BELFAST, Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman has received about 40 complaints of "police predatory behavior" since 2021, Justice Minister Naomi Long told the Assembly. She explained that the Police Ombudsman's Office usually receives about eight such complaints every year and that this number hasn't increased, but there has been a consistent flow.

Minister Long made these remarks during a question session in Stormont, Northern Ireland's Assembly. Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker pointed out that a recent Criminal Justice Inspection report showed there were 19 active investigations as of July 2024 into police officers abusing their position for sexual purposes. He asked whether the Minister would consider introducing a stricter vetting process and a formal code of conduct.

In response, Long said that her department does not handle police officer hiring and vetting. However, she referred to recommendations in the inspection report, which offer guidance for how justice agencies should deal with such abuse cases and within what timeframes.

She said, "However when you look into this report, abuse of position, concerns, and complaints, there are recommendations on how justice organizations should address matters and the timeframes within which they should do so.

She added that while the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Police Ombudsman, and the Public Prosecution Service are all responsible for handling these issues, they are independent of her department. As a result, she cannot comment on the progress of those recommendations. Still, she agreed on the need for strong and effective systems to ensure accountability and public safety.

Long stressed that because some people who deal with the police are especially vulnerable, it is vital to have complete trust that unethical officers are not allowed to damage the reputation of the wider police force.

When Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers asked for a comparison of cases reported in the past year versus the year before, Long said she did not have that specific data. However, she repeated that since 2021, the Police Ombudsman has received around 40 complaints and continues to get an average of eight per year, showing a steady pattern.

"However, since 2021, PONI has advised me that they have received around 40 complaints of what they described as police predatory behavior, and say that they continue to receive an average of eight cases per year," she said

"So they have not suggested that that has significantly increased, but there has certainly been a steady flow."