Baggott defends plans to axe reserve
The PSNI chief constable is standing by his controversial decision to axe a police reserve unit and rejected any suggestion he was politically pressured into the move.
Matt Baggott has faced criticism from both unionists and the Police Federation since he announced that the 380-strong Full Time Reserve would be wound up by March 2011.
They claim the move is foolhardy given the current threat from dissident republican terrorists.
Senior Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson warned it had the potential to scupper the ongoing negotiations over the devolution of law and order powers to Stormont.
‘Lackey’
But Mr Baggott strongly defended his stance and hit out at claims his decision was some sort of sop to republicans and nationalists.
“The decision that I’ve made with the unanimous support of my chief officer colleagues has been as a result of a very thorough review of security and our current needs – a root-and-branch look at the current situation and what we have to provide and how we are going to do it,” he said.
“At the end of that process, I was more than convinced that it didn’t justify the retention of the Full Time Reserve.
“But I made this decision impartially, independently, with my accountability as chief constable to the policing board (oversight body), so any comment that I’ve somehow become a political lackey or I’ve been playing into the political wind is simply not true.
“I will be accountable for what we do but I’m not playing a political game here and neither have I been asked to, quite frankly.”
The PSNI’s top officer said while he was confident he had made the right decision, he did not rule out reviewing it again at a later date if the security situation dramatically deteriorated.
He stressed that the move, which is required as part of a long-standing programme of police reforms in the region, would not result in a reduction in front line policing.
He responded defiantly when asked whether the row signalled the end of his honeymoon period.
“Actually I’m quite pleased the honeymoon is over because it needs to come to an end and now I need to have those robust conversations with people about the future,” he said.
“To be accused of making decisions based on some political favouritism from people who haven’t even taken the time to come and speak to me is, quite frankly, a wee bit disappointing,” he said.
“My responsibilities are the people and to the Policing Board and I am not going to be swayed by individual people, their own political agenda and their own views and expectations.”
