Unionist politicians welcomed Sir Ronnie Flanagan's report as a vindication of his record and that of the RUC in the Omagh bomb investigation.
However, Sinn Féin said the Chief Constable did not answer very important questions and the party demanded a public inquiry.
Former Ulster Unionist MP, Lord Maginnis, said Sir Ronnie had responded to the criticisms of the Police Ombudsman, Mrs Nuala O'Loan. Lord Maginnis described Mrs O'Loan's report as "naïve and inadequate". "Sir Ronnie has demonstrated that the Ombudsman's supposed inquiry into the Omagh bomb was little more than a pot-pourri of ideas and unconnected facts.
"Practices normally applied to an inquiry were totally disregarded by Nuala O'Loan." A DUP member of the Policing Board, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, also said Sir Ronnie was totally vindicated.
"The office of Ombudsman has done itself a disservice by producing a report that contains so many factual inaccuracies and unfair conclusions. If that report was regarded in any way as a serious or rigorous investigation, there is no way that Sir Ronnie Flanagan would still be Chief Constable today," he stated.
Mr Paisley jnr said the public and the Omagh relatives should carefully study Sir Ronnie's report.
"They should compare it with the Ombudsman's report and then judge for themselves who has the interests of justice, truth and security at heart.
"I trust that those who have been most critical of the police will now get off the backs of the police and Special Branch and permit them to go forward unhindered in the security battle to get these killers off the streets." Mr Paisley jnr claimed Mrs O'Loan's report had partly blurred the line on who was guilty and who was innocent over the Omagh bomb. "I believe the Chief Constable's report will go a long way in restoring clear vision and focusing on whom really is responsible.
"Any organisation or government who would seek to shift the blame for Omagh away from the gunmen and bombers and make the police in some way culpable should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves." Sinn Féin chief whip, Mr Alex Maskey, said Sir Ronnie's reputation had not been saved by the report.
"Ronnie Flanagan is a man of no credibility within the nationalist and republican community. People simply do not believe him.
"They have seen the lid beginning to lift on past RUC and current PSNI activities and will not settle for a report from Ronnie Flanagan whose aim is to prevent the truth about these matters coming out."
Mr Maskey said many questions remained unanswered. "The relatives have the right to know the truth about what happened that day. So far they have been denied this. The only way the truth can be established is through a public inquiry." SDLP policing spokesman, Mr Alex Attwood, said: "There are two strategic requirements at this time - confidence in the Omagh murder inquiry and confidence in Special Branch and the institutions of the new beginning to policing.
"In his response the Chief Constable has now begun to respond to the six recommendations of the Ombudsman's report and it its those recommendations which provide the basis for an agreed means out of the current disagreements." The human rights organisation, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, said it was "most concerned" by the PSNI's response to Mrs O'Loan's report. "The CAJ is concerned that the PSNI is going to be no different from the old RUC in responding to criticisms.
"In the past, criticisms of the police and security forces were followed by leaks, detailed rebuttal, denial, innuendo and smear. The Ombudsman's office is independent and the PSNI should accept the criticisms made and reform its practices."