Garda personnel voice concerns over phone monitoring 

GARDA personnel say they have concerns about whether their mobile phone use will come under the spotlight of the newly set up Anti Corruption Unit.

The real life version of the Line of Duty’s AC-12 was launched by An Garda Síochána in recent weeks.

The aim of the unit is “to prevent corruption, protect the reputation and integrity of An Garda Síochána and maintain public confidence in the quality of the policing service provided,” according to the policy document for the unit.

Worried about phone communication

And while gardaí welcome measures to address corruption within the force, individual members have told The Echo they fear that their communication on phones will be analysed in a bid to stamp out leaking of information to avenues such as the media.

While garda representative bodies have had no concerns raised with them in relation to phones, a number of gardaí from different ranks have separately told The Echo that they are worried about communication on their phones being observed in the coming months by the new unit.

One source said that it may now be difficult for gardaí to make appeals in local press relating to local investigations which would not be made through the national press office.

He said: “The ‘leaking of information’ will now come under anti-corruption.” 

Another told The Echo that personal communication by gardaí will now be done on encrypted apps.