The Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland has highlighted a damning report examining the culture in the PSNI which found that many officers believe there is a two-tier disciplinary system.
The ‘audit of organisational culture’, also found there was a perception of “a growing environment of fear” with officers worried about serious consequences for small mistakes.
The survey of more than 4,000 officers, carried out by independent consultancy firm Inspiring Change, found employees had concerns about “different rules around accountability for those in higher grades or ranks”.
The report also warned there was a lack of understanding around the meaning of equality, diversity and inclusion. The study said: “There is an gap between the intentions voiced around [this] and meaningful change happening”.
It called on the PSNI to build trust and reduce fear, invest in capability and maintaining and strengthening positives, review promotion processes and show staff they are valued.
Speaking in response to the report’s publication, the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland said that “the current state of affairs within the Service, the impacts on Officers & Staff, indicates that major reforms are still needed.
“Following the Patten Report of 1999 and the changes introduced by Ronnie Flanagan and Hugh Orde, we have stagnated and drifted in a sea of complacency. This is why we are calling for a full review, based on Baroness Casey’s review into the MPS. Our service needs to be fit for purpose, not just now but for the foreseeable future.”
