Doug Beattie says Chief Constable's lobbying of the Prime Minister worked - as PSNI focus on extra Stormont cash

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher met the Prime Minister Keir Starmer to press him on PSNI funding.Chief Constable Jon Boutcher met the Prime Minister Keir Starmer to press him on PSNI funding.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher met the Prime Minister Keir Starmer to press him on PSNI funding.
​The Chief Constable’s approach to securing extra money directly from the Prime Minister has worked, Doug Beattie says – as the PSNI sets its sights on the Executive’s extra cash.

​Policing in Northern Ireland has received an additional £45.8 million in the Budget. That is an increase to Westminster’s contribution to the police security budget (£38m) – as well as extra cash for the Executive’s Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (£8m).

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That has been welcomed by the UUP MLA Doug Beattie – who has praised Jon Boutcher’s approach of bypassing the NI Department of Justice earlier this year.

“The news that the PSNI will receive an extra £45.8million for national security costs is welcome. Without a doubt this extra money is because of the pressure the Chief Constable put on the office of the Prime Minister despite the efforts to sanction him by the Department of Justice.

“The argument that there was no more money rings hollow and indeed I wrote in September that extra money could come from the Treasury off the back of recent paramilitary activity and its links to racist incidents in Northern Ireland as well as building the momentum that has been established in dealing with dissident republicans.

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“I said it then and I’ll say it again, the Justice Minister needs to fight harder for the PSNI. Thank goodness we now have a chief Constable who will stand up for the force he commands.

“This extra funding will not fix the crises in the PSNI, only sustained year on year funding with do that but it does help in the short term”, the Upper Bann MLA said.

The PSNI have also welcomed the funding, and will be looking for a cut of Stormont’s additional funds. Chief Operating Officer, Pamela McCreedy said the force welcomes “the announcement that the Police Service is to receive an increase of around £5 million of Additional Security Funding and for the further investment in the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime. We also note that the Northern Ireland Executive is to receive an additional £640 million and we look forward to working with the Department of Justice for the much needed additional funding for the Police Service.”

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