Police numbers in Northern Ireland could be halved if peace was permanent, the RUC Chief Constable Mr Ronnie Flanagan has said. It is also expected that British army numbers in Northern Ireland may soon be reduced.
Mr Flanagan said yesterday he could see police strength drop significantly if there was peace. But such change would be "evolutionary rather than revolutionary", he said.
"I think if we were free of terrorist threat . . . something of the order of 6,000 to 7,000 probably would be the appropriate size to provide a proper policing service," he added.
He told BBC Radio Ulster that force reductions could only happen "when we were certain that it was prudent for such a process to begin, and could only come about with proper planning, with proper preparation, and over a considerably long period".