Attending the Police Federation of Northern Ireland Annual Conference, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Jon Boutcher said: “I was delighted to be invited to today’s conference. This was another valuable opportunity for me to listen to colleagues about the challenges facing our officers every single day."
“I am also glad the Minister was present to hear about those challenges directly from the Federation and particularly about the impact the current resource pressures have on officers and service delivery across the country.
"Despite recent welcome indications of political support for policing, the PSNI remains structurally underfunded and in a precarious financial situation. Nearly two months into the new financial year we still don’t have an agreed budget and are staring down the barrel of projected shortfalls of roughly £57m, £92m and £149m over the next three years.
“Legacy alone costs policing here £24million each year. This comes out of our core budget and it should be spent on policing Northern Ireland today. It is simply not right that money which should be spent on neighbourhood officers, addressing drugs, organised crime and violence against women and girls is instead spent on legacy.
“The burden of the failure to properly resource policing falls on the officers and staff of the PSNI and the communities who rely on us to keep them safe from increasingly complex criminal threats.
“Policing is a difficult and dangerous job, made more so by the ever present threat of violence from a small number of dissident republican cowards who have yet to realise that Northern Ireland has moved on and left them in the past.
"On a daily basis our officers also face unacceptable levels of spitting, biting, assaults and vehicle-rammings. Abuse and aggression have somehow become an accepted norm and this must be challenged.
“I took the opportunity today to thank my colleagues for everything they do in the face of this constant threat and abuse. They deserve all of our admiration, respect and support and I want to use this 25th Anniversary year of the formation of the PSNI to reinvigorate political and societal support for policing.
"That support must be society-wide and unequivocal. We are incredibly fortunate to have our workforce, they care about what they do and how they do it. We are human beings and sometimes get things wrong but when we do we learn and improve.
“The Federation and the Police Service of Northern Ireland leadership team are absolutely determined to continue working closely together to support our colleagues as they serve victims and communities across the country.”