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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ex-detectives being re-employed | Ex-detectives being re-employed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Northern Ireland police are so short of experienced detectives that dozens of officers who took lucrative redundancy packages are being re-employed. | Northern Ireland police are so short of experienced detectives that dozens of officers who took lucrative redundancy packages are being re-employed. |
| A confidential paper, seen by the BBC, revealed almost 250 detectives were expected to retire within two years. | A confidential paper, seen by the BBC, revealed almost 250 detectives were expected to retire within two years. |
| Police cannot find enough suitable recruits to replace them. | Police cannot find enough suitable recruits to replace them. |
| The PSNI currently employs 79 staff from a recruitment agency - most former officers who left with generous packages under the Pattern reforms. | The PSNI currently employs 79 staff from a recruitment agency - most former officers who left with generous packages under the Pattern reforms. |
| Ten years ago the Patten Commission recommended sweeping changes to the RUC - which was replaced by the PSNI. | Ten years ago the Patten Commission recommended sweeping changes to the RUC - which was replaced by the PSNI. |
| Watch Vincent Kearney's report | |
| They included a generous redundancy package to encourage long-serving officers to resign to make room for new recruits - 50% of them Catholics. | They included a generous redundancy package to encourage long-serving officers to resign to make room for new recruits - 50% of them Catholics. |
| As a result, hundreds of experienced detectives have left the police. | As a result, hundreds of experienced detectives have left the police. |
| A confidential paper presented to Northern Ireland's Policing Board said there were 1,174 PSNI detectives, but senior officers have said that is 112 fewer than they needed. | A confidential paper presented to Northern Ireland's Policing Board said there were 1,174 PSNI detectives, but senior officers have said that is 112 fewer than they needed. |
| The situation is so bad that the police currently employ 79 staff provided by a recruitment agency - most of them former police officers who retired with generous redundancy packages. | The situation is so bad that the police currently employ 79 staff provided by a recruitment agency - most of them former police officers who retired with generous redundancy packages. |
| The situation is likely to get worse with 244 experienced officers eligible to leave under Patten by the end of March 2011 - and most are expected to go. | The situation is likely to get worse with 244 experienced officers eligible to leave under Patten by the end of March 2011 - and most are expected to go. |
| The Policing Board has given the police permission to fast track the training and recruitment of intelligence officers to work as detectives - but they know that alone will not fill the recruitment gap. | The Policing Board has given the police permission to fast track the training and recruitment of intelligence officers to work as detectives - but they know that alone will not fill the recruitment gap. |