evidence: Police officer numbers have dropped by almost 400 to 6,300 in a single year, it can be revealed after the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher issued a renewed appeal over the numbers he needs to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe. [...] "PSNI has not received the support it should and we need to get numbers back to where they need to be. This year will be one of survival," he said. [...] "With officer and staff numbers at their lowest level since the formation of the PSNI, we simply cannot be as victim and community focused as we want or need to be.