Former police commissioner Gary Griffith said threats made against the relatives of the current Police Commissioner and Government ministers had to be treated seriously, but cautioned that authorities must distinguish between genuine threats, intelligence and unsubstantiated statements.

Speaking on TV6’s Morning Edition programme on Wednesday, Griffith said the public discussion surrounding threats against senior officials highlighted a wider issue of declining confidence and trust in the country’s security institutions.

Griffith said he was concerned that a call made to the E999 emergency line had been treated as a major public issue before the threat was properly assessed.