Almost a quarter of Northern Ireland police officers can’t drive a PSNI vehicle.
In order to get behind the wheel under a blue light, cops must complete a ‘driving certificate’ with the PSNI Traffic & Driver Training Unit.
But the service has admitted just 5,662 of their 7,040 officers, which includes part time reserves, hold one following a Freedom of Information request from Belfast Live - which means 24.3% don't.
They said: “ PSNI Traffic & Driver Training Unit has confirmed, as at 15 August 2019, PSNI has 5,662 Standard drivers.”
SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said: “That is pretty shocking.
“So, you have a one in four chance that there’s somebody on the shift that won’t be able to drive a police car - that’s truly bizarre.
“It must make it incredibly difficult for them to manage even the staff rosters.
“All police officers that are fit to drive should have that drivers licence.
“Just imagine you’re at a station when a call comes in and it’s not that they don’t have a car - but they don’t have a driver despite the fact that there could be people sitting there that have driven to work.
“I would want to find out what measures they are taking to improve the situation.”
Alliance Justice spokesperson Stewart Dickson MLA said he is glad police have to pass a special course to drive a police car but said “absolutely” all officers should be put through it.
“I’m really pleased that the only officers that can drive a police car are those that have been through a proper police driver training course,” he added.
As for the numbers that can’t drive PSNI vehicles, he said: “That’s a resource training matter and a logistics matter for the police.
“If there’s a bottle neck, that’s fine - they will have to get through that in terms of police training, but it is a training issue.”
A police spokesperson said applicants no longer need to be able to drive to work as an officer in a bid to explain the numbers.
But they couldn’t tell us how many don’t hold a government-issued driving licence.
They said in a statement: “In order to increase the pool of eligible candidates, possession of a driving licence is not a necessary prerequisite for employment as a police officer.
“Following their initial training period, PSNI officers with full driving licences can avail of further training that will enable them to drive the various police vehicles within the current fleet, including armoured cars and Landrovers.
“PSNI maintains meticulous training records which are used by operational planners to ensure that our resources are distributed appropriately throughout all areas to meet organisational need and keep people safe.”
A PFNI spokesperson said: “That would be an operational matter for the PSNI to address and we are content on this occasion to wait to see what they have to say on the matter.”
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