Mr Clarke said,
“Catholic PSNI officers have been systemically targeted by Republican terrorists. This has undoubtedly caused a chill factor for potential recruits. They realise that being a PSNI officer may mean moving house.
Political leadership has also been lacking. The PSNI was formed in November 2001, yet only in February 2024 did Sinn Fein lift its boycott of PSNI passing-out ceremonies and fully embrace a PSNI recruitment campaign. At least one previous Chief Constable cited a lack of political leadership within the nationalist community as factor in fewer Catholic officers.
Police officers should be recruited on the basis of merit rather than their religion, their socio-economic background, gender or sexual orientation. The best people to do the job should be recruited therefore we will oppose anyone suggesting 50:50 recruitment returns. Instead, there should be an intensive campaign across all schools to encourage young people to be a police officer.
There should be a recognition amongst the PSNI leadership that efforts to curry favour with republicans have failed to change recruitment outcomes. There can be no more cases where a dozen Land Rovers are dispatched to observe a small band parade yet not a Land Rover can be found to police a Republican paramilitary show of strength where shots are fired.”