Simon Byrne: Four fraught years of controversy and challenges for Chief Constable

By The Newsroom

Published 1st Sep 2023, 07:34 BST

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Simon Byrne has had to deal with a number of controversies and challenges since becoming PSNI chief constable in July 2019.

He arrived having been cleared of 74 misconduct allegations made against him during his tenure as chief constable of Cheshire Police.

Here are some of the main controversies from his career with the PSNI.

December 25, 2019:

Chief Constable Simon Byrne arrives at the policing board with Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton on Thursday Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemakeer

Chief Constable Simon Byrne arrives at the policing board with Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton on Thursday Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemakeer

A photograph of Mr Byrne standing outside Crossmaglen police station on Christmas Day with heavily armed colleagues sparked a row when it was tweeted.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said the image was “highly offensive” to local residents, and Mr Byrne later apologised for the tweet and also announced a review of policing in the area.

June 2020:

Mr Byrne ditched proposals to remove the name Northern Ireland from a new police logo after criticism from some within the unionist and loyalist community.

June 6, 2020:

Police issue fines at Black Lives Matter protests in Belfast and Londonderry when crowds gathered despite coronavirus social distancing rules restricting large groups meeting.

The police ombudsman later found that concerns around the discriminatory police handling of the protests were justified.

June 30, 2020:

The PSNI is criticised for the policing of the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey which saw huge crowds gather despite coronavirus restrictions. It sparked a row that rumbled on in the ensuing months. Then DUP leader Arlene Foster called on Mr Byrne to resign in April 2021 after prosecutors ruled out action against Sinn Fein leaders who attended the funeral.

February 5, 2021:

Senior Sinn Fein members criticise the policing of a memorial event for the 29th anniversary of the loyalist attack at a Sean Graham bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road in Belfast. This week’s court ruling on the treatment of the officers involved prompted yesterday’s Policing Board meeting.

August 2023:

Revelations of a “monumental” data breach which saw details of around 10,000 police officers and staff published online forced Mr Byrne to cut short a family holiday to return to Belfast for an emergency meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

It later emerged that dissident republicans were among those who accessed the data sparking concern among officers and staff for their safety.

Further data breaches emerged in the days after.