The Police Ombudsman’s office has called for fast-track powers after a PSNI officer was dismissed four years after the watchdog completed a misconduct investigation.
The PSNI officer was sacked last August after the ombudsman forwarded a file linked to two officers to the PSNIs Professional Standards Department.
One of the officers resigned before the disciplinary process took place.
It came after both officers were acquitted at trial of misconduct in public office in February 2023.
The decision to prosecute was taken in May 2020 after a file had been passed to the Public Prosecution Service.
The case arose after the officers arrested and searched a man at homeless accommodation who was suspected of burglary in 2018.
During the search a bag of tablets was discovered, however, the find was never recorded with the officers claiming they had been disposed of in a bin at a police station.
Questions were later raised when a sergeant became aware the officers had not recorded the drugs find.
He then checked officers’ lockers, kit bags and pigeon holes but nothing was found.
Searches of the workplace, vehicles and of the home of the arresting officer were also carried out but yielded nothing,
An examination of the arresting officer’s mobile phone showed that both had communicated and included statements about having made a “mistake” and that there was “not any intention of … personal gain”.
The ombudsman said that when interviewed by its investigators both officers said they “thought the tablets were sleeping tablets and that the decision to dispose of the suspected drugs was an error of judgement”.
During the investigation CCTV footage of the homeless accommodation was examined.
Other footage from the police station captured a conversation between the officers during which they “could be heard talking about what to ‘tell the skipper’.”
An officer could also be heard telling the custody sergeant that the suspect’s property consisted of a lighter and a coat, and that a used needle was found and disposed of at the homeless accommodation.
Police Ombudsman Chief Executive, Hugh Hume, said current legislation led to ‘frustrating and unacceptable delays’ in holding the officers to account.
“Despite a timely investigation, which was completed in just over 12 months, it took more than four years for this case, which involved serious misconduct, to reach a conclusion,” he said.
“Currently the legislation does not allow this office to use a ‘fast-track procedure’ where it is clear from an early stage in an investigation that there is criminality or gross misconduct which could result in an officer being dismissed without undue delay.”
Mr Hume pointed out that it took from 2020-2023 for the officers’ trial to conclude and a further year for the PSNI to “hold misconduct proceedings”.
“Those officers who commit wrongdoing such as dishonesty, serious assault or violence against women cannot be dealt with expeditiously in the public interest in the current system and this gap in the legislation does not serve the interests of victims, the wider public or the police service,” Mr Hume said.
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is continuing to engage with the Department of Justice, the Office of the Police Ombudsman and the Public Prosecution Service to ensure that police misconduct matters are dealt with as efficiently as possible.
“We would support any change that makes misconduct processes more efficient but crucially any changes must maintain fairness and continue to ensure justice is served.”
