PSNI chief constable George Hamilton has apologised for posting a tweet suggesting that police officers under pressure should "dry your eyes" and get on with the job of serving the public.
Mr Hamilton became embroiled in a twitter storm after he posted a tweet shortly after midnight into Sunday morning about how the PSNI needs recruits from all backgrounds.
He accompanied his tweet with a humorous picture of pay rates for police officers many decades ago, ranging from 17 shillings a week for a constable to £13.19 shillings a week for a chief constable.
An anonymous tweeter wrote how police were expected to be social workers, paramedics and child minders and more.
Mr Hamilton responded, “I know – more complex & challenging but we are here to serve so let’s get on with it rather than wallowing in self pity!”
The tweeter informed him he wasn’t wallowing in self-pity prompting Mr Hamilton to respond, “Well you’re allowed to leave & seek another job – nobody is asking you to stay. Dry your eyes, do the job or move on!”
This in turn prompted Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation, which represents PSNI officers to demand an apology from Mr Hamilton.
“The pressures our officers endure are nothing short of monstrous. The chief constable knows the extent of the problem – we have highlighted it often enough – which makes his remarks all the more bewildering. It shows how out of touch he is with his own officers and that is deeply disappointing,” he said.
“We have thousands of days lost through a range of illnesses. We have officers grappling with psychological conditions because of the appalling things they have had to experience and witness. To cap it all, we have a chief constable who tells the men and women he commands that if they don’t like it, they can leave and get another job.”
Mr Lindsay accused Mr Hamilton of getting it “badly” wrong. “To say to officers to ‘dry your eyes, do the job or move on’ amounts to great insult and a stunning misjudgment. He should apologise immediately for this outburst, withdraw the offensive comments and remove the tweet from his account.”
The Ulster Unionist Party justice spokesman, Doug Beattie MLA, also criticised Mr Hamilton and said he should reflect on his words.
Mr Hamilton did reflect and later on Sunday he went on Twitter saying that the “frank conversation” was what the “police actually do”. He added that “however such important issues are not best dealt with in 140 characters of a tweet”.
“I’ve clearly caused some offence in what I’ve said, and for that I apologise. You see, I’m hugely proud of the officers and staff who go out and serve the public every day,” he said.
“I want to encourage and support them and I accept that my comments last night would not have conveyed that support – for that, I’m sorry,” added Mr Hamilton.”
