Matt Baggott confirmed more police will be deployed on the street following an emergency meeting of the Policing Board on Monday morning.
Mr Baggott also announced more checkpoints across Northern Ireland in a bid to tackle the dissident threat, which is believed to be at its highest level since the Omagh bombing in 1998.
"We'll be doing vehicle checkpoints throughout the next couple of weeks and probably beyond that", Mr Baggott said.
"I know they are a huge inconvenience to the public but let's be very clear the responsibility for us having to do this rests purely and simply with those people that would bring distraction back to the streets".
"We are increasing our presence as we review our security needs daily and at the moment, in the light of recent events, we feel it is necessary to do that".
Policing board members believe the Chief Constable is right to put in place a security response to the dissident threat.
"They have got to keep the public safe. They have got to keep police officers safe but they need to do it in a way which wins the public confidence", Sinn Fein Policing Board member, Alex Maskey, told UTV.
"We do need to ensure that the PSNI, the Chief Constable and his top team recognise the importance of maintaining the confidence, not just of people living in the area but the whole wider community", UUP Policing Board member, Basil McCrea, said.
"The important thing now is that the police response is proportionate, that the police response gives the public confidence, that change of gear will be matched by intelligence, matched by police activity", DUP policing board member Ian Paisley Jr said.
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The community of Newtownhamilton has questioned the police's response to last Thursday's car bombing.
A Polish man and an elderly woman were injured in the blast outside the police station.
The blast caused damage to an unmanned police station, nearby houses, a pub and a community centre.
A telephone warning was made to a hospital in Belfast at 10.30pm.
But police were still on their way to the town when the bomb went off almost 50 minutes later.
It was the second time in one week that the base was targeted. A previous car bomb was defused by police outside the station.
"Clearly it is not good enough if there are not enough officers on the ground. If the police don't respond quickly to a bombing those are questions that the police will have to get sorted," Alex Maskey told UTV.
Answering minister's questions for the first time on the floor of the Assembly, Justice Minister David Ford said he will ask for more resources if they are needed.
"There are difficult issues for the police operating in certain areas but it should be blamed on those who caused the problem, not on those who unfortunately have to respond on behalf of all of us," Mr Ford said.
"I will do all I can to ensure that if the Chief Constable wishes to make a case for additional resources and makes a valid case we will ensure that case is put to the Northern Ireland Office and to the Department of Finance and Personnel, both of whom have responsibilities in terms of relations with the Treasury."
After receiving the warning, the PSNI was monitoring the situation from the air, but UTV understands officers weren't initially allowed on the ground because it was feared other bombs had been left nearby.
"There are issues of police officer safety if we don't take those seriously we may again compromise the public and we have to be very careful that we are not being lured into something more destructive," Mr Baggott explained.
"Clearly we regret that we were not there earlier.
"We will be working with our communities to see how we can improve our police presence and that confidence," he added.
Earlier this month, the Real IRA admitted carrying out a car bomb attack outside MI5 Headquarters in Holywood, Co Down, less than half an hour after policing and justice powers were devolved to Stormont.
The threat level has been assessed as "severe" since February 2009, one below "critical".
