The deep division in Northern Irish society was shown again yesterday when the Chief Constable said he had received calls to sack, but also calls to commend, the PSNI officer filmed celebrating Armagh’s All-Ireland win in Camlough.
Policing here remains a lightning rod for the highly polarised views that persist within society, as Jon Boutcher observed.
The smallest actions can have big consequences in a place where every word or decision is heavily scrutinised.
Sensibly, in his first public comments on the matter, Mr Boutcher sought to offer some perspective with a pragmatic response.
The officer would not be dismissed, suspended or moved, he said, but nor did he condone their actions.
His response was balanced and reasonable, and an attempt to draw a line under the controversy.
The clip of Sunday night’s incident lasts mere seconds, but has fuelled four days worth of commentary, much of it predictable, and from predictable quarters.
Police celebrate Armagh All-Ireland win with laps of the road waving flags
Camlough is a small community, but the growth of camera phones and online platforms can open up even the most remote settings to widespread scrutiny. The footage shows PSNI cars driving up and down a road, with sirens and blue lights flashing.
A PSNI officer in one patrol car is seen waving an Armagh flag from the window while driving.
Unionist politicians criticised the officer’s actions, with allegations of “two-tier policing” because officers were celebrating a GAA team’s victory.
Others felt those involved did nothing wrong and the incident had been blown out of proportion. A petition of support was started for the flag-waving community officer.
There is no doubt that policing in Northern Ireland, and particularly south Armagh, remains a highly sensitive issue.
But road safety is extremely serious too. Sadly, the county of Armagh – and indeed wider Northern Irish society – needs no reminders of that. On the very day of the final, PSNI social media accounts were reminding people to drive safely.
Police officers are expected to lead by example.
They are supposed to behave professionally at all times, and Mr Boutcher was clear that what happened overstepped the mark. He accepted the manner in which the police cars were being driven was “irresponsible”, while urging “perspective”.
There are issues on which we will take the PSNI to task, but on this the Chief Constable has spoken and acted sensibly.