"I'm in no one's pocket", PSNI Chief ahead of meeting with NI political parties over memorial policing

By David Young, PA and Q Radio News

Northern Ireland’s chief constable denied being in anyone’s pocket as he expressed concern police were being used as a shock absorber in intensifying political clashes.

Simon Byrne also rejected claims commanders had scapegoated two inexperienced officers sanctioned after a controversial operation that saw a Troubles survivor arrested at a memorial event for victims of a loyalist atrocity.

It comes ahead of meetings with the DUP, Sinn Fein and the SDLP to discuss the fallout of the incident on Friday.

PSNI Chief Constable says PPS still need to review arrest at Sean Graham bookmakers commemoration after he apologised for what happened on Friday.

Simon Byrne is set to meet with political parties today. pic.twitter.com/7VdNuCZAis

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) February 8, 2021

The parties from across the political divide have separate issues with the PSNI's handling of the situation. 

In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Byrne dismissed allegations levelled from both sides of Northern Ireland’s traditional political divide that the police adopt different approaches for different communities.

“We have been bashed frankly by recent events and it just seems sometimes that we can’t seem to win,” he said.

The police chief again made clear he had no intention of resigning.

“It’s been a tough week, but I’m not the first chief constable here that’s had to suffer or be accountable…for criticism over the last 50 years,” he said.

“Actually quitting is the easy thing and whatever next week looks like, frankly, the in-tray is the same and I’m just determined to carry on with the support of my team to actually deliver what we set out to do.”

The scene of the 1992 Sean Graham Bookies massacre on Belfast's Ormeau Road

Over the weekend Sinn Fein claimed there was a nationalist crisis of confidence in policing after officers intervened at the commemoration for victims of a loyalist massacre at a bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road.

Angry scenes unfolded when police challenged participants amid suspicions the size of the public gathering breached coronavirus regulations.

Mark Sykes, who was shot several times in the 1992 outrage, was handcuffed and arrested in chaotic exchanges captured on social media. 

Mr Sykes was released a short time later.

The conduct of the two sanctioned officers is being examined by the independent watchdog, the NI Police Ombudsman.

The episode followed just days after police officers failed to arrest anyone when they encountered a large gathering of masked loyalists staging an apparent show of strength in east Belfast. 

Sinn Fein has highlighted the two incidents as evidence of two-tier policing.

Dozens of masked men were spotted on the streets of east Belfast last week - believed to be linked to an internal row within the UVF

Meanwhile, the DUP has questioned why action was taken against the two PSNI officers before the outcome of the PSNI Ombudsman inquiry. 

MLA and new junior minister Gary Middleton says he believes the Chief Constable acted in haste. 

MLA Gary Middleton speaking to Q Radio

The incidents came in a week when police were also dealing with increasing tensions over Brexit that led to the withdrawal of staff conducting trade checks at Larne and Belfast ports amid safety concerns.

“I think this has been a unique week, I’ve never known anything like it in my professional police experience,” Mr Byrne told PA.

The PSNI has also been facing claims of discriminatory policing from loyalists and unionists, who are angry that officers have not intervened when large crowds have gathered for the funerals of former IRA men.

The most high profile of these occurred last June when senior Sinn Fein figures joined hundred of mourners at the funeral of well-known republican Bobby Storey.

“Sometimes you just feel like we can’t do right for doing wrong,” said Mr Byrne.

He added: “I recognise here that there is often different and competing political views and actually sometimes the police are the shock absorbers of all of that sort of narrative. 

“I think it’s about resolve and resilience and keeping on our path to be impartial and we’re here to uphold the law.

“I can’t stop political commentary, nor would I want to, I think it just would be important at the moment for political space, so that my officers and team and staff can carry on with the issues of policing rather than getting involved in the political debate.”

In regard to claims from some unionists that the move to suspend one officer and reposition another was pandering to Sinn Fein, he said: “This was an objective evidence-based decision, we looked very carefully at what we did.

“By no means was it a knee jerk, we’re not in anyone’s pocket but it was recognising this was a serious matter.”

Chief Constable Simon Byrne speaking at PSNI headquarters on Saturday night. Pic: Alan Lewis. 

He denied scapegoating the two officers, who only joined the PSNI last July.

“We weren’t influenced by anybody else, we weren’t pandering to criticism or any other inferences,” he said.

“I fully understand some of the accusations but we have to work within due process and actually look at the conduct regime that informs our decisions, sometimes they are not popular but this isn’t about scapegoating, there’s a process that will now take place, we don’t presume what the outcome is.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called for calm amid the controversy and after what he described as a "bad week for the PSNI". 

He said, "Enforcing the Covid-19 regulations is a difficult job, we all acknowledge that.

"But the striking inconsistency that allowed gangs of masked men to walk around East Belfast freely whereas those paying their respects on the anniversary of an atrocity were subject to physical confrontation and arrest cannot go unchallenged.

"Political leaders have a responsibility to challenge that inconsistency. But we also have a responsibility to maintain calm in our communities."

In terms of enforcing Covid regulations, Mr Byrne highlighted the challenge of keeping pace with legislation that had been changed multiple times in less than a year.

He said: “Sometimes people say we got the balance wrong, but at the end of the day I think a number of things collide here – firstly, it’s fast law, regulations have changed, tactics have had to change to keep pace with that, but public expectations haven’t.

“And I think frankly in terms of people’s feelings and emotions, people are tired or frustrated and want to see a route to normality and sometimes we’re caught up in all of that.”

Mr Byrne, who will meet delegations from the DUP and Sinn Fein on Monday, added: “What I’m appealing for people is effectively to dial down the tone, for calm, wise heads to help us in a route to normality, whether it’s in the context of EU exit, policing the regulations or the day-to-day policing.

“We have a job to do and we need the space to get on with it.”

Another controversial moment during Simon Byrne's 18 months as PSNI chief - posing with heavily armed officers in Crossmaglen, Christmas 2019