Additional funding welcomed

Last week, the Police Service welcomed £245 million of additional funding from HM Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The additional finance will ensure that we have the ability to deliver a personal, professional and protective service, while at the same time, enhance our ability to tackle the terrorist threat, keeping our communities, officers and staff safe.

However, this funding must also be considered in the context of the required efficiency savings of £135 million over the next four years.

Every Police Service across the United Kingdom faces its own individual challenges. While we share many common challenges, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is unique because we are the only Service operating under a severe terrorist threat on a daily basis.

Despite this unique situation, we are consistently delivering against the targets set for us by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Recent achievements include:

• An incease of 5.2% in the confidence figure for effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System
• A 5.9% reduction in non domestic violence with injury complaints
• 148 less people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions
• A 12% increase in the detection rates for sectarian crime
• A 4.2% reduction in reports of anti social behaviour
• A 10% reduction in the number of non domestic burglaries
• 32 crime gangs frustrated, 56 disrupted and 31 dismantled
• An additional 594 police officers redeployed to neighbourhood and response policing (against a target of 600)

We have achieved a great deal, but are not complacent and have more work to do to achieve all our targets.

Our performance this year is improving across almost all areas. We are moving in absolutely the right direction, regarding the number of cash seizures and confiscation orders, domestic violence with injury crimes, detection rate for robberies, detection rates for homophobic crimes and the detection rate for serious sexual crime.

We have never used the terrorist threat as an excuse for under-performing and never will. We will continue to use our available resources to ensure that the appropriate additional protection will be provided for all officers and staff.

Despite the unique challenges, I believe there is always room for improvement. Many of the achievements are very commendable and your assistance is helping us to meet these targets and improve our performance is very welcome.

Now that we have certainty regarding our budget going forward into the next four years, I assure you we will do everything possible to deliver the very best Police Service we can.

I hope you continue to give us your support in doing so.