The UK government has committed to target computer misuse by police officers and staff after revealing the number of times unlawful access to or disclosure of information featured in dismissals.
The figures came in response to a series of questions from Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy about the misuse of police databases and policies and standards around this.
In a written answer, Home Office minister, Diana Johnson, said that statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour for police officers, “Are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties.”
Breaches were investigated by force’s Professional Standards Departments, with the most serious referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, she explained.
For the year to March 2024, Johnson wrote, “There were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff.”
Johnson said the government had announced reforms to strengthen the misconduct system, and was also committed to “disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences.”
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Ribeiro-Addy also asked what measures the government would put in place to audit such access and what training was in place to enforce procedures.
Johnson said the auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems “to conduct lawful business monitoring.” Oversight of this was down to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme.
She added that “The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use”
