No compromise on the things that matter most

There is absolutely no doubt, as the Government undertakes its’ spending review, that the Police Service of Northern Ireland will be asked to make efficiencies just the same as every other Police Service across the United Kingdom.

In some respects, the PSNI is ahead of the game. In response to the findings of our own Strategic Review, we have critically examined how we do our business to identify how we can use our people and resources to best effect.

The concept of efficiency and effectiveness is very clearly enshrined in one of our Chief Constable’s five strategic principles: ‘Resources and time focused upon genuine operational delivery. Ensuring we have the right people in the right place to prevent harm, protect from danger and inspire confidence.’

We have already delivered over 400 additional police officers to frontline policing and we are determined to identify more ways to reduce bureaucracy, push for further criminal justice reforms and ensure that our officers are more visible, in more places, for much longer, and are focussed on the things that matter most to local communities.

We are a unique police service, policing a unique environment. This makes us all the more determined to continue to influence Government, locally and nationally, to secure an appropriate level of funding which will allow us to meet the increased threat from terrorists head on, and to deprive them of the opportunities to murder, wreck and maim that they seek.

We will do our absolute best to deliver on the agreed targets in our Policing Plan, and to ensure that there is no policing vacuum that others will seek to fill.

Later this year we will expand on those targets to develop a series of Policing with the Community commitments. Once completed, we will deliver information about the commitments to every household in Northern Ireland. These commitments are simply about 'delivering the basics well' in areas that are important, such as, keeping people informed, visibility and accessibility. A mechanism to ensure that we deliver a personal, professional and protective policing service.

Regardless of what financial pressures come our way, we will not compromise on those things that matter most. We will continue to tackle serious harm, whatever form that might take, we will continue to work with other agencies to help protect the most vulnerable in our communities and we will seek to provide the personal Police Service that we all want and deserve.

We can make a difference but only if you continue to give us your complete and active support.