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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| NI police reserve to go in 2011 | NI police reserve to go in 2011 |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Northern Ireland's Chief Constable Matt Baggott has confirmed he will press on with plans to phase out the PSNI's full time reserve within 16 months. | Northern Ireland's Chief Constable Matt Baggott has confirmed he will press on with plans to phase out the PSNI's full time reserve within 16 months. |
| At the height of the Troubles there were more than 3,000 members of the reserve, now there are about 440. | At the height of the Troubles there were more than 3,000 members of the reserve, now there are about 440. |
| The DUP had listed retaining the reserve as a confidence building measure necessary for the devolution of policing and justice. | The DUP had listed retaining the reserve as a confidence building measure necessary for the devolution of policing and justice. |
| However, Mr Baggott has said there was no operational need to keep it. | However, Mr Baggott has said there was no operational need to keep it. |
| The future of the Full Time Reserve has become part of the political debate around the devolution of policing and justice. | The future of the Full Time Reserve has become part of the political debate around the devolution of policing and justice. |
| It is to be phased out by March 2011, a move which was one of the key recommendations of the Patten reforms on policing. | It is to be phased out by March 2011, a move which was one of the key recommendations of the Patten reforms on policing. |
| On Friday, Mr Baggott informed the Police Federation for Northern Ireland , which represents rank and file officers, that he will release the reserve officers as planned. | On Friday, Mr Baggott informed the Police Federation for Northern Ireland , which represents rank and file officers, that he will release the reserve officers as planned. |
| The Federation's Chairman Terry Spence criticised the move, describing it as incomprehensible at a time when the threat from dissident republicans is growing. | The Federation's Chairman Terry Spence criticised the move, describing it as incomprehensible at a time when the threat from dissident republicans is growing. |
| "The decision does not bear any scrutiny whatsoever," he said. | "The decision does not bear any scrutiny whatsoever," he said. |
| Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the reserve was no longer needed | Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the reserve was no longer needed |
| "If we look at the historical perspective on this, where we were 10 years ago for example, we had 12,500 full time officers, 13,000 troops to assist the civil power the threat level was not anywhere as severe as it is now. | "If we look at the historical perspective on this, where we were 10 years ago for example, we had 12,500 full time officers, 13,000 troops to assist the civil power the threat level was not anywhere as severe as it is now. |
| "Yet here we are in 2009 and we have effectively just under 8,000 full time officers and we have no troops to assist us, so the argument that the chief constable used to me does not bear any logical thinking or scrutiny and I have told him so." | "Yet here we are in 2009 and we have effectively just under 8,000 full time officers and we have no troops to assist us, so the argument that the chief constable used to me does not bear any logical thinking or scrutiny and I have told him so." |
| He said that police were "feeling vulnerable" on patrol in many parts of Northern Ireland and that police were "struggling to deliver a front-line service". | He said that police were "feeling vulnerable" on patrol in many parts of Northern Ireland and that police were "struggling to deliver a front-line service". |
| In a statement, Mr Baggott said the process to phase out the Police Service of Northern Ireland reserve had been in place since 2005 and that he had reviewed the situation. | In a statement, Mr Baggott said the process to phase out the Police Service of Northern Ireland reserve had been in place since 2005 and that he had reviewed the situation. |
| He said that as a result the "correct response" must be to proceed with the phasing out of the reserve "and to use our regular officer establishment more effectively". | He said that as a result the "correct response" must be to proceed with the phasing out of the reserve "and to use our regular officer establishment more effectively". |
| He said significant numbers of officers must be released from non-police duties to enhance "frontline visibility, and in particular neighbourhood policing". | He said significant numbers of officers must be released from non-police duties to enhance "frontline visibility, and in particular neighbourhood policing". |
| Mr Baggott said the people of Northern Ireland "owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the men and women of the full time reserve and indeed their part-time colleagues". | Mr Baggott said the people of Northern Ireland "owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the men and women of the full time reserve and indeed their part-time colleagues". |
| "I recognise that there is an ongoing threat from dissident republican terrorists and would seek to reassure both the public and officers that their safety will always be a priority," he added. | "I recognise that there is an ongoing threat from dissident republican terrorists and would seek to reassure both the public and officers that their safety will always be a priority," he added. |
| Operational | |
| DUP Policing Board member Jimmy Spratt said the moved flew "in the face of opinions coming forward from grass-roots policing". | |
| "Only this week the IMC reported that the dissident threat is at its highest level since that body came into being," he said. | |
| "The DUP has also met with police commanders across the province who have reinforced the need for resources to tackle the dissident republican terrorists. | |
| "The full time reserve have a reservoir of knowledge and experience, particularly in tackling terrorism which Northern Ireland can ill afford to lose." | |
| TUV leader Jim Allister said the moved was a "patently political" decision to "assuage and meet Sinn Fein pressure". | |
| "Unionists can also play politics and the response should be to abandon any prospect of devolving policing and justice," he said. | |
| The Ulster Unionist Party's Basil McCrea said Mr Baggott must work to allay the fears of the people of Northern Ireland but that it was an operational decision. | |
| "The difficulty that we, as a party, have with this decision is the loss of experience," he said. | |
| "Given that over 60% of the PSNI are new officers, we are concerned about the lack of anti-terrorist experience on the ground. | |
| "In the context of dissident threat, this is a concern which the Chief Constable must address if there is to be confidence within the Northern Ireland community." |