Long visits PSNI Cyber Crime Centre
Date published:
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 Naomi Long 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 Naomi Long 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 Consultation Section of the DoJ website.
- 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.
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