PFNI Chair, Liam Kelly, said: “I understand that communities that are affected will view this decision with dismay and disappointment.
“That said, severe cuts in service levels are the outworking for an organisation that faces a deficit of £130m.
“Something has to give if core policing services are to be maintained with the diminishing resources that are available. This is the inevitable consequence of budget pressures, but it will fall far short of what’s required if the Service is to attempt to balance the books.
“It is a total disgrace that insufficient priority is devoted to policing in Northern Ireland. Our Northern Ireland Executive must realise that reducing overall effectiveness and ability to respond to calls from the public with fewer officers is a backward and potentially dangerous step.
“Only direct intervention by Ministers and the Government to sort out the mess that is the PSNI budget will halt the decline.
“It’s a relief that there are no station closures involved, but that shouldn’t be taken to mean that all existing stations will remain open as the service grapples with this full-blown crisis.”
The offices affected are Lisburn Road, Strand Town, Tennent Street and Woodbourne in Belfast; Bangor; Banbridge; Magherafelt; Dungannon; Lisnaskea; Waterside; and Newtownabbey. Each of the police stations mentioned will remain operational.
The timescale for the closures is not clear but is likely to be within the next three months.
The number of remaining station enquiry offices will be 17 – down from 28.
Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing, Bobby Singleton said: “This decision follows an extensive review which included analysis of the volume and type of demand in enquiry offices. This review concluded that against the backdrop of wider resource challenges, the current service is neither sustainable nor effective.”
He added: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly and we are conscious there may be an actual or perceived loss of accessibility, visibility and ability to respond to the needs of the community. However, the PSNI is facing unprecedented financial pressure and savings are necessary to deliver a sustainable and effective organisation.
“The Chief Constable has been clear for some time that difficult decisions are going to have to be taken. The Police Service is shrinking and as a result, the level of service the public can expect to see is going to change.
“It is important to emphasise that these are not station closures. Police Officers and staff will continue to serve the community from these locations. Our analysis shows that even with the reduced arrangement over 90% of households in Northern Ireland will be within 15 miles of a station Enquiry Office. The average household is 10.7 miles from their nearest office (an increase of 4 miles) or 18.5 minutes by car (an increase of 1.5 minutes).
“The need for clarity and transparency on this issue is paramount. We want to be clear with the public about the challenges we are facing and the type of Service they can expect to see in the coming years.”
The ‘front counters’ of Station Enquiry offices are operated by Station Enquiry Assistants (SEAs), employed by a third-party private sector contractor as part of a managed services contract.
Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott said the closure of the two enquiry offices within the Fermanagh South Tyrone area shows the sorry state the police service is in regarding finances.
“This is clearly a cost cutting measure. The fact that the Dungannon office is extremely busy makes the decision hard to understand,” he said.
“Lisnaskea is in a very strategic area, given the distance from the south and east borderlands of Fermanagh to the only other enquiry station, Enniskillen.
“The closure of these offices will result in loss of accessibility to many people, particularly in rural areas like Fermanagh & South Tyrone.
“I have raised the matter with the party’s member on the Policing Board and I will be making my views known to the PSNI District Commanders to express my disappointment at this decision and to seek answers on the rational.
“Policing is currently significantly under strength from what the Patten recommendations were, this decision is a further blow to public confidence in the service, and indeed a negative aspect to serving police officers.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
