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Simon Byrne, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, has stepped down after enduring weeks of pressure, including a significant data breach affecting over 10,000 officers and support staff. His resignation was accepted by members of the Policing board during a press conference held on Monday.

The decision to resign was reached after an emergency meeting of the board. This resignation follows a protracted dispute concerning perceived disparities in how Republican and Loyalist gatherings were handled by law enforcement during the pandemic when restrictions limited group sizes to six individuals. Additionally, last week, Belfast's high court determined that the force had wrongfully disciplined two junior officers to appease Sinn Féin.

Another crisis unfolded when it was revealed that a data handling error resulted in the inadvertent release of personal information belonging to over 10,000 officers and support staff. Both of these issues led political leaders to call for Byrne's resignation.

The situation took a critical turn for Byrne's leadership last Tuesday when Justice Scofield, a high court judge, determined that the PSNI had unlawfully taken disciplinary action against two officers in connection with their policing of a Republican commemoration event in Belfast in February 2021, which occurred during Covid-19 restrictions.

Initially, Byrne had stated that he would not step down after an urgent meeting of the Policing Board last Thursday. He also hinted at the possibility of appealing the court's decision. However, this declaration drew strong criticism from the Police Federation for Northern Ireland. Liam Kelly, the federation's chair, expressed profound "shock and anger" in response to the chief constable's remarks.

During the press conference held on Monday, Deirdre Toner, the Policing Board chair, announced that Byrne had submitted his resignation, effective immediately.

He said, "The last few days have been very difficult for all concerned. Regardless of the rights and wrongs, it is now time for someone new to lead this proud and resolute organisation. Can I thank those who have shown me trust advice and friendship. And of course thank you to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland."

Byrne had been under considerable pressure following a significant data breach within the PSNI the previous month. Due to a mishap in response to a freedom of information request, the personal information of all current PSNI members was inadvertently disclosed. This data breach exposed details about approximately 10,000 PSNI officers and staff, including their last name and initial, their rank or position, their location, and the specific unit they were assigned to.

The PSNI continues to claim that the list is in the hands of dissident Republicans, who continue to target officers.

A number of other data breaches have since come to light, including the loss of a police officer’s laptop and notebook, which contained details of 42 officers and members of staff after the items fell from a moving vehicle.

Earlier on Monday, a DUP member of the legislative assembly at Stormont, Trevor Clarke, said Byrne should know "his time is up," as the politician arrived at a last-minute meeting of the Policing Board.

Meanwhile, the vice-chair of the board Edgar Jardine has urged for increased political backing and financial support for the PSNI, highlighting the challenging funding situation they are currently facing. He pointed out that while the "New Decade, New Agreement" plan is aimed for 7,500 officers, the existing funding arrangements are likely to result in a reduction to around 6,500 officers by the end of the current financial year.

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