Police used Covid-19 app to track Miriam Vale thieves

The Queensland Police Service has revised its policy on accessing Covid-19 tracing information, after it was revealed police accessed data from the app to track down people allegedly involved in a Miriam Vale theft.

The Queensland Police Service have revised its policy on accessing Covid-19 tracing information, after it was revealed police accessed data from the app to track down people allegedly involved in a Miriam Vale theft.

The Queensland Police Service has revised its policy on accessing COVID-19 tracing information, after it was revealed police accessed data from the app to track down people allegedly involved in a Miriam Vale theft.

It was revealed police accessed check-in details as part of an investigation into the reported theft of an unloaded officer’s gun and taser from the Miriam Vale Hotel on June 9.

A QPS spokesman said the data was lawfully accessed once after police obtained an issued search warrant however QPS had strengthened its internal policy to ensure public confidence in security of data within both apps.

It comes after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the COVID-19 tracing app would be mandatory in public venues but the data collected would “only [be] accessed for contact tracing purposes” in March.

A QPS spokesman said police had accessed the data after a group of people were ‘acting suspiciously’ in the area around the time of the incident.

“The new policy directs officers not to apply for a search warrant in relation to data gathered for public health-related purposes collected by COVID-19 tracing apps except in extraordinary circumstances and when prior approval has been obtained from the Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Corporate Services,” he said.

The firearm was located on June 10 after a detailed search of the hotel premises but the taser is yet to be located.

Police investigations are ongoing.