CHIEF Constable Simon Byrne is refusing to step down amid mounting unionist pressure for him to go following a marathon six hour Policing Board meeting – and growing tension within police ranks. The Police Federation (PFNI) has expressed “disbelief and anger” among its members that the Chief Constable may appeal the High Court decision that two officers were unlawfully disciplined when making an arrest in 2021 at a small commemoration to the five Sean Graham bookmakers victims during Covid restrictions. Mr Justice Scoffield said the decision to discipline the two officers was made after pressure from Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin’s policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly MLA, however, has denied any pressure from the party, adding that at “no stage during any calls to, or meetings with, senior PSNI officers did I suggest or insinuate that Sinn Féin would withdraw support for the rule of law or policing, or remove our members from the Policing Board”.
AUGUST has rolled seamlessly into September. Beyond 2023’s midpoint now, our summer months, such as they were, supplied ample conditions for cultivating eventual autumnal introspection. Where are we in relation to our hopes and goals? Which actions have brought us to this very moment in time? With bated breath, inevitably to be condensed in fall’s air, we await evidence of progress, both personal and societal.