Ending of reserve ranks criticised

The police officers’ union and the DUP have denounced a decision by the PSNI chief constable to go ahead with the scheduled abolition of some 440 so-called Full-Time Reserve officer positions.

Matt Baggott said the scrapping of the reserve ranks, called for by the Patten commission on policing reform, would be completed by March 2011.

The DUP has linked retention of the reservists to its backing for the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont.