May 06, 2025 | Operational Policing, Investigations and Events , Forensics
Request Number: FOI/14391
Category: Operational policing, Investigations and Events - Forensics
Subject: Phones seized for examination
Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.
Request 1
How many phones are currently held waiting for examination?
Answer
There are currently 1043 seized devices held by the PSNI that are awaiting examination.
Request 2
Are the phones kept and treated as evidence or is some of these waiting for examination copies/imaged devices?
Answer
If a phone is examined and evidence recovered to assist an investigation it will typically be retained until the case has been through court.
It is advisable not to return a device as once it has been examined as we would not be able to stand over the data should it require a further examination. Furthermore, what data can be extracted today may be different than what can be extracted in a year’s time due to advancements in software etc.
The defence will sometimes request to carry out their own examination closer to a trial and this would not be possible if police no longer have it.
Ultimately, it is the investigating officer who will decide if and when a device will be returned to its owner. Those devices seized from victims and witnesses would usually be returned after examination but most suspect’s devices would be held.
Request 3
What is the current time for a phone examination? (iv) extracting the information from a document containing it.
Answer
Turnaround times for phone examinations are very difficult to provide with any great accuracy, a recent dip sample of 40 recent examinations revealed that the average waiting time for a phone to be examined is 31 days.
However, there are many phones submitted that will be examined as a priority and will be turned around in a day or two while others such as those connected to high volume crime investigations may wait several months as there may be other factors to consider.