The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has appointed its new chief constable after a string of controversies.
Jon Boutcher, a former chief constable of Bedfordshire Police, was announced as the new police leader late on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris signed off Mr. Boutcher’s appointment following interviews with the final two candidates on Monday.
Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton was also shortlisted for the job vacated by Simon Byrne, who resigned in September after a series of controversies, including a court ruling that two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined and a number of data breaches within the force.
Mr. Boutcher, who has 35 years’ experience in policing, was previously appointed as the interim head of the service pending the outcome of the interviews for the permanent £220,000-a-year post.
He'd previously applied to lead the Metropolitan Police after the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick last year but he was unsuccessful in that process.
He was also unsuccessful in his bid to become PSNI chief constable in 2019, when the job eventually went to Simon Byrne.
In his first official press conference held on Wednesday, Mr. Boutcher vowed to support his officers, challenge a “culture of fear” in the organisation, and refocus the work of the PSNI.
“We are the emergency service that everyone calls,” he said. “And sometimes we'll get things wrong but when we do get things wrong we will learn from those issues collectively.
Operation Kenova
Vice chairman of the Policing Board, Edgar Jardine, said Mr. Boutcher’s appointment was the result of a “rigorous selection process.”He also said that assurances had been given that there would be no conflict between Mr. Boutcher’s new role and his previous job overseeing Operation Kenova.
The independent investigation is examining the activities of “Stakeknife,” the British Army’s top spy within the IRA during the Troubles.
Mr. Boutcher has led the complex investigation for the past five years.
His Operation Kenova report into the undercover agent is due to be published in the coming months.
Mr. Jardine said that, as part of the approval of Mr. Boutcher’s appointment by the Northern Ireland secretary of state, the board had to provide assurance around “mitigations to ensure there is no conflict of interest between his former role in Operation Kenova and his new role as chief constable.”
“Clearly this is an important safeguard,” he added.
Mr. Boutcher said he would not “walk away” from victims’ families who were involved in Operation Kenova and said their response to his new appointment had been “huge.”
Data Breach Fall Out
Chair of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland Liam Kelly said Mr. Boutcher faces an “uphill task of tackling plummeting officer morale, a dire budgetary situation, a freeze on recruitment and declining officer numbers.”He said: “I have met Mr. Boutcher in his capacity as the interim chief constable and look forward to continuing to have a productive and positive engagement.
“We must collaborate across a number of areas but most of all, our officers want to know their chief constable has their back.
“The list of what must be fixed is long and can only be addressed by a meaningful and realistic funding package from government. Taken together, the service will need a commitment to invest up to £500 million.”
Mr. Boutcher will also have to deal with the fall out following a significant data breach in which the personal details of all officers and staff were mistakenly published online, and a critical High Court ruling that said two junior officers had been unlawfully disciplined for their actions at a Troubles commemoration event.
In a statement, Mr. Boutcher said: “This position carries great responsibility and is a huge privilege. I look forward to leading the dedicated officers of this exceptional organisation.
“There is much to do and I am fully committed to delivering an outstanding policing service to address the issues which matter most to our communities.
“The officers and staff of the Police Service do an extraordinary job and will have my full support.”
False Dawn
Sinn Fein leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill wished Mr. Boutcher well on his appointment.In a social media post, she wrote: “Huge job of work ahead to rebuild trust and confidence in the police with public, and PSNI officers.
“Focus must be on delivering an efficient and effective policing service that works and is representative of everyone in society.”
Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson congratulated the new chief constable on his selection.
In a statement, Sir Jeffrey said: “The Democratic Unionist Party will be engaging with the new chief constable to hear his plans to restore confidence and improve relations with the unionist community.
“This appointment must not be a false dawn. It should be a catalyst for delivering a Police Service that treats every tradition and community with a fair hand and avoids many of the own goals we have seen in recent times.”
Mr. Boutcher becomes the sixth chief constable of the PSNI after its formation in 2001 as a successor to the controversial Royal Ulster Constabulary.
He brings decades of policing experience from across Great Britain as well as the recent heading up of Operation Kenova which investigates one of the murkiest aspects of the Troubles.
He spent his early career working as a detective for the Metropolitan Police, and led Scotland Yard’s “Flying Squad” tackling armed robbery and other serious crime.
Among the highlights of his career are serving as a senior investigating officer for Operation Rhyme, an investigation that identified and traced a group of British men who planned mass casualty attacks in Washington, New York, and Newark in the United States, and also planned chemical and biological and improvised bomb attacks in the UK.
In 2014, Mr. Boutcher was appointed as chief constable of Bedfordshire Police, a job he held until 2019.
