PSNI chiefs have taken the taken operational decision to request additional police officers from Britain to support its current policing operation.
The request to the National Police Co-ordination Centre followed what Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones described as “ongoing street violence and disorder” across Belfast.
She added that decision to “significantly mobilise the service” meant officers and staff would be “working longer shifts and rest days”.
Responding to the PSNI request for additional support, Liam Kelly, chairperson of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) said it demonstrated “how cuts have eroded the service”.
ACC Jones said: “Increasing our resources and footprint across Northern Ireland in the coming days will enable us to manage planned events and deal with any sporadic incidents, including disorder.
”We have also submitted a request to National Police Co-ordination Centre for additional officers from across the United Kingdom to support the policing operation.
”The Mutual Aid officers will provide vital resilience and support and will be given all of the necessary equipment and familiarisation training.
”Any officers who may come to Northern Ireland would specifically assist with the ongoing public disorder and protests and not every day policing. “We will continue to keep this under review.”
PSNI officers were out in east Belfast, Mallusk, Glengormley and north Belfast on Wednesday night, as crowds gathered. The PSNI helicopter was also deployed.
During the disturbances, bins were set on fire and bricks were thrown at police lines.
In response, crowds on the Newtownards Road were dispersed by rolling PSNI road blocks with vehicles covering the road.
PFNI chairperson, Liam Kelly, said police officers could not be expected to work “long hours” and “give up rest days and annual leave to be on duty to maintain order” indefinitely.
Mr Kelly said : “The same cadre of officers cannot be expected to continue to do this for any protracted period, so I welcome the PSNI request for Mutual Aid to be deployed to support them.”
He added: “Due to successive deficit budgets, we are already without ten Level One Public Order crews – two units of fifty highly trained officers – which adds enormous pressure onto the remaining specialist units. This situation cannot continue indefinitely and ultimately is unsustainable. The PSNI needs significant investment so we can start to grow our policing service to the levels that are needed.
“Mutual Aid is a last resort. After another night of trouble, this time in east Belfast, for resilience, officer welfare and public confidence the chief constable had no choice but to ask for outside help.”
“There’s a Government commitment in England and Wales for 13,000 additional officers, but in Northern Ireland policing is in reverse..” he said.
“This is a glaring example of the consequences of 10 years of cuts on policing and the failure of Stormont to award an appropriate budget. It cannot go on. We’re at breaking point and must have direct action by both our own and the UK Government. My appeal is to positively intervene with a realistic budget so we can avert a full-blown crisis.”
