The Police Ombudsman’s Office has welcomed the publication of a report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) about the Office’s investigation of concerns and complaints relating to abuse of position by police officers.
The Police Ombudsman’s Director of Investigations, Nikki Davis, said she was pleased that the report recognised the important role of the Office in achieving positive outcomes for victims.
“Abuse of position can take many forms, such as the unlawful access of police records or the inappropriate use of police powers or resources, usually for the benefit of the officer involved, or to the benefit or detriment of others,” she said.
“However, our work is increasingly focused on addressing the corrupt and harmful behaviours of police officers who abuse their position for sexual purposes. Since 2020, six police officers have been dismissed or convicted for abusing their role for sexual purposes following investigations by the Police Ombudsman’s Office.
“Such investigations are complex, involving careful consideration of victims’ needs and how best to support them, as well as the analysis of large volumes of digital and other evidence. This often results in the identification of additional incidents involving further victims and officers.
“We welcome the Inspectorate’s recommendations, which will help us to achieve further and continual improvement in this vital area of our work. Significant progress has already been made towards their implementation, including the recent recruitment of additional Investigation Officers.
“We are also pleased that CJI have endorsed the Police Ombudsman’s call for legislative change to provide for a ‘fast-track procedure’ in cases where it is clear from an early stage that there is criminality or gross misconduct which could result in an officer being dismissed without undue delay.
“Just last month we highlighted a case in which it took four years for an officer to be dismissed for gross misconduct. Instances such as this do not serve the interests of victims, the public or the police service.”
Mrs Davis added that a significant proportion of the approximately 3,000 complaints received by the Office each year included allegations relating to some form of abuse of position by police officers.
“The CJI report brings focus to this area of work, and will assist us in refining our processes to ensure that our independent and impartial investigation of these matters remains both comprehensive and effective.
“As well as the work we are doing internally to implement the report’s recommendations, we will be engaging with criminal justice partners to ensure that each of the areas identified by CJI is addressed.
“We will remain committed throughout to sharing the insights gained from our work to help ensure ongoing improvements to policing,” she added.