Law enforcement officers need more training on interception and surveillance, says watchdog, after rise in reported irregularities
- Commissioner on interception of communications and surveillance says poor planning and lack of familiarity with code of practice may be to blame for errors
- Judges granted fewer permissions for interception operations in 2017 compared with the previous year
Hong Kong’s surveillance watchdog on Tuesday urged law enforcement agencies to step up training of officers on interception and surveillance operations after a rise in reported irregularities last year.
Azizul Suffiad, the commissioner on interception of communications and surveillance, said that 18 cases of non-compliance or irregularities were found in 2017, compared to 11 reports the previous year.
As a result, three officers faced disciplinary action in the form of verbal advice or verbal warnings.
The law enforcement agency involved was not named in the report.
The watchdog said negligence, a lack of training and a lack of familiarity with the code of practice could be to blame for the mistakes, although it found no evidence of bad faith or deliberate disregard for the statutory provisions.
