LAST UPDATE | 2 Sep 2021

PSNI CHIEF CONSTABLE Simon Byrne has committed to listening to unionist concerns and “rebuilding confidence” following controversy over the publication of a review of policing operations in South Armagh.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson had earlier warned that if Byrne could not “restore confidence in policing” then his position would be unsustainable.

Byrne launched the report on Tuesday which contained 50 recommendations, including closing down the heavily fortified Crossmaglen police station, closer working relations with An Garda Síochana and exploring the relocation of memorials to fallen officers.

It has led to a furious backlash from unionist politicians, some of whom have called on the chief constable to resign.

The chief constable briefed his oversight body, the Policing Board, on the plans on Thursday before meeting with a DUP delegation at PSNI headquarters in Belfast.

In a statement released tonight, Byrne said the meetings had been “frank and constructive”.

He added: “Jeffrey Donaldson and a number of DUP representatives told me of deeply-held community confidence concerns and their disillusionment arising from a series of policing issues in recent times.

“I accept the importance of ensuring that there is widespread confidence in policing across all parts of our community. I reaffirmed my commitment to listening to unionist community concerns and rebuilding confidence.

“We will continue with genuine engagement to ensure that local concerns and feedback are captured.”

Byrne then set out a number of points in relation to the south Armagh policing review.

He said: “No memorials will be removed from, or moved within, our buildings.

“At no time was it envisaged that there would be joint patrolling by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochana.

“The issue of hot pursuit will not be taken forward without the agreement of both governments. This recommendation will not, therefore, be progressed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“No action will be taken with regard to the use of Irish language unless it is in line with the approach being taken across the Northern Ireland public sector more widely.

Donaldson had warned the chief constable that there has been a “drastic loss of confidence” in policing in Northern Ireland following the publication of the south Armagh review.

He said: “This is the latest in a series of events and incidents that have occurred that, in our view, have seriously undermined confidence, mainly in the unionist community it has to be said. That is not a sustainable position.

“We support policing and the rule of law, but we are deeply concerned by the loss of confidence in policing in the communities that we represent.

“We’ve made that clear to the chief constable we can’t continue like this. We can’t continue in a situation where every other week we’re facing yet another crisis, another debacle which eats away, undermines the confidence of people, ordinary people, law-abiding people, in the way that Northern Ireland is policed. That’s a situation that cannot pertain.

“In our opinion, there is a drastic loss of confidence in policing, in the fairness and impartiality of policing. That needs urgently to be addressed.”

DUP MP Gregory Campbell added: “Either he begins the process of restoring the confidence that he has completely lost or he has to go.”

Donaldson said: “If the chief constable cannot restore the confidence of people in respect of not only of this report but in terms of the wider aspects of policing, then I don’t see how the chief constable’s position in those circumstances is sustainable and we have made that clear to him.”