Police (Recruitment) (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These regulations amend the Police (Recruitment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2001 (S.R. 2001 No. 140) (“the recruitment regulations”). In particular, they provide for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve to be carried out on a local basis, as recommended by the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland in its report “A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland” (the “Patten Report”) published on 9th September 1999.

Regulation 2 provides that the appointment criteria set out in regulation 2(2) of the recruitment regulations only apply to police trainees and police reserve trainees. It distinguishes the duties of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve from those of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, sets the upper age limit for police reserve trainees and adds a residence requirement. It also clarifies the vetting arrangements.

Regulation 3 inserts a new regulation 3A in the recruitment regulations. This applies the appointment criteria in regulation 2 of the recruitment regulations to appointments of police reserve trainees, but permits the Chief Constable to appoint a person who does not fulfil the residence requirement in regulation 2(2)(h) if that person has a connection to the area in which he or she is to serve.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 5 of the recruitment regulations, by removing the requirement for the Northern Ireland Policing Board to approve the terms and conditions on which the police recruitment agent is appointed.

Regulation 5 amends regulation 6 of the recruitment regulations. By virtue of that regulation the recruitment agent is required, in advertising vacancies for police trainees and police reserve trainees, to have regard to certain recommendations made by the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland in the Patten Report, including a recommendation to advertise beyond Northern Ireland. Regulation 4 requires the agent to have regard to that recommendation in recruiting police trainees only, not police reserve trainees.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 10(3) of the recruitment regulations. Regulation 10(3) requires that the independent community observers appointed under regulation 10 report on whether, in the recruitment process for police trainees and police reserve trainees, the same procedures are being applied to all candidates. The amendment provides for the reports to deal separately with procedures for police trainees and procedures for police reserve trainees.

Regulation 7 amends regulation 12 of the recruitment regulations as it applies to candidates for appointment as police trainees and police reserve trainees. If a decision is taken that a candidate is suitable for appointment, the case need not be referred to the vetting panel.