Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said the decision to withdraw 50:50 has had a ‘hugely negative impact’ on recruitment.
The Policing Board member was speaking following a meeting with the PSNI Chief Constable, which Michelle O’Neill and Gerry Kelly also attended.
“For the PSNI to succeed in delivering a modern and representative policing service, it must be as diverse as the community it serves and command maximum public confidence,” said Ms Hargey.
“Currently, it is evident the police are failing to meet this threshold.
“The PSNI need to listen to people from a Catholic, nationalist and republican background, and all other underrepresented groups, to identify the barriers preventing them from joining.
“The political decision to withdraw 50:50 recruitment has had a hugely negative impact on recruiting and retaining officers from a Catholic or nationalist background.
“That is why 50:50 recruitment should be reinstated, to bring about representativeness.”
CRÍOCH/ENDS
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