Two Independent members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have described a response from senior police around the ROXANNE project as “disappointing and dismissive”.

ROXANNE is a European Union-funded Horizon 2020 project which can work out the ages and gender of people through analysis of their speech.

On the back of a previously passed majority-agreed Motion calling on the PSNI and An Garda Síochána to implement the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to end international support for Israel’s treatment of Palestine, correspondence was sent to the PSNI in September, 2021, but some members were disappointed by the responses.

It was agreed the Chief Executive, Alison McCullagh, would write again expressing this and seeking clarification on how the PSNI Code of Ethics sits in terms of cooperating with the situation in Israel and its security forces, and how this can be defended.

Additionally, the Council encouraged the PSNI to lead by example as opposed to referring the matter to other statutory bodies such as the NI Policing Board, in respect of this matter.

Replying on behalf of the Chief Constable, Superintendent Finola Dornan acknowledged the disappointment of the previous responses sent by her predecessor, but having reviewed these, she concluded they provided “an accurate representation of, and rationale for, the Police Service’s position on this matter, including the ethical framework under which the project is governed”.

Superintendent Dornan added the PSNI “continues to be a partner in this security research project which is governed by the EU Horizon 2020 programme”.

Disgusted by the latest response, Independent Councillor Eamon Keenan described it as “very dismissive”, continuing: “The PSNI received a letter from us – a local government body – but they have again replied in a very dismissive manner, as they did previously.

“In my view, this only enforces the general public perception that this police force is not accountable to, nor representative of, the community in which it operates.”

Councillor Emmet McAleer, Independent said: “This is deeply disappointing and reports uphold the ethical frame work.

‘Ethical framework’

“Given the treatment of local environmental protectors in the community in my area, it would go some way to describing what the ethical framework actually is when it comes to upholding their duties.”

He added: “I’m completely dissatisfied with this response. I don’t think they’ve [the PSNI] investigated or looked into this in any serious way, shape or form. It’s just been swept under the carpet.”

Councillor McAleer was particularly critical of Superintendent Dornan’s view that this provides an accurate representation of, and rationale for, the PSNI’s position on this matter, including the ethical framework under which the project is governed.

He concluded: “It’s a dismissive attitude to have [presented] to a local government institution. We’ve seen it before, and no doubt we’ll see it again.”