The PSNI has launched action against 74 police officers after finding they had accessed body-worn video footage without a legitimate reason for doing so.
“Management action” was brought against the officers after an investigation launched by the Police Ombudsman had been accessed and viewed by officers unofficially almost 250 times.
The clip reportedly showed a member of the public being arrested for possession of illegal drugs, which saw the arresting officer make an error while administering a criminal caution, which caused a colleague to laugh in the background.
According to the Chief Executive of the Police Ombusdsman’s Office, Hugh Hume, the video may have “been viewed for entertainment and amusement, but the officers who did so showed little regard for the privacy of the man being arrested, nor for the emotional wellbeing of their colleague featured in the video.”
“There remains a significant residual risk that private and personal data can be accessed without a legitimate policing purpose,” Mr Hume added.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, between December 2019 and November 2022, footage of the incident had been accessed by 82 police officers 248 times, and by one civilian staff member, with officers involved based at 20 police stations across the North.
Most had viewed the footage once or twice, but many accessed it more often – including one officer who accessed it 21 times. The investigation established that only five police officers and one civilian staff member had a legitimate reason for accessing the bodycon footage.
The police investigation concluded that 74 of the officers did not have a legitimate reason for accessing the footage, and that two officers had since retired and could no longer be held accountable for the misconduct. Meanwhile, another officer remains subject to a speakers Police Ombudsman investigation examining potential criminality in relation to accessing the footage.
In August, following the roll-out of bodyworn cameras in the Republic, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris admitted that body-worn cameras could be open to potential abuse by gardaí.
Mr Harris, in a warning to gardaí, said that they could face dismissal or potential criminal prosecution if it is found that they have shared or leaked footage of incidents captured on the cameras.
It comes as dozens of gardaí in Limerick are to start wearing body cameras that can record footage while showing on a display screen the footage that is being taken. It follows the successful rolling out of the cameras for officers in Dublin in May.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) previously said that the piloting of bodyworn cameras by officers must ensure that “fundamental rights are protected.”
Last year, the ICCL “cautiously welcomed” the announcement from An Garda Síochána that they will pilot the introduction of body worn cameras before moving to a national roll-out.
“Body Worn cameras are a new form of surveillance technology to be introduced in Ireland and they directly impact on people’s privacy rights and other key civil liberties such as freedom of assembly. We need to be very careful in how they are introduced and ensure that adequate safeguards are put in place to protect people’s fundamental rights,’ the ICCL said.
“If a surveillance technology infringes on fundamental rights, it has to be demonstrated that it meets the threshold of legality, necessity and proportionality, and that it is the least intrusive measure. Today’s announcement indicates a focused approach with cameras only being used in specific circumstances. This move away from blanket surveillance is to be welcomed.”