METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE OFFICER FINED AND REPRIMANDED FOR MIS USE

[Watkin Simon]

> From: David Hansen [mailto:davidh@spidacom.co.uk]
> Sent: 25 November 2002 13:37
> 
> Had the Home Office been serious about balancing rights with 
> responsibilities RIP would have contained appropriate penalties for 
> misuse by Toms, Dicks and Harriets.

That point is beginning to sink in.

> However, it seems that they think 
> the world is divided into people with white and black hats and those 
> that work for any government organisation, or semi-government 
> organisation, are the ones with white hats and thus will never do 
> anything wrong.

We don't think that.  For instance here's an example from the Police
Complaints Authority yesterday.  I notice that the PCA "required" the
Metropolitan Police to investigate a Police Constable's unauthorised
intrusion into the privacy of his former partner and family members.  And
the value placed on that?  He was reprimanded.

It's is not often that I venture a personal opinion on this list but a
reprimand in that situation strikes me as a failure to acknowledge the value
of privacy and that unlawful or unauthorised privacy violation, whether by
criminals or by law enforcers, be seen as a crime in itself.

Simon Watkin 

Police Complaints Authority: 25 November 2002
METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE OFFICER FINED AND REPRIMANDED FOR MISUSE OF
CONFIDENTIAL DATA
A Metropolitan Police Service Constable has admitted three breaches of the
Police Code of Conduct at a misconduct hearing. He was reprimanded on two
allegations under Code of Conduct 6 (Lawful Orders) and was fined for one
allegation under the Code of Conduct 7 (Confidentiality).
The independent Police Complaints Authority required the Metropolitan Police
Service to take disciplinary action against the officer for alleged breaches
of the Code of Conduct.
The allegations related to unauthorised transactions and searches of
criminal records and criminal intelligence databases and also to the
unauthorised disclosure of confidential information to Edmonton County
Court. Some of the database searches related to his previous partner and
were conducted at a time when he was seeking access to their daughter. The
other searches related to his mother and his mother-in-law.
Commenting on the misconduct action, PCA member Marcus Williams said: "The
misuse of confidential electronic data is something which is regarded with
great concern. It is particularly worrying when the person involved is a
police officer and the data comes from confidential criminal records and
criminal intelligence databases. While the stress of a domestic dispute may
explain the officer's actions, it does not mitigate them or exonerate him.
"From the Authority's inception, it has warned officers against misusing
data on the PNC. Data on police computers must remain confidential and not
be used for private purposes," he said.

Press release at:
http://www.nds.coi.gov.uk/coi/coipress.nsf/e81ef3388fae643580256bf40033cc17/
c3d1b093a7fc992a80256c7c0061ee52

See also http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2126501,00.html


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