UK Police Disclose 904 Data Breaches by Employees

A civil rights watchdog group in the United Kingdom has released information obtained from local police departments showing that 904 officers and civilian employees were disciplined between 2007 and 2010 for improperly accessing criminal justice databases. Another 243 officers and civilians were convicted of criminal violations and 98 were fired, the study found. The group Big Brother Watch says the Merseyside police department alone reported that 208 employees were convicted of Data Privacy Act violations since 2007, more than any other agency. Big Brother Watch director Daniel Hamilton said many employees simply ran background records checks on friends and possible partners, but some were convicted for passing sensitive information to criminal gangs and drug dealers. One police sergeant was sentenced to 12 months in jail upon his conviction. “This is at best hugely intrusive and, at worse, downright dangerous,” Hamilton said in a press release. “Police forces must adopt a zero tolerance approach to this kind of behaviour. Those found guilty of abusing their position should be sacked on the spot.” Download (pdf) the group’s full report on computer intrusions by police officers here.