The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into an incident where a Police officer (Officer A) shared photos of a helicopter crash with another officer who was not involved in the investigation (Officer B). One of these images was later used in a media article.
The investigation found that Officer B shared the photos on a group chat with other Police staff, two of whom (Officers C and D) shared the images with their partners, who were also members of Police, (Officers E and F).
Officer C shared one of the photos with other members of Police on a group chat, although this photo was not the one used in the media article. Officer C also sent the photos to a friend who was an ex-Police officer.
The investigation established that from there the photos were shared with three other members of the public. None of the officers had permission to share these images.
All of the Police staff and members of the public involved denied providing the images to the media and there was not enough evidence to confirm the source of the media article.
The investigation identified breaches of the code of conduct and Police policy by some of the officers involved and Police are taking appropriate action. The Authority agrees with the findings of the investigation.
IPCA: 23-19702