PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that political parties must increase their support for police recruitment. He stated that all parties need to encourage young people to join the force, as required by the Patten Report that established the PSNI in 2001.

Latest PSNI recruitment figures show more than 4,000 applications for student officer positions. Of these, 65.6 percent came from Protestant backgrounds, 26.7 percent from Catholic backgrounds, and 7.7 percent undetermined. The percentage of Catholic applicants marks the lowest level in more than a decade.

Boutcher said support from political parties has not reached the level envisioned by the Patten Report. He noted that people from nationalist backgrounds who join the PSNI often fear losing contact with their communities. He recounted a discussion with former officer Peadar Heffron, who lost a leg in a 2010 dissident republican bomb attack in Co Antrim. Heffron reported that some GAA teammates stopped speaking to him after he announced his intention to join the police, and Boutcher said Heffron doubted conditions had improved.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson disputed claims of a collective political failure. He affirmed strong support for policing from DUP, Ulster Unionists, and Alliance communities. Robinson praised SDLP efforts since the PSNI's creation, including their Policing Board participation. He called one attendance at an attestation ceremony in 25 years a disgrace and stressed identifying specific issues.

Boutcher rejected calls for a return to 50-50 recruitment, calling it insufficient. He expressed hope that full implementation of Patten recommendations would raise Catholic and nationalist applications to 35-40 percent, matching societal proportions. He seeks greater political involvement during the PSNI's anniversary year.