The Police Federation has slammed government proposals to cut 1,500 jobs from the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the next four years.
The federation said the recommendation, by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, to reduce the number of officers in Northern Ireland to just over 6,000, was “ill-conceived and foolish”.
Federation chairman Terry Spence said the plans could reduce security levels to a “dangerously unacceptable level”, BBC News reports.
“We are having difficulty in meeting the legitimate and reasonable expectations of the public at the moment. How are we to deliver policing in 2011 with 1,500 fewer regular officers on top of the 680 full-time reserve officers who are already scheduled to leave? It is extremely difficult to envisage.”
Security Minister Paul Goggins said any reduction would only happen when the security situation was assessed.
“The government remains committed to ensuring that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is fully resourced to provide an efficient and effective police service to the people of Northern Ireland,” he said.
