PSNI attracts recruits from Republic in bid to balance the force

NINETEEN recruits from the Republic have joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) since it launched a cross-Border recruitment drive more than 18 months ago.

The handful of recruits from across the Border joined after the last three recruitment drives.

While advertisements were placed on RTÉ television and in newspapers and magazines, including the Garda Review, the PSNI said the campaign did not specifically target recruits from the Republic.

The PSNI has a policy of positive discrimination in favour of Catholics, in an attempt to increase the traditionally small percentage from the nationalist community who join the force.

Currently, the target is to recruit 50% Catholic and 50% non-Catholic. The number of applications is running at 37% Catholic while the percentage of members from the community is just under 15%.

Since March last year, eight of the 19 Irish Republic recruits joined in the last recruitment round, three in the previous round and eight in the one before that.