Question
We are supportive of how you are planning to undertake some recruitment in the new financial year, however if you don’t receive the funding package that will allow the commencement of the recruitment of police officers, do you have a secondary plan
Answer
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) wrote to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) advising of the need to commence recruitment in April 2024 and we welcome the support expressed by the Board.
At this juncture, we have not been advised of our budget for 2024/25, however, within our ‘Resource Requirement’, shared with NIPB and the Department of Justice (DOJ), we have included recruitment costs to hold headcount at 6,358 Officers and 2,341 Staff, resulting in a funding gap of £103m (excluding holiday pay and data breach litigation).
The April – June cadre of 102 Student Officers have been communicated with.
There is a natural review point now to clarify the budgetary position before continuing with recruitment for the full year (circa 350 Officers and 206 Staff).
Edgar Jardine