During a visit to the PSNI Cyber Crime Centre the Justice
Minister has said she will “take every possible
opportunity to strengthen the law in this area”.
Minister said: “I am determined
to do what I can to ensure that PSNI in partnership with the
other criminal justice agencies has the appropriate tools to
reduce the harm caused by cyber crime.
“We all recognise the benefits and opportunities that the
online world presents. However, we also know that so many forms
of criminality are now conducted online, and that increasingly
almost every offence may involve some online element. That
requires us to be agile and forward-looking in the work we
do.”
The Minister also met staff who work at the centre and heard
about the challenge of their roles – particularly crimes
involving children - in an effort to bring perpetrators to
justice.
A total 10,010 CCTV exhibits have been submitted to the Cyber
Crime Centre in 2025, according to the PSNI and 1,796 devices
have been submitted for digital forensics, including mobile
phones and computers. The devices relate to a range of offences,
including human trafficking, drugs, murder and offences of a
sexual nature.
Minister Long said: “I appreciate the challenges involved
for operational partners, particularly for police officers here
at the Centre. I want to acknowledge and thank you for the
invaluable and difficult work you are undertaking here in terms
of protecting infrastructure and safeguarding vulnerable people,
including children, who may have been abused or exploited. It is
difficult, complex and often distressing work which is at the
frontline of protecting the public and bringing perpetrators to
justice.”
Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said: “I am
delighted to welcome the Justice Minister to the Police Service
of Northern Ireland Cyber Crime Centre which is a purpose-built
hub dedicated to the analysis of digital evidence across Northern
Ireland.
“The cyber world is incredibly fast-paced and always evolving, so
it is vital that we continue to be as technically capable as
possible, which is why we constantly train and upskill officers
within the PSNI Cybercrime units.
“Whilst not all crime is digital, we live in a world where most
crimes now have a digital element. Officers in the Cyber Crime
Centre are involved in a breadth of investigations ranging from
devious software targeting vulnerable victims to footage captured
on a ring doorbell or information provided by smart devices.
“They are also responsible for processing a wide
range of digital evidence including the most serious crimes such
as murder and child sex abuse, through to burglaries and
assaults.
“The Cyber Crime Centre continues to provide us with the advanced
digital and technical investigative capabilities that is
essential for policing in today's world and to ensure we can
bring perpetrators of crime to justice.”
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption 1 & 2: Justice Minister at the PSNI Cyber Crime Centre
with Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck and Detective Chief
Superintendent Emma Neill, who is the Head of C1 Organised
Crime Branch and has responsibility for the PSNI Cyber Crime
Centre.
- A DoJ public consultation on the criminalisation of sexually
explicit deepfake imagery has been launched and its responses
will help to inform and shape the new offences, through an
amendment to the Justice Bill, which is currently making its way
through the Assembly. The consultation can be accessed on the
Consultations Section of the DoJ website: www.justice-ni.gov.uk/consultations/proposals-criminalise-sexually-explicit-deepfake-images
- The Minister plans to extend a number of provisions of the
Westminster Crime and Policing Bill to Northern Ireland including
the creation of a new offence of ‘child sexual abuse
image-generators' which will target those who make, adapt,
possess, supply or offer to supply a related image-generator.
Also, the creation of a new offence of ‘online facilitation of
child sexual exploitation' which will target those who moderate
and administer online sites which facilitate online exploitation
and abuse; a new power to scan devices for child sexual abuse
images by authorities at the border; and an amendment to the
current ‘possession of a paedophile manual' offence to bring
pseudo images within scope of the offence's definition.
