Fifth of PSNI is Catholic

One in five police officers in the North are now Catholic, it emerged today.

As demand to join the PSNI reached a new high, the drive to achieve religious balance in the ranks was strengthened by the latest figures.

Catholics account for 20.05% of regular officers in the force, compared to just 8.3% when the Patten probe into the old RUC was carried out in 1998.

Even though the SDLP’s Alex Attwood described it as a landmark in attempts to overhaul the service, he warned against any move to now end the 50:50 recruitment policy.

“It’s a watershed that they have broken through the 20% barrier,” the Policing Board representative said.

“The figures remain very encouraging and very strong.

“But the continued success of overall recruitment and Catholic recruitment must not mean that the Government changes its position on the retention of 50:50.

“It’s up for renewal next spring, but Patten said it should continue for at least 10 years.

“You cannot play fast and loose with policing.”

With new recruits graduating from the Garnerville training college in east Belfast last Friday, there have now been more than 65,000 applications to join the PSNI.

The latest campaign led to the highest level of interest yet. Nearly 7,700 applicants competed for 220 places.

Out of these 37% were Catholics, again the highest rate to date.

Paul Goggins, the Northern Ireland Security Minister, praised the standard of men and women joining the PSNI.

He said: “Policing as a career isn’t an easy choice. It’s not an easy job, and not everyone could do it.

“The PSNI has shown that it is attracting high calibre candidates into its ranks.”

Mr Goggins added: “I am delighted that so many people from all communities and backgrounds have taken up the challenge of delivering what is an absolutely vital service to the community and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them every success for the future.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern welcomed the statistics.

“I believe this is an important milestone which shows that the 50/50 provisions are working,” he said.

“This is helping to fulfil the objective of a fully representative Police Service in Northern Ireland.

“I also believe that the 50/50 provision should be continued as intended for at least 10 years in order to achieve what Patten termed ‘a critical mass’ of one-third of the new Police Service made up of Catholics/Nationalists.”