“This morning I had a constructive meeting with the Northern Ireland Policing Board where I provided members with an update on the post incident challenges and their management arising from the incident at Ormeau Road on 5 February and an overview of the current challenges faced by the Police Service. As the incident itself is under investigation by Police Ombudsman I was unable to discuss any of the detail nor am I in a position to make any further public comment.
Regarding the meeting I welcome the recognition from the Board as our accountability body that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is currently operating in a very challenging and difficult environment. I further welcome the commitment from the Board to work with me to address the challenges the Police face, not least the potential for a reduction in police officer numbers following our draft budget allocation for 2021-2022.
I remain strongly committed to enhancing both community policing and confidence in the Service. I will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders over the coming weeks and I will provide updates to the Board on progress on a monthly basis”.