An internal inquiry into the circulation of defamatory messages on WhatsApp by gardai has discovered the existence of hundreds of private messaging groups used by officers to exchange both official and false information.
The discovery was made by officers investigating the circulation of false, defamatory and misogynistic allegations about gardai of both sexes on social media.
An initial examination of the issue has discovered the existence of WhatsApp groups being run by gardai in almost every division across the country, representing a security risk should they be accessed by third parties.
The private chat groups, which were initially established to help gardai exchange information about working conditions and rosters, have become synonymous with the circulation of false allegations. The issue is fast becoming a problem for the garda commissioner Drew Harris and his executive management team.
The Policing Authority was last week told the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) had been appointed to oversee an investigation into messages but it is unclear if the communications actually constitute a criminal offence rather than a disciplinary issue for individual gardai.
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Officers who created and circulate untrue and false allegations could also face civil action from victims should they initiate legal actions to disclose the identities of those responsible. There are suspicions that screen grabs of information held on Pulse, the garda intelligence database, have also been circulated.
The force has yet to receive a criminal complaint from any gardai alleging bullying but gardai are concerned about what they might find if the inquiry progresses.
“The London Met discovered racist and misogynistic material on officers phones when they engaged in similar investigations. Some police forces have found that officers even photographed fatal car accidents and bodies. We may have opened up a Pandora’s box,” one security source said.
The ACU investigation was prompted by the publication of a story about the circulation of false allegations about a senior garda, which alleged she had been involved in a drink-driving incident last week.
Harris issued a memo to every garda in the force after the “entirely unacceptable communications” were brought to his attention and said he was reserving his right to take further action. He urged any garda or garda staff member to contact their welfare officers should they be targeted by online trolls in the force.
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Harris has himself been targeted by online trolls for his proactive stance on discipline and suspending gardai when there is evidence of serious wrongdoing.
