NI chief constable concerned over lack of Catholics applying to join police

Northern Ireland’s chief constable has said the number of Catholics applying to join police is lower than he would like to see.

Around 3,500 applications have been received in the latest recruitment campaign for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which closes on Wednesday.

Of those, approximately 27% were by those who identify as Catholic.

The number of applicants is also lower than during previous recruitment campaigns, when just over 5,000 and almost 7,000 applications were received respectively.

The campaign comes at a time when PSNI officer numbers are at 6,300, with the chief constable describing this as “below where they need to be”, and aiming to boost numbers to 7,000.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said that number of Catholics applying to join is lower than he would have liked to see.

“The figures are not what I want. There is no doubt about that. But Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he told the BBC.

He said it is “critically important” that the PSNI is representative.

“I am very focused on trying to make sure that we do everything we possibly can,” he said.

“This is the first campaign since 2021 and we’ve reached into not just the nationalist community but the Protestant working class communities, ethnic minority communities.

“I’ve done that personally, all my colleagues have done that, to try and get more interest from people who would not traditionally have thought about the PSNI as an occupation.

“It’s a tough challenge but it’s one we’re up for.”

In terms of overall numbers, Mr Boutcher said if the PSNI had kept pace with forces in England, Scotland and Wales there would be probably be around 8,000-8,500 officers.

He said the lower number of applicants is “mirroring” what is seen in other parts of the UK and Ireland, with other forces struggling to attract numbers.

Meanwhile Mr Boutcher said he believes political leaders at Stormont are sympathetic.

“They, I think, understand more than they have ever understood because we are explaining it in a way that is incredibly compelling, and what I’m saying is, ‘enough is enough’, and the politicians are listening to that, they are sympathetic to that,” he said.

“I’m asking for a three-year plan so that we can recover our numbers to 7,000 which is still very much not what we need, but it’s a starting position and it will allow us to keep people safer than we would otherwise be able to do.”

Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland – which represents rank and file officers, said figures on the religious breakdown of applicants in the latest recruitment campaign showed there was still “a hill to climb”.

“A number of impediments are there to make Catholics turn away from a job in policing. We still have the threat that’s posed by murderous dissident gangs and that’s a big issue for people in areas where these thugs operate,” he said.

“Societal changes are required. Potential applicants must get to the point where they can seek a career in policing without suffering intimidation or threats. I have a number of Catholic colleagues who are unable to return home to visit parents and relatives, and that is an intolerable situation.

“Society has to change the way it views policing, generally, and provide the encouragement that is needed to make it possible for more Catholics to become officers serving the entire community.

“Ultimately, we want applicants from all backgrounds who will make good police officers. That cannot be based on their religious affiliations but rather on their skills and all-round ability to do the job without fear or favour.”