Question
Would the Chief Constable agree there is an urgent need for PSNI to invest additional resources in order to embed the cultural changes necessary to deliver the "no tolerance" message he and his senior team have championed regarding misogyny, harassment, and discrimination among staff? Furthermore, would he accept that such an investment could have an important role in helping to protect women in communities from the small number of officers who misuse their position for sexual purposes?
Answer
Resourcing challenges are significant right across PSNI and have been highlighted to the Board previously. Sustained cultural change depends on having the right capacity across the whole organisation, including in areas such as training delivery, strategy development, frontline supervision and professional standards/anti- corruption capability.
Notwithstanding the well-publicised resourcing pressures, PSNI remains fully committed to this “no tolerance” position. Work continues to strengthen delivery through training activity, process improvements, surveying the service, developing action plans, enhanced reporting mechanisms and service instruction and policy changes to reinforce professional boundaries and expectations and to support supervisors and staff to recognise warning signs and take action.
PSNI would accept that investment in these cultural and organisational measures can play a role in helping to protect women in our communities from the extremely small number of officers who may seek to misuse their position for sexual purposes. It should be noted that one officer who abuses their position for sexual purposes is one too many and by knowledge, improving prevention, early detection, reporting and the speed and certainty of the organisational response. Despite the resource challenges, PSNI will continue to deliver in this area.
The Board is asked to note that purposeful, tailored engagements have taken place with senior managers in every department/branch of PSNI. Leaders at all levels across PSNI have been unequivocal in their commitment to responding to the workforce voice, identifying practical and impactful actions that will make a difference to our workforce and the service we provide to victims and communities.
Understandably, given the need to expand and continue the work that has commenced on workplace culture, additional resources will be required to effectively take this work forward in line with the objective’s set by PSNI’s Culture Development Implementation Group. These resources will increase our capacity and improve our capability to embed and sustain the actions emanating from out work place surveys: supporting our commitments to have inclusive practices and representative teams and to be recognised as a great place to work and an employer of choice.
Tommy O’Reilly