Unenviable task of deciding where axe falls on PSNI is now under way

Police chiefs currently face the mammoth task of earmarking which services to axe in the wake of savage cuts to the budget.

Chief Constable George Hamilton painted a dire financial picture when he outlined the impact the cuts would have on his force, warning the PSNI would become unrecognisable as a result.

Mr Hamilton said sweeping changes would "fundamentally change how policing is delivered".

He said front line policing would be forced to change as a result of the funding crisis – which amount to cuts of more than £51m – effectively transforming the force into a "blue light" service.

Already announced is the loss of 300 temporary jobs and a reduction in neighbourhood policing.

The cuts will "effectively mean the closure" of the Historical Enquiries Team that investigates Troubles-era killings.

The majority of police investigating the shooting dead of 13 civil rights protesters by soldiers on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972 are to be laid off. In response to a query from a member of the Policing Board, Mr Hamilton was unable to give assurances about the future of Operation Redfield.

It was set up to examine the way the PSNI handled on-the-run suspects in the wake of the collapse of John Downey's trial for alleged involvement in the 1982 Hyde Park bombing.

The PSNI is reviewing its initial assessment of all 228 individuals to see if any other errors were made or if any fresh evidence has emerged.

Mr Hamilton said the current recruitment process for officers would be "substantially slower", while the brakes have been put on a further intake of staff. Retirement schemes are also set to be introduced. The force's ability to police interface areas would also suffer, the Chief Constable said.

More than £5.6m is to be saved from the overtime budget over the next six months.

Mr Hamilton said the cuts required would "fundamentally change how and where policing is delivered". He said it was no longer affordable to operate a force of its current size, almost 7,000.

"We want to prevent harm happening to people rather than respond once it has happened," he said. "We want to be able to reassure people, we want to do preventative policing – it's far better if we can prevent crime and harm happening than simply sweeping up the mess after the event.

"But we're going to be forced into a demand-led model here, we're just simply going to have to be more reactive."

Belfast Telegraph