The cost of retraining 54 student PSNI officers, embroiled in a suspected case of concerted cheating in exams, is almost half a million pounds.
It emerged in June that trainees based at the Garnerville policing college in greater Belfast allegedly memorised and shared individual examination questions in case they needed to prepare for re-sits.
A police investigation into the episode, deemed by some to have tarnished the reputation of the PSNI, is under way. A PSNI response to a Freedom of Information request by The Irish Times indicates the total cost for “re-coursing” the trainees – 42 men and 12 women – is £489,402.
This breaks down as £9,063 each – salary costs (£8,200), role play actors (£656) and accreditation costs (£207). The student officers will not incur any costs for the course.
All 54 were given a written warning and ordered to restart 22 weeks of training after a whistleblower came forward with information about their alleged behaviour. Twenty members of one squad were allowed to graduate in June, but another 18 were ordered back to week one of training. All but two members of a second squad, due to graduate last month, were also back-squadded to week one.
Warnings
UUP MLA for West Tyrone Ross Hussey, a political member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, has said he does not believe written warnings and retraining for the trainees based at Garnerville, is an adequate punishment.
The policing board claimed sanctions imposed by the Chief Constable George Hamilton are “inadequate” but while he is “deeply disappointed” with the students, he has said his response was appropriate and proportionate.
The 22-week Student Officer Training Programme, accredited by Ulster University, is designed to equip student officers “with a knowledge and understanding of the law, policing skills and effective communication”.
The cost of retraining will be much less than carrying out a new recruitment process but is a significant cost to the already stretched police budget.
The Police Federation for Northern Ireland – an officers’ body similar to a trade union – is representing the students involved in the investigation.
The Police Ombudsman Office of Northern Ireland has received complaints, but previously said “this is an internal matter for the police rather than one for the police ombudsman’s office”.
Policing board chair Anne Connolly said: “The board previously convened a special board meeting to consider matters relating to the impropriety of student officers at the Police Training College.
“We have had lengthy discussions on this issue with the Chief Constable, including costs to the PSNI . . . the board continues to have concerns on the operation of the police college and will question the Chief Constable further on completion of the review.”