Just over a year ago, Jon Boutcher became the new PSNI Chief Constable. He replaced Simon Byrne, whose tenure came to an end amidst several controversies. However, Jon Boutcher now faces a headache of his very own. According to the BBC News…
“More than 70 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers watched body-worn video footage of a drugs arrest for their “entertainment and amusement”, an investigation has found.The footage was accessed largely “without legitimate purpose” at 20 police stations on 248 occasions between 2019 and 2022, including one officer who watched it 21 times. The Police Ombudsman’s Office said “management action” had been taken against 74 officers, which is designed to improve their conduct. The PSNI said it accepted three of the recommendations made by the Police Ombudsman and that it had introduced additional safeguards around body-worn video. Another officer is the subject of an ongoing investigation into potential criminality in relation to accessing the material. The footage showed a person being arrested for possession of illegal drugs.”
A former officer was on hand to summarise why this action will have a negative impact on perceptions of the police service.
“Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, former PSNI officer Jon Burrows said it was “disappointing that the police officers have breached the trust that they have”. “It is unacceptable because police officers are trusted with really sensitive and sometimes very distressing and personal information from victims of crime,” he said. “The public need to know that the police service will treat that respectfully and confidentially.”
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