Praising the professionalism of the PSNI

On Wednesday I spoke to delegates at the Police Federation’s Annual Conference in Belfast.

Northern Ireland must never take for granted the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the brave men and women of the PSNI, and in my speech I wanted to underline the Government’s commitment to supporting the PSNI as they continue to deliver effective locally accountable policing.

The bravery and dedication of PSNI officers has resulted in a police service that is embraced by all sections of the community in a ‘new’ Northern Ireland.

The PSNI must not be taken for granted. It is up to each and every person to continue to work with and support the PSNI. For its part, the Government will continue to support the police service and ensure that it has the necessary resources to combat crime.

The Government’s commitment is demonstrated by the fact that I have recently approved funding to provide the PSNI with a further helicopter and work has now commenced on the new Police college.

This will ensure that the PSNI is amongst the best resourced police services in the United Kingdom to enable it to continue to provide the level of service that the public have rightly come to expect.