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A police officer was the subject of two separate investigations after improperly accessing Police information and transferring sensitive work files from a Police computer to a personal external hard drive, the Independent Police Conduct Authority says.
The Authority oversaw the investigations, which examined concerns about the officer’s handling of confidential Police information and potential risks to Police operations.
The first investigation began after Police discovered a large number of messages between the officer and a suspect on the suspect’s phone. The volume of communication suggested a closer relationship than the officer had disclosed, raising concerns about how the officer was accessing and managing Police information.
Police found the officer had accessed Police databases for non-work-related reasons but found no evidence the information was shared with a third party. Investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to lay criminal charges.
Police subsequently conducted an employment investigation and found the officer’s actions breached Police policy and the Code of Conduct. Those issues were addressed through an employment process.
The second investigation was triggered when the officer transferred a large number of files from a Police computer to a personal external hard drive over several days, activating an alert within the Police cyber security system.
Police found that around two-thirds of the files were work-related, while the remainder were personal documents stored on the officer’s work laptop.
Investigators concluded there was no legitimate work-related reason for the extraction of files and that their removal posed a significant risk to Police operations, as many of the documents were sensitive.
The officer’s actions were again found to breach Police policy and the Code of Conduct. However, the officer resigned before the employment process was completed.
The Authority says it is satisfied the employment processes were handled appropriately and accepts the outcomes reached.
