Cost of increasing officer headcount

Question

What are the costs of increasing PSNI officer headcount to 7,500, broken down by (i) costs of retaining current officer headcount at 7,000 (ii) recruitment and training costs of adding 500 officers and (iii) annual recurring costs of employing the additional 500 officers.

Response

1. Cost of retaining current officer headcount at 7,000.
    
   The table below illustrates the cost of retaining officer headcount at 7,000 for the next 5 years. Estimated pay inflation and pay increments have been applied which explains the annual increase in costs.
    

1. Recruitment and training costs of adding 500 officers.
    
   Recruitment and training costs are estimated at £5m for 500 officers. It is likely this cost would be spread over 3 years to enable an additional 500 officers to be recruited, in addition to the normal recruitment to replenish leavers.
    
2. Annual recurring cost of employing the additional 500 officers.
    
   Assuming the additional 500 officers are recruited over a 3 year period, the recurring costs of employing the additional 500 officers are illustrated in the table below.