Former PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Jon Burrows said that issues around recruitment and retention mean that it could take five years “before you see the bodies on the ground in terms of larger numbers”, rather than three years.
Speaking on Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster, he said: “The student officer training programme is 21 week-long, then there’s a probationary programme. Prior to that you have exams, scenarios and employment checks so this isn’t something that happens overnight.”
He said that the £34,000 starting salary is a “significant improvement” and “recognises the work and effort that officers go through and I think that helps”.
However, his concern was getting the “right people” to stay in the role.
“We need to make sure we get the right people. We want to keep them when they join. We don’t want to lose them after two or three years.”
Mr Burrows said that recruiting 550 to 600 officers a year is a “logistical challenge” to be able to cope with.
“It’s a competitive field out there,” he said.
“There are a lot of jobs out there in the criminal justice area and there’s not an infinite pool of people for those and we want the right people.”
