The crisis in policing has dominated the headlines in recent weeks.

The chief constable Simon Byrne tried his best to hang on to his job

despite the pressure he was under from all sides

and eventually he'd no option but to fall on his sword.

Meantime, the policing board, the body that's meant to oversee the work of the PSNI,

is itself mired in so much controversy that it's the subject of a review by the Department

of Justice. And the question that's being asked again and again is who's actually in charge.

That's what we're going to try to get an answer to in today's red lines. And later we'll hear

from the Belfast telegraphs Alison Morris and Ulster University's Dr. Johnny Byrne.

But we begin with someone who undoubtedly has insights to share on the subject.

So George Hamilton was the PSNI's chief constable for five years between 2014 and 2019.

He's currently in New York.

And when he joined me from there earlier, I wanted to know first what he makes of what's been happening.

Well, I mean, it's been painful to watch, frankly.

I still care passionate about policing and about the police service of Northern Ireland that I was a member of for nearly three decades.

And I was Chief Constable of for my last five years.

So it's been painful to watch.

But I do think that the organization is crying out for leadership.

It needs that.

I have a concern that the current arrangements that the policing board have come up with

is not going to provide that leadership.

And that's nothing to do with the individuals.

...