Police Databases: How more than 900 staff abused their access

For the first time, Big Brother Watch has uncovered the true extent to which Police abuse their access to confidential databases.

This report follows allegations that a number of journalists paid the Police in order to receive privileged information.

Between 2007 and 2010:

243 Police officers and staff received criminal convictions for breaching the Data Protection Act (DPA).
98 Police officers and staff had their employment terminated for breaching the DPA.
904 Police officers and staff were subjected to internal disciplinary procedures for breaching the DPA.

The full report can be found here.

Alastair Morgan

These are astonishing figures. How come they haven’t been more widely reported?
Steven New

I’m surprised if anyone is surprised by this at all.
Kate…

They should be named and shamed like other criminal… they are no different
PCG1

This guy was struck off: www.thisisexeter.co.uk/PC-charged-misusing-data/story-11834420-detail/story.html
PLOP

Most Police Officers are “POWER HUNGRY VINDICTIVE EGOTISTICAL THUGS”…(there are the odd exceptions). Of course they routinely abuse their positions and do all kinds of illegal activities…it comes with the job!….They are getting more and more Powers to do this daily!…They are not accountable. We live in a Police State.Every new law that is brought out to help the Police…chips away at our freedoms and stifles any margin for rationality and common sense. When the Police stop you (in your car or out and about) they are like robots…they run a sub routine of questions and actions that are predictable…their is no longer the friendly interaction with the Public…they are just arrogant bastards!……
hrtyh

waiting for more suspensions in London – total abuse of DPA across the board and where are the media? They should be named and shamed- they are criminals – and so are the MANAGERS who authorise such abuse