A Leicestershire police constable who was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour by accessing confidential information on force computers has been issued with a three-year final written warning.
A gross misconduct hearing found that on eight separate occasions, during October 2022 and November 2022, PC Hiron Miah searched for and/or accessed confidential information using force systems for which he had no policing purpose and/or which were conducted without lawful authority. This was in breach of the force’s information management procedure.
The actions of PC Miah breached the standards of professional behaviour, namely discreditable conduct and confidentiality and amounted to gross misconduct.
A panel, chaired by an independent Legally Qualified Chair, found that PC Miah had made open admissions at an early stage, had shown genuine remorse and acceptance of responsibility and did not make use of the information acquired. The panel determined that the appropriate outcome was a final written warning for the extended period of three years.
Detective Superintendent Alison Tompkins, head of the force’s Professional Standards Department, said: “Officers and staff in force are trusted to treat information obtained during the course of policing duties in the correct way. Information should only be accessed for legitimate policing purposes and should be held in the strictest confidence and properly protected.
“Officers and staff are provided with initial training in relation to the correct use of information and we continue to share messages in force about the importance of this. When information has been obtained without a policing purpose, we will investigate and take the appropriate action required.”
In interviews with the force’s Police Standards Department, PC Miah claimed he was unaware the searches were wrong due to the “poor training” he had received, but acknowledged they were done without authority.
