LISTEN - Byrne says memorials to officers will not be removed from police stations

Q Radio News/PA

PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne has said there will be no removal of memorials to colleagues from any operational police stations.

His statement follows a backlash from unionists over proposed reforms to policing in south Armagh.

Mr Byrne launched the report on Tuesday which contained 50 recommendations, including closing down the heavily fortified Crossmaglen police station, closer working relations with An Garda Siochana and exploring the relocation of memorials to fallen officers.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Mr Byrne has lost the confidence of the unionist community.

But the chairman of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation, Stephen White, said on Wednesday that Mr Byrne had told him in a private meeting that memorials would not be moved.

A statement released later by the chief constable said: “This afternoon I spoke to the chair of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation and gave him an assurance there would be no removal of memorials to fallen colleagues from any operational police stations.

“As I said yesterday in relation to Crossmaglen, with any agreed station closure and redevelopment, comes an inevitable requirement to consider how best to manage the transition of memorials and honour our fallen colleagues.

“When this time comes this will be handled properly and with sensitivity and in full consultation with the families of those murdered delivering policing in South Armagh.”

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne 

The chief constable is due to face questions about the row from the Northern Ireland Policing Board on Thursday.

Earlier, Sir Jeffrey stopped short of calling for Mr Byrne to resign but said he would make his view clear to the PSNI chief when he meets him on Thursday.

During a visit to Portadown, Sir Jeffrey said: “We are very clear there is not unionist support or consent for many aspects of what is proposed in this report.

“I will be making clear to him tomorrow that he should not press on regardless and implement this report in circumstances where I don’t believe he has the confidence of unionists, in particular in taking forward key elements of these proposals.

“I will be saying that in person to the chief constable tomorrow because I actually believe in looking across the table at someone and telling them what you think and how you think about these things.

“I believe the chief constable has lost the confidence of unionists and I want to hear what he is going to do about that, how he is going to respond to that, and what that means for his position as chief constable.”

Earlier, DUP junior minister Gordon Lyons called for Mr Byrne to resign.

Sir Jeffrey said Mr Lyons was “absolutely right to spell out in clear terms where unionists are on this”.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy

Sinn Fein Finance Minister Conor Murphy said the reaction from unionists to the policing report had been “astounding”.

He added: “There has clearly been a difficulty in the relationship, the way police have approached the issue of policing in south Armagh for many years.

“We have been engaging with them since 2007, previous chief constables, area commanders, to say to them, ‘you have got the balance wrong, you’re not working with the community, you’re imposing policing on the community, and it’s not yielding the results that you want, it’s not yielding the results that the community wants’.

“How could any unionists, or anyone else, be against that idea that, actually, they have an improved policing position in south Armagh?

“I can’t for the life of me understand this kneejerk reaction, the assumption that if we come to an agreement with police for an improved policing service that that’s somehow to the detriment of unionists.

“They really need to grow up, they really need to approach these things from a mature fashion. If there are issues with the police and people in unionist or loyalist areas, (they need to) undertake the same process we did, and get improved working relationships and effective policing.”

Mr Byrne was strongly criticised by unionists earlier this year after the Public Prosecution Service announced that no prosecutions would be pursued against members of Sinn Fein over their attendance at the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey despite coronavirus restrictions over public gatherings.

Former DUP leader Arlene Foster called for Mr Byrne to resign before later resigning herself following an internal party coup.