Jon Boutcher rejects claim PSNI officers were asked to remove guns at Sinn Féin offices
Jon Boutcher has denied claims by UUP MLA Jon Burrows that police officers have been asked to remove their guns when entering Sinn Féin offices.
Mr. Burrows, a former PSNI area commander in the North West, wrote to the Chief Constable last week to express ‘deep concern at reports that Sinn Féin representatives have on occasions demanded that PSNI officers remove their personal protection firearms before entering Sinn Féin officers to deal with members of the public or on occasion when attending community meetings'.
In a letter dispatched on Hallowe'en the North Antrim MLA claimed he had 'ascertained that his happened specifically in West Belfast and at other locations in NI'.
The claim was rejected by Sinn Féin with the party’s North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly asking the Chief Constable to respond at a Policing Board meeting in Belfast.
Mr. Boutcher said he had spoken to senior police officers about the claims, including Derry and Strabane District Commander Gillian Kearney.
"At no stage has Sinn Féin, or for that matter any other political party, raised any issues with me or anyone in the Service Executive Team about police officers carrying their police-issue Personal Protection Weapons (PPWs) at public meetings.
"If they did ask, they would be told very clearly that this is an operational police matter and that the safety and security of my officers is non-negotiable.
"I have personally spoken to the District Commanders in the publicly mentioned areas of West Belfast and Derry City and Strabane, as well as to the Police Federation, and no one has reported any instances of this occurring,” he said.
The Chief Constable said the carriage of guns remains a necessary reality of policing in the North.
"There is no direction in place that officers should agree to demands not to carry them at public meetings, and if such a request came forward, officers would have my full support in politely saying no to that request.
"However, I would also stress that discussing any matter relating to the protection of officers including the carriage of their personal protective weapons in a public arena is unhelpful. Issues of such a sensitive security nature should be dealt with privately and directly with me,” he stated.