Northern Ireland

PSNI urged to provide a daily breakdown of data breach risk assessments

Chief Constable Simon Byrne
Chief Constable Simon Byrne Chief Constable Simon Byrne

Policing Board member Mark H Durkan has called on the PSNI to provide a daily breakdown of the number of risk assessments carried out after details of 10,000 police staff were made public.

Police this week said they are confident that dissident republicans have access to the spreadsheet containing the partial names and other details of serving officers and civilian staff.

Read More:PSNI data breach FOI passed through at least three departments

It also emerged this week that a PSNI laptop, radio and details of up to 200 officers were taken after a car was broken into in Newtownabbey last month.

The double data breach has thrown the PSNI into crisis.

SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan said on Wednesday he is writing to chief constable Simon Byrne to express “fresh and further concerns”.

"Without compromising safety and operational requirements, I am asking the chief constable to provide a daily breakdown of the number of risk assessments conducted, the breakdown of officers and civilians assessed, the numbers awaiting assessment including the breakdown across PSNI ranks," he said.



"It will also be key to know if there is any priority in the order of assessment.

"It is also important to know the timeline for the current workload to be completed so that officers and staff can have certainty. I am also asking for details of the process for keeping staff updated on their particular case including if daily, weekly or other timeframe."

Mr Durkan said it was vital that all staff "received general security advice".

"But staff have the shadow of threat close by and need to be continuously reassured," he said.

"I am also asking the chief constable to advise of conversations with London on funding for security costs to help individual staff including moving home.

"It is important to know if the London government are stepping up to the mark and will fund what is needed."

Mr Durkan said the recent data breaches have eroded trust in policing.

"While it is vital that these assurances are received by staff, it remains of massive importance that the whole sequence of recent sorry events is thoroughly investigated, reported on and acted on to start to rebuild the confidence of the wider community in the PSNI.

"It is clear that community confidence in the organisation is low and and trust, which was already patchy in some areas, has deteriorated significantly."

The PSN I was contacted.