Durkan says PSNI leadership has ‘long way to go’ to restore confidence after data breaches

Mr. Durkan was speaking following a board meeting on Tuesday, after which it was announced there would be an independent review into the breaches.

Foyle MLA Mr Durkan said: “The independent review announced by the board marks the start of a long process to establish just how these data breaches were allowed to happen and how rank and file PSNI officers and support staff were put in such serious jeopardy to the point where we are told their details have now fallen into the hands of dissident republicans.

“There is still a long way to go before the PSNI leadership can restore confidence both internally and externally. We have heard from many officers about how badly they have been impacted by these data breaches and it has further undermined hard-won public confidence in policing here.

"Measures needed to restore it include ensuring this review is robust, follows a strict timeframe and the resources are made available to implement its recommendations as a matter of urgency.”

Mr. Durkan said he was disappointed the meeting was not held in public as it would have allowed people to see political parties and independent members of the board hold the police publicly to account.

"This did not happen. I also cannot understand why police did not appear before the media today at a time when confidence is low around policing, particularly when despite being challenging the general tone of the meeting was constructive,” he said.