Northern police to hire 1,000 civilian staff

The North’s police service has announced plans to recruit 1,000 civilian workers over the next year to ease pressure on police officers.

The initiative is designed to reduce the amount of desk work being undertaken by detectives and officers who are needed to police the streets.

Civilians will be hired to fill positions in IT, administrative support, public relations, training and education as part of the scheme.

The PSNI described the campaign as a vital step in reform of the police force.