PSNI crisis runs much deeper than data breach and high court ruling

Over several weeks, the PSNI has battled crisis after crisis, from major data breaches to a politically-polarising high court ruling.

As confidence and morale among the rank and file slowly ebbed away, the public have been watching on - and judging.

When the recent Chief Constable Simon Byrne finally gave in to the calls to resign, it was quickly realised that the problem wasn't just the leader, the crisis in the PSNI runs much deeper than that.

Allison Morris, Crime Correspondent for the Belfast Telegraph, said when the data breach happened, officers who usually shied from media, started to contact journalists about what it's like to work in the PSNI, claiming a toxic culture existed.

They claimed they felt there was a "hierarchy" within the PSNI and there was not an equal approach to discipline.

"They felt they were being disciplined for quite minor infractions, whereas the senior ranks were covered for when they were alleged to have done things which were much more serious.

"They didn't feel supported when they were out doing their job, they felt that they would be thrown under the bus at the drop of a hat. They did feel that in terms of the job, was there any point even doing that job anymore considering how dangerous it is?

"We also heard quite disturbing allegations of sectarianism involved in catholic officers and really deep-seated misogyny in female officers."

The oversight body, the Policing Board, has ordered a review into its own functions as well as that of the senior leadership team of the PSNI.

Former Assistant Chief Constable, Stephen White, who served in the RUC and the PSNI for 26 years, said politically instability can have an impact.

"There are some things in the control of police but there are some things they cannot control, for example the politics of this country", he said.

"If the government was working well, if politics was working well, then in a sense policing would be operating in a more improved environment."

Jon Burrows is a former senior PSNI officer and believes there are steps to be taken to "reset" the force.

"There's a series of reviews that are needed. The first one is to look at the Policing Board, it needs fundamentally reviewed, it has been asleep at the wheel, it hasn't dealt with this crisis well.

"We need to get more professionalism, more expertise into it and inject some real independence from political petitioning to it," said Mr Burrows.

"There is a review going to take place of the leadership of the PSNI, I think that's welcome. Then we need to look at the wider piece around, is there other political interference in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland?"

By the end of November, we should know who the new chief constable is.

Whether or not that's another man, or the first woman, their in-tray will be bursting full.

The task ahead, of restoring confidence in and indeed within the PSNI is not an easy one, but there are hopes the right person can do just that.

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