The Chief Constable has applied to the Northern Ireland Office for funding to scale back military-style fortressing at 17 police bases.
Mr Hugh Orde wants the British government to pay for the normalisation plan which would entail the removal of watch towers and anti-rocket screens.
He also wants all police stations to adopt a more civilian-friendly appearance.
The move follows a meeting yesterday between Mr Orde and an SDLP delegation including Policing Board members Mr Alex Attwood and Mr Joe Byrne.
Mr Attwood said later: "The Chief Constable confirmed to us there was now a proposal around 17 police stations. It's being put to the NIO for funding and it's a matter for them to release the money."
Mr Orde's spokeswoman said: "The Chief Constable confirmed that the PSNI are currently working to achieve this and applications for funding for a number of stations have been made to the NIO."
She added: "There is no final list of proposed stations available at this stage in the process."
Sinn Féin criticised both the Chief Constable and the SDLP, claiming such a move was cosmetic and did little to meet any commitments to demilitarisation.
Mr Tom Reilly, an Assembly member, said: "Nationalists and republicans will not accept tinkering with the facades of military bases or the closure of parts of bases as the sort of demilitarisation process that the British committed themselves to six years ago."
The move comes at a politically sensitive time as moves to end paramilitary activity and restore the Stormont institutions continued yesterday.
The British government signalled last year it would reduce the British army presence to a "garrison strength" of around 5,000, subject to the ending of paramilitarism. The SDLP and Sinn Féin want demilitarisation to proceed in any case, a stance bitterly opposed by unionists.