Catholics believe PSNI less likely to represent their community

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/catholics-believe-psni-less-likely-to-represent-their-community-5LYWZYGB2FA5HG4NQJEVP2YDZM/

By Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent
June 24, 2025 at 4:24pm BST

Catholics are less likely to believe the PSNI represents their community, a new policing Board survey has found.

Details of how the police are viewed by both communities are contained in a the ‘Northern Ireland Policing Plan Survey – Statistical Report 2025’, which was published on Tuesday.

The survey results have been made public just days after the Irish News revealed that Catholics made up just over 17 percent of new recruits to the force.

Recent figures show that Catholics currently comprise 32 percent of the officer total, with the total for members of the Protestant community sitting at 66 percent.

Just 18 percent of civilian staff are from a Catholic background compared to 78 percent from the Protestant community.

The Policing Board figures reveal that 71.7 percent of respondents from the Protestant community are more likely to think the police were representative of their community than those from a Catholic background, 62 percent.

The report also reveals that nationalists are more likely to be dissatisfied with how the PSNI treat the public, 12.8 percent, compared to unionists at 8.7 percent.

Overall, two thirds of respondents, 66.3 percent, thought the PSNI treated members of the public fairly.

The difference in community outlook was also apparent in how the PSNI’s engagement is viewed.

The survey confirms that unionists were more likely to feel the PSNI “were engaged with their community, 69.8 percent, than nationalists, at 62.7 percent.

In general, over a quarter of nationalists, 27 percent, thought the PSNI were not engaged with local communities compared to 21.3 percent of unionists.

The recently released statistics show that nationalists, 22.3 percent, were more likely than unionists, 17.3 percent, “to feel PSNI were not very supportive or not at all supportive of local communities”.

The survey consisted of 43 questions and included 2,500 respondents this year.

The survey also revealed that just 40.2 percent of people questioned had heard of Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs).

PCSPs, which include elected representatives and members of the public, hold regular meetings about local policing and community safety issues.

Policing Board member Mark H Durkan said the survey is “useful and timely and at the same time highlights concerns and challenges”.

“It can best be assessed through the lens of other hard truths,” he said.

He referred to the “intolerable muddle” over whether a £200m uplift has been made available to the PSNI, which has argued for more cash.

“At the same time in 2024 Catholic recruitment to the police was 17 percent,” he said.

“Meanwhile the NIO (Northern Ireland Office) refuses a Sean Brown inquiry and digs in on national security vetoes.

“No wonder (chief constable) Jon Boucher says that the issue of legacy is one of the most significant factors in the creation of a representative police service.”

Mr Durkan added that the “survey is a mixed bag”.

“There is the good particularly given the pressures, financially and on the ground, that the PSNI are facing and not least with the racist thuggery of recent days,” he said.

“Confidence in contacting the police endures.”

“Then there are the challenges.

“Thirty five percent of victims of crime felt police ineffective/very ineffective.

“One third of people in deprived areas felt police not effective.

“More to do on satisfaction that the police treat the public fairly and on being representative of the community.”