PSNI To Recruit 300 Officers After £16m Brexit Funding Boost

The PSNI has been awarded £16.48 million for Brexit preparations, that will fund the recruitment of over 300 officers as part of additional Treasury financial provisions.

The Northern Ireland Office has confirmed the news.

PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton had previously called for a financial boost for the force to pay for the recruitment of an additional 400 officers, to allow him to mitigate the effects of Brexit.

He welcomed the announcement today, Wednesday 19 December, and said it would allow the force to recruit 308 constables by April 2020.

Mr Hamilton had previously warned of the challenge posed by the Irish Border and the possibility of dissident republican violence, prompting a need for more police bodies.

This would facilitate the continuation of neighbourhood policing activities, while border issues are dealt with, according to the Chief Constable.

Secretary of State Karen Bradley welcomed the added funding, saying it would help manage "pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations, reflecting the specific and unique concerns in Northern Ireland".

"The UK Government has invested significantly in the PSNI, with over £230million of additional security funding over the course of the 2010 Parliament and £131million over the current spending review period."

Chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Anne Connolly, also welcomed the news.

She said: "It is welcome that the Chief Constable's bid for additional resources has been successful. Resources available to the PSNI and their allocation to day to day delivery of the policing service is one of the key issues that the Board will be discussing with the Chief Constable in the New Year and in the development of policing plans for the time ahead."



(JG/CM)