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Claire, a pseudonym, joined Northern Ireland’s police force nine years ago. As a sergeant in her 30s, she represents the “peace generation” that has grown up since the end of the “Troubles” conflict in 1998. However, she rarely discloses her profession to others.
Since 2009, two officers have been murdered, and in February of this year, a senior detective narrowly escaped an attempt on their life. These attacks were claimed by dissident republicans who oppose the peace process in the region.
Claire remarks, “It is evident that on a daily basis, there are people who want to kill us.”
Last week, the Police Service of Northern Ireland accidentally published a database containing the personal information of all its 10,000 officers and staff, along with their units and locations. The police force acknowledged that this data may have ended up in the hands of dissident groups, raising concerns that their own employer has made them targets.
Even after 25 years of peace, Northern Ireland still grapples with active paramilitary gangs, making it a post-conflict society that remains on edge. Claire was shocked and fearful after the breach, stating, “It makes you even more anxious and on edge.” She continues to check for booby traps under her car, a habit she developed 25 years ago when the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the conflict involving the Irish Republican Army, loyalist gunmen, and British forces. She believes the data leak provides dissident republicans with information they did not previously have and could be the missing piece to identify someone.
Just five months ago, the UK raised the terror threat to “severe,” indicating a high risk of attack. The 25th anniversary of the Omagh bombing, in which dissident republicans detonated a car bomb killing 29 people, serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing risks.
The data leak also exposes the challenges of recruiting and retaining Catholic and nationalist officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The force was rebranded as a “service” rather than a “force” when it was established in 2001 to succeed the Royal Ulster Constabulary. A recruitment policy aiming for a 50:50 religious balance raised the percentage of Catholic officers from 8% to around 30%, but these efforts were halted in 2011. Brendan O’Leary, a University of Pennsylvania professor, and co-author of a book on police reform in the region, comments, “Reform happened, but it has stalled.”
The data breaches pose a significant reputational setback for the police force, especially among individuals with a Catholic background in areas hostile to law enforcement. Former RUC and PSNI senior detective Professor William Matchett describes it as a “poor advert for policing.” Despite the challenges, Claire, who comes from a unionist background, finds it tempting to leave or quit her job but will continue because of her passion for the work.
The PSNI has reported that no one has been relocated due to the data blunder. However, in the past six years, 11 officers, including four Protestants and seven Catholics, were forced to sell their homes and move due to security concerns.
Stephen White, a former assistant chief constable, remembers the Troubles era when over 1,200 officers and their families were abruptly relocated, sometimes within 24 hours notice. He recalls vans arriving at homes in the middle of the night, taking away police officers and their families along with their belongings and pets.
This recent data blunder was compounded by another incident a month earlier when a police-issue laptop, along with a police radio, was stolen from a private car believed to belong to a superintendent. The laptop was quickly wiped, but this further strengthened the perception of a lax approach to data by an organization responsible for public safety.
The PSNI, already facing a £38mn funding gap, is preparing for potential substantial fines due to data protection violations. Nearly a third of officers have indicated they may seek compensation.
Mary Traynor, legal director on the data, privacy, and cyber team at law firm Lewis Silkin in Northern Ireland, explains that compensation could be awarded for physical harm or “non-material” damage such as anxiety and distress. She cites a case in 2016 where damages ranging from £2,500 to £12,500 were awarded to asylum seekers following a data breach by the Home Office in England. Traynor suggests that damages awarded in this incident could be higher due to the heightened terror threat level and the claims made by dissident republicans regarding the data.
Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, representing rank-and-file officers, says morale has hit an all-time low. Officers are already struggling with inadequate pay, a cost of living crisis, and
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