‘No comment’ over city phone hacking

It says releasing details of phone hacking or phone interception incidents could compromise the security and operations of the PSNI and this could alert individuals involved in serious and organised crime enabling them to take action in order to cover their tracks and avoid apprehension and destroying evidence.

The police force also refused to divulge whether it had received any complaints about phone interception in the city over the same period.

Explosive phone-hacking revelations rocked Fleet Street in Britain last month and ultimately led to the closure of the Rupert Murdoch owned best-selling Sunday tabloid, the News of the World.

It was revealed voice mails on the mobile phones of murdered school girl Milly Dowler, the relatives of dead soldiers killed in Afghanistan and the victims of the London bombings on July 7, 2005, had all been intercepted. But despite the existence of numerous celebrities and public figures in Londonderry unscrupulous criminal reporters and private investigators would undoubtedly consider screaming phone hacking targets the PSNI said it could not tell this paper whether any had been targeted.

The PSNI told the paper it had weighed up its decision in terms of information relation to security bodies, national security, investigations, law enforcement, personal information and public interest.

In its response to a Sentinel Freedom of Information (FOI) request the PSNI state: “Modern policing is intelligence led, and intelligence changes on a day-by-day basis. As disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act are disclosures to the world and not solely to the individual making the request, therefore revealing information regarding phone hacking would consequently be detrimental to our ability to be able to deal with the ongoing serious terrorist threat in Northern Ireland. It should be recognised that the international security landscapes is increasing complex and unpredictable.”

The statement continue: “To release details of phone hacking/phone interception incidents could compromise the security and operations of the PSNI. To reveal incidents could alert individuals involved in serious and organised crime thus enabling them to take action in order to cover their tracks and avoid apprehension and destroying evidence. This could give criminals/ terrorists an opportunity to take advantage of this situation.”

It conclude: “The PSNI is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and detecting crime and protecting the communities we serve. The PSNI will not divulge whether information is or is not held if to do so would adversely affect these important roles.

“Whilst there is a public interest in the transparency of policing operations and providing assurance that the PSNI is appropriately and effectively dealing with crime, there is a strong public interest in safeguarding the integrity of police investigations and operations, and in maintaining confidence in the PSNI with regard to it’s handling of individual’s personal data. It is for these reasons that the Public Interest must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held.”