PFNI says Catholic recruitment held up by intimidation and threats

The Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland Liam Kelly is calling for major societal changes to encourage more Catholics to apply to become police officers.

Mr Kelly said figures on the religious breakdown of applicants in the latest recruitment campaign showed there was still ‘a hill to climb’ when it came to attracting numbers that more accurately reflected the wider population.

Mr Kelly said: “The Chief Constable, in a BBC interview, said that 27% of the 3,500 applicants came from a Catholic background and that is some way off the workforce balance that is required.

“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.

“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.

“Applicants should not feel they are going to lose their family networks or their friends but, sadly, too many feel that is exactly what would happen if they became police officers.

“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.”