More than half the police's full-time reserve will be retained to combat Northern Ireland's dissident republican terror threat, the PSNI chief constable said today.
Numbers will fall by 299 by spring 2009, Sir Hugh Orde said. Those to be retained will focus mainly on highest risk areas outside Belfast.
Reductions announced today will begin next April and take around a year. The force will be cut from 680 to 381. There will be 134 members retained in urban and 247 in rural regions.
"Dissident republican groups remain the most significant threat to policing and continue to plan attacks on police patrols and stations," said Mr Orde.
"This threat is not evenly distributed and some areas are dealing with a more normal security environment than other areas who are still dealing with some unique policing challenges.
"Loyalist activity, particularly feuding, continues to impact on police resources, especially Tactical Support Group resources."
Chris Patten's 1999 policing report recommended the abolition of the full time reserve.
The chief constable informed colleagues and the Northern Ireland Policing Board of his decision today.
The force has been the object of political controversy, with many nationalists supporting its abolition and many unionists calling for its retention.