THE Police Ombudsman has hit out following claims from the Police Federation that confidence in the watchdog is at an all-time low.
Mark Lindsay, chairman of the federation which represents thousands of PSNI officers, questioned the credibility of the ombudsman's office.
He told the federation's annual conference yesterday that he accepted the need for complaints against police officers to be independently investigated.
But he suggested some officers feel they are victims of a "witch hunt" - a claim the ombudsman has refuted.
Speaking to an audience including ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire, he said: "It gives me no pleasure to say that, unfortunately, there is very little officer confidence in relation to the operation of the ombudsman's office".
"The credibility of the office is also seriously questioned," he said.
He highlighted concerning cases including the PSNI investigation into the theft of documents from the ombudsman's office.
Mr Lindsay suggested an independent appeals process should be established to allow ombudsman reports to be challenged.
"There is an obvious need for an independent avenue of appeal, whereby officers will have meaningful redress against malicious and inept investigations," he said.
"The ombudsman is with us today and I say to him that this isn't about you, but rather the legislative architecture of the system you preside over."
In a statement, the ombudsman's office accused Mr Lindsay of airing "unfounded" views.
"His comments are odds with the feedback from police officers who have been investigated by the Office (and obtained through independent survey): 89 per cent said they were treated with respect and more than 75 per cent felt that the complaint had been handled in an independent manner," the statement read.
The office only makes recommendations to police about disciplinary sanctions for officers, the statement read.
"Contrary to Mr Lindsay's assertions, disciplinary findings can be appealed by the officer concerned," it read.
"It is frustrating that the Chairman makes these comments without having spoken to the Police Ombudsman."
Mr Lindsay also told the conference that policing in the north is at "crisis levels" due to austerity measures.
Chief Constable George Hamilton has previously said the PSNI is facing a £20 million funding cut this year and a reduction in officer numbers.
Mr Lindsay warned policing is "under attack from a Government that refuses to acknowledge that continued austerity and the denial of essential resources will have such a damaging effect on policing and society that could take generations to restore".
"In 2017, we find ourselves heavily depleted and under-financed at a time of rising demand, a continuing severe threat from murderous dissident groupings and more complex crime," he said.
Mr Lindsay also called for harsher sentences for people who attack officers.
"An inability or reluctance to hand down meaningful sentences will merely serve to further undermine the rule of law and damage society as a whole," he said.
