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Board seeking Orde clarification Orde rebuked for 'tribal' remarks
(about 15 hours later)
The Policing Board is seeking clarification about remarks made by Sir Hugh Orde in Dublin. The chief constable has spoken personally to the chairman of the Policing Board to clarify critical remarks he is said to have made.
It has been reported that he was strongly critical of the body at a breakfast briefing with public relations professionals in Dublin. Sir Hugh Orde is reported to have said the board had "gone a bit tribal" at a breakfast briefing with public relations professionals in Dublin.
He is reported to have said the board had "gone a bit tribal", with elected members more interested in political debate than policing issues. Alex Maskey of Sinn Fein said he should have made such comments to the Policing Board.
He allegedly said some were more into sectarian arguments than policing. However, a police spokeswoman said the remarks had been taken out of context.
The chief constable supposedly said he gets more strategic questions from recruits than members of the board. Sir Hugh is also alleged to have said elected board members were more interested in political debate than policing issues.
A police spokeswoman said the remarks had been taken out of context. The chief constable also supposedly said he got "more strategic questions" from recruits than members of the Policing Board.
She stressed that Sir Hugh had praised the board for playing a central role in moving policing forward in Northern Ireland, and said it had a crucial role in building public confidence. Mr Maskey said he was surprised by the comments.
"I certainly have been at every single policing board meeting since last year," he said.
"Hugh Orde has never, ever once said to the Policing Board, 'by the way folks, you are not actually asking me the right questions, or you are not asking me the strategic questions'.
"So if he has that type of an observation to make, he should make it at the Policing Board."
A police spokeswoman said the chief constable "has spoken personally to the chairman of the Policing Board to provide clarification."