Jon Boutcher is the breath of fresh air that regional policing needs. He has broad public confidence and, equally important, the support of his rank and file officers.
His aspiration for providing effective policing is presently not matched by resources. He has spoken of his frustration and produced startling figures to support his case, including the fact that two of his officers have taken their own lives.
The chief constable is clearly his own man. Everybody knew his character when he took up the post and most regarded it as a positive asset.
It’s moot whether he has overstepped the mark by lobbying for more resources. Like all the north’s public services, policing is critically under-funded and in a poor state as a consequence. Mr Boutcher has assessed the situation forensically and responded as he sees appropriate – by using his influence as best he can, wherever he can, to leverage funding.
It’s an approach that has clearly rankled Department of Justice permanent secretary Hugh Widdis, and perhaps Justice Minister Naomi Long, who while sharing the chief constable’s concerns, isn’t endorsing his unilateral agitation around funding.
If the letter was an attempt to put the chief constable back in his box it has back-fired by highlighting how sensitive the Stormont Executive and its partners in the civil service are to any kind of criticism.
The points made in the letter to Jon Boutcher may be correct but was it really necessary to put them in writing and share the correspondence with others? To then lament the leaking of the letter given it has been distributed to so many recipients seems perverse.
There is clearly a massive problem around the funding of public services but a reluctance on the part of some to accept responsibility for it, even partially. The British government has an important role to play in ensuring public spending meets people’s aspirations but the Executive must also play its part, a challenge it has so far shirked.
Against this backdrop, the letter rebuking the chief constable appears petty. Senior civil servants’ resources would be much better deployed looking at ways their own departments could be more cost-effective, rather than chastising those striving to ensure we are all well served.
