A pilot scheme to recruit 170 officers to Northern Ireland's part-time reserve was nearly wrecked by attempts to bend religious quota rules, it was claimed today.
Incensed unionists hit out at a four-month delay in successful applicants taking up their position.
The PSNI's head of human resources, Mr Joe Stewart, has confirmed that British government cash has been promised to fund four part-time reserve pilot areas.
But DUP policing board member Mr Ian Paisley Jr said: "Officers who were told in June they had got jobs yet they are still waiting.
"They have been treated in a disgracefully shabby way just because of an attempt to delay this for sectarian reasons."
Despite the Patten police reform blueprint indicating Catholics should make up two-thirds of the part-time force - to be called Neighbourhood Police Officers - the recommendation was not included in legislation.
In the first phase of a scheme to bring in 1,500 part-time reservists over the next three years, a pilot programme was run in four areas across Northern Ireland.
A total of 171 candidates were appointed to district command units in Banbridge, Coleraine, Lisburn and Newtownabbey.
Of these, however, only 34 qualified Catholics were identified.
With the new officers still waiting to start work, Mr Stewart was challenged at a Policing Board meeting in Belfast.
"The Government has now advised us that they are prepared to bring forward funding in respect of the four pilot District Command Units we focused on," he told the meeting.
Mr Paisley insisted this should have been guaranteed months ago.
But the SDLP's Mr Alex Attwood insisted the delay was justified if it created time to identify any lessons that might ensure more Catholics come forward.
He said: "Where there has been under-representation in one or other area, be it Catholic or Protestant, remedial steps should be taken to correct that under-representation now.
"If there are lessons to be learned from the pilot schemes let's apply them so we get it right for applicants in other district command posts.
"The delay was more than justified because the prize of recruiting 1,100 Catholics for 1,500 posts over the next two years is too big to jeopardise."
PA