The Northern Ireland Policing Board has assessed the PSNI's first year under its Policing Plan 2025-2030 as adequate, with 14 of 16 performance indicators receiving that rating. The remaining two indicators, tackling cybercrime and workforce representativeness, were rated as limited, the Board said at its public meeting in June 2026.

The Board placed on record its thanks to PSNI officers and staff. All three outcomes of the policing plan were rated adequate.

As the service moves into the second year of the plan, the Board will seek assurance on embedding recommendations from the Melia and Langdale reviews, reducing officer and staff sickness levels, investing in line management training for cultural improvement, and cutting abstractions from Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

The Board said representativeness remains a challenge and called for an open conversation in civil society about barriers to joining the police. This will be a key theme at events marking the 25th anniversary of new policing arrangements later this year.

The Board noted that PSNI service delivery depends on adequate resources. Following a recommendation by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on legacy funding, the Chair said the onus is on the Secretary of State to cover this exceptional cost to prevent further financial or reputational damage.

Board members also visited the Public Protection Branch to observe work on serious crimes.