An independent comprehensive analysis should be commissioned to determine the most appropriate officer and staff numbers for policing in Northern Ireland today. This should include consideration of factors such as: • current and projected future policing demand; • the evolving security situation; and 39 • comparison with other UK police forces and An Garda Síochána. The UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, with the Department of Justice, should include this analysis in their bases for allocating funding to the PSNI. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36)