Although a period of peace has prevailed in the country for about 25 years, during which time the independence IRA militants made headlines for targeting the police, there have been occasional assassination attempts against police officers.
Last Tuesday, an unprecedented leak occurred due to the police uploading the wrong Excel file to the Police Service's Freedom of Information internet site, revealing details that police officers even hide from their families.
Northern Irish police officers, speaking to Politico about the matter, said they have lost their faith in their bases and politicians.
"I can't explain how ridiculous what's happening is. What's happening contradicts what we've been told from the very beginning to protect ourselves and our families," said a senior police officer.
A police officer said that his family on his father's side has known him for years as a civil servant working in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Another police officer said, "On Tuesday night, three colleagues who didn't know each other sent the file on WhatsApp. None of us could believe what we saw. Terrorists would risk their lives for such information. We gave it away ourselves."
The list of police officers in Northern Ireland includes 35 counter-terrorism police officers working at MI5's center in Belfast, according to the file.
The police union stated that nearly 2,000 police officers are preparing to take legal action regarding the leak.
