PSNI data breach could cost police force up to 240m, MPs hear

Image source, Liam McBurney/PA

By Ross McKee and Jayne McCormack

BBC News NI

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach could cost the service up to £240m in extra security for officers and potential legal action, MPs have been told.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd gave evidence to a Westminster committee on Tuesday.

He appeared without Simon Byrne, who resigned as chief constable on Monday.

Earlier, a member of the Policing Board said Mr Byrne will not be paid for the remainder of his contract.

Ass Ch Con Todd said the force has calculated some estimated costs that it could potentially incur after investigations are completed.

He told the Northern Ireland Affairs committee that recovery costs were calculated at approximately £24m to £37m, while individual claims for litigation were estimated at potentially up to £180m.

Policing Board members accepted Mr Byrne’s resignation on Monday.

The SDLP’s Mark H Durkan told BBC Radio Foyle that he would be “paid for three months’ notice that he has to work”.

Image source, Reuters

Mr Durkan said Mr Byrne would not be asked to carry out his duties for those three months.

According to the PSNI’s accounts for 2021-22, the chief constable position carries a salary of about £230,000.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Byrne said it was “now time for someone new to lead this proud and resolute organisation”.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton will take command of the PSNI until a new chief constable is in post.

The chief constable’s X – formerly Twitter – account has been changed to “Office of the Chief Constable”.

Image source, Pacemaker

On Tuesday morning, the chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland said there is a “serious disconnect and a worrying disconnect” between senior leadership in the PSNI and rank-and-file officers.

Liam Kelly told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster: “That is what I have been very clear about, as a result of this fiasco and everything that has gone on over the last number of months and weeks, whoever is coming in here has a mountain to climb.

“They need to address those cultural deficiencies that we have in service, they need to rebuild the confidence both of the officers and the public and restore credibility in policing because as things stand at the moment this has been an unedifying event for everyone concerned.”

Mr Kelly has invited Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton to its extraordinary meeting on Wednesday.

The federation said it will meet to consider the fallout over Simon Byrne’s departure and confidence in other senior PSNI management.

Mr Kelly later told MPs that Mr Hamilton was “still vulnerable” as to whether he should remain in his job, following the High Court ruling in which the deputy chief constable had involvement.

“I’ve invited him to address the executive committee so he can address members’ concerns around the way forward,” he added.

The federation chairman said that Mr Byrne had made the “right decision” to step down.

Pressure had been mounting on Mr Byrne following a number of controversies.

Last Tuesday, a court ruled two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined following an arrest at a Troubles commemoration in February 2021.

The event was marking the anniversary of the 1992 Sean Graham bookmakers attack where five people were murdered by loyalist paramilitaries.

The judge said the officers were disciplined to allay any threat of Sinn Féin abandoning its support for policing in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin has denied this.

Mr Byrne said he was considering an appeal against the ruling.

Mr Kelly said on Tuesday that the ruling was “damning” and there needed to be “a full investigation into what happened”.

Last month, a number of data breaches came to light, including one where the names and details of the PSNI’s 10,000 officers and civilian staff were published in error as part of a Freedom of Information request.

Some of the information included the rank or grade of employees, where they are based and the unit in which they work.

This led to some staff saying they fear for their safety due to continuing threats from paramilitaries.

An independent-led review is due to be carried out into the breaches.

MPs from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee were questioning Ass Ch Con Todd and other PSNI representatives on Tuesday as part of its investigation into the breaches.

The chair of the committee, Simon Hoare, said it will, if it is required, use its powers to “summon” the Policing Board to appear to give evidence.

The board withdrew from the hearing after the resignation of Mr Byrne as chief constable.

Senior PSNI officers and union representatives gave evidence, in Mr Byrne’s absence.

Mr Hoare said he hoped the board would find another time to come and answer questions in public.

The committee also heard that:

• Almost 4,000 officers and staff have raised concerns about the data breach with a PSNI threat assessment group
• Some Catholic officers are so “frightened” about their security they have asked should they carry their personal protection weapon when they attend Mass, according to the Catholic Police Guild of NI
• There are “delays” within the Northern Ireland Office to sign off security measures for staff who have asked for home protection, the PSNI branch of the union Nipsa has claimed
• The level of staff sickness in the PSNI rose to about 800 a day in the week after the major data breach

This prompted the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to submit a motion of no confidence in him.

Other unionist parties had called for the chief constable to go, while several parties raised questions about the PSNI leadership.

Image source, Liam McBurney/PA

Following Monday’s meeting, the Policing Board agreed a number of key points.

• Prioritise the recruitment of a new chief constable for the PSNI
• In the interim, the deputy chief constable will exercise all of the functions of the chief constable
• Initiate a review of the senior leadership team of the PSNI
• Request the Department of Justice to commission a review of the Policing Board

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