British government cuts in funding for policing in Northern Ireland will cause tough decisions, Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde warned today.
More than £100 million has been cut from the policing budget in the North for the next three years, and Sir Hugh said it provided the region with "a reality check".
He said: "There are some big and hard decisions to be taken about what we can and cannot afford."
Over the coming months the chief constable said he needed to "minimise the impact of the budget on the front end of policing".
The Chief Constable meets the Northern Ireland Policing Board on Thursday to discuss funding plans for the coming year.
Northern Ireland had been well-resourced in past years because of its special situation, Sir Hugh said, but he insisted it was still different to other police forces across the United Kingdom.
PA