Police Commissioner Richard Chambers.
Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has initiated a review to ensure Police have sufficiently strong controls to prevent or detect the misuse of Police technology and equipment for non-work-related purposes.
The review was ordered on Monday, 12 May and will be done independently, within as quick a timeframe as possible.
“I want to ensure robust mechanisms are in place to safeguard police systems from inappropriate use and to detect instances of inappropriate use,” Chambers said.
“I expect to receive a report outlining opportunities to enhance the security of police systems and defend against attempts to access inappropriate content.”
The use of police devices, including laptops and cell phones, and access to police-held information is governed by strict police instructions.
Police can conduct checks on individual devices, if and when concerns are raised.
Personal use of police technology is limited, and users must agree to abide by police values and standards of behaviour when using their devices.
Generally, police devices are blocked from accessing categories of websites and services that are illegal or banned, or those that could adversely affect police ICT systems.
Other websites which are categorised as potentially hosting unwanted or offensive material require the user to agree the interaction is necessary and in line with the police code of conduct.
There are some exemptions for police staff whose work requires access to content that is blocked on most police devices, such as for investigative purposes.
All web interactions from the police network are logged and pass through a web filter.
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