Police Figures Demonstrate Folly of Plans to Scrap Reserve
02 September 2009
Statement from TUV leader Jim Allister:
"The figures released on the number of police officers demonstrate the utter folly of present plans to scrap the Police Reserve. These figures show that there is a deficit of 500 Constables at present, over 700 when student officers are excluded. The police Reserve somewhat fills this gap, yet it is scheduled to go, and all this at a time when there is a marked dearth of officers on the ground. The abolition of the Reserve in such circumstances is crazy.
“Little wonder, both in the realm of ‘ordinary crime’ and facing down the terrorist threat, we have seen so many instances recently of inadequate policing.
“There are two foolish policies of Orde which the incoming Chief Constable should immediately reverse: the abolition of the Reserve and the dangerous policy on refusing PPWs, which is jeopardising the lives of hundreds of former members of the security forces."
The PSNI figures are online here.
