere else and given the sensitive political situation here, it’s even more important to have a sufficient police workforce.
“Incidentally England, Scotland and Wales have all recently experienced an increase in the number of police officers.
“Cuts to policing cannot be viewed in isolation but rather we must consider them in the context of the continued underinvestment in mental health services, cuts to education programmes and community initiatives as well as the potential switch off of street lights and cessation of road maintenance.
“There is a growing need for increased police officers in our communities- sadly, the reality is that we depend on the police service to plug the gaping holes across public services.
“The PSNI must also recognise that this is not a case of asking for more money, but they must look at how they can use resources more efficiently, particularly with regards to the significant costs associated with the policing of events across Northern Ireland..
“This is yet another glaring example of tough political decisions not being made resulting in spiralling costs not just in terms of finances but the cost to wider society.”
