Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£33M PRICE OF PSNI COMPO
Cash awards for injuries & grievances
THE PSNI has paid more than £33million in compensation to serving officers in the last five years, the Daily Mirror can reveal today.
The cash was awarded for personal injuries suffered in the line of duty as well as settlements from employment grievances and negligence.
Following a freedom of information request, police chiefs revealed 2013 was the costliest year for compensation when more than £10million was paid out.
One former senior officer told the Daily Mirror: “Policing can be a dangerous job and everyone who signs up knows fully what the hazards are.
“Risks can be managed but when officers have been unnecessarily placed in harm’s way and compensation has rightly been awarded, that is taking precious financial resources away from where it was intended – frontline police services. Take even a tenth of that £33million and the public would be entitled to ask how many officers could be recruited, trained and deployed to serve the people?
“Budgets are stretched but some of these compensation costs could be avoided – the public needs to know what officers are doing to reduce liabilities.”
This year one officer received £675,000 after having suffered what were described as “catastrophic injuries”. However, police would not comment if this claim had been contested or what – if any – legal fees were incurred.
A police spokesman said: “Each claim received is thoroughly investigated and if liability is established the Chief Constable’s lawyers will work diligently to achieve the best possible outcome for PSNI. “It is worth noting a considerable volume of litigation in this period relates to hearing loss.
“PSNI is confident that all claims against the organisation, whether brought by officers or staff or the public, are dealt with appropriately. Legal advice is provided by PSNI’S Legal Services Branch, with advice sought from the Crown Solicitor’s Office and Counsel.
“All PSNI use of funds is subject to internal and external oversight.
“In the event that a particular case raises issues of wider application, appropriate learning is applied in order to seek to avoid reoccurrence.”
The SDLP’S former Policing Board member Dolores Kelly said: “It is staggering the amount of public money paid out in claims to police officers.
“No one would deny officers injured in the line of duty are entitled to compensation but this amount is beyond belief.
“There is a growing and cultivated culture of litigation and claims by police officers which far exceeds that of any other emergency or public service.
“A lack of public scrutiny is disgraceful and recent failures by the Policing Board do little to instil public confidence in that organisation’s ability to ensure claims are dealt with appropriately.”