First Minister Michelle O'Neill shook hands with the chief constable as she arrived at Garnerville.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill has attended a PSNI graduation ceremony at Garnerville in east Belfast.Earlier, Mr Boutcher described Ms O'Neill's attendance at the ceremony as "a hugely positive gesture". It was a first for Sinn Féin.
"I said I would be a First Minister for all and that includes these new constables that have graduated today," she added. "There have been more significant days - like when Sinn Féin first endorsed policing in 2007- but this will be seen as a positive for politics and for policing," he said.Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly joined First Minister Michelle O'Neill at the ceremony
"I hope that the visuals of seeing someone who is a republican, who is First Minister, engaging openly with the police and confidently with the police would encourage other people from a nationalist background to consider coming forward and getting involved in policing," she toldMrs Long added that key to this was money being found so that "new recruitment campaigns can be successful and bring new people into the service".
In response, Mr Boutcher said he wished "to make clear that I respect and work closely with all political parties in Northern Ireland".