The appointment of a former English police chief to the role of interim Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is “odd” in its timing, an ex-member of a PSNI oversight body has said.
Jon Boutcher is expected to be announced on Thursday as the preferred candidate to take on the temporary PSNI job, The Irish Times understands, after former Chief Constable Simon Byrne stepped down last month amid a series of controversies.
Boutcher, who was chief constable of Bedfordshire Police in 2014-2019 and has decades of experience investigating terrorism and organised crime, is overseeing a £37 million (€43 million) independent investigation into the British army’s top spy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
With more than 1,000 witness statements gathered in the vast Operation Kenova over the past six years, Boutcher’s team is due to release its findings in coming months. Part of its remit is examining the role of the British state and security forces – including the former Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) – in multiple murders linked to the agent known as Stakeknife, widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.
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Security sources say the Kenova report is with the PSNI after going through security clearance checks with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Boutcher’s appointment will have to be agreed after the Policing Board for Northern Ireland – which has an oversight role – undertook a recruitment process earlier this week and recommended him to the Department of Justice and Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.
But a former board member has raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, given Kenova’s pending publication.
[ Stakeknife: The inside story of IRA double agent Freddie ScappaticciOpens in new window ]
“Not because I don’t think Jon Boutcher is a good cop, but it’s an odd choice and odd timing,” Tom Kelly said to The Irish Times.
“I was one of the first people to call for Byrne to go and for an interim chief constable to be brought in immediately.
“Given the fact the police have to respond to Kenova, how does Jon Boutcher respond to it himself? There is the perceived conflict of him actually marking his own homework from the PSNI’s point of view.
“And how does he carry the PSNI with him? Because morale is low.”
Boutcher previously applied to become PSNI chief constable in 2019 but lost out to Mr Byrne.
The job advertisement for the interim said the successful candidate will be in post for a minimum of three months, with the potential for further extension.
Expressions of interest were sought from chief constables and deputy chief constables, and anyone who has recently retired from these positions. The salary for the job is £219,894 a year. Applications for the permanent chief constable role will close on October 16th.
[ Give Me a Crash Course in ... the crisis in the PSNIOpens in new window ]
Described by a relative of a victim allegedly targeted by Stakeknife as “well intentioned” and “decent”, Boutcher has personally contacted all the families involved in the Kenova report.
A former senior RUC and PSNI officer said it he would surprised if any ex-RUC officers interviewed by the Kenova team are still serving in the force.
“I think that passage of time has gone,” Alan Mains said.
“I’m led to believe the Kenova report is very methodical ... so it’s a clear conflict of interest if he has to implement it actions.”
Mains, a former PSNI detective superintendent, said Boutcher is perceived “very much as a detective”.
“It’s a strange appointment ... but he has led before, he was over a huge team. He’s very personable and that stands to his credit.
“He’s had to, by the nature of his work, be isolated. He’s a bit of an enigma in that sense. There’s not too many people that would know too much about him other than in his previous jobs.
“But it’s a win-win for him really. He comes in a very bad time to try to stabilise the ship. I would suggest he’s probably not in the competition for the chief constable’s job, that’s maybe why he’s getting this post.”
