A Dorset Police officer was dismissed on Wednesday 20 January 2016, following a misconduct hearing.
Police Constable Nigel Case, who was based at Bridport police station, was found guilty and dismissed with 28 days’ notice by a panel chaired by Dorset Police’s Assistant Chief Constable David Lewis.
The one-day hearing took place at Dorset Police Headquarters in Winfrith on Wednesday 20 January 2016 and was heard in public.
PC Case was found guilty of breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour as set out in Schedule 2 of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012, relating to confidentiality, duties and responsibilities and discreditable conduct.
The panel heard that on 25 July 2011 PC Case carried out a search of himself on the Criminal Justice Search (CJS) and Police National Computer (PNC) database. He carried out a further PNC check on himself on 22 September 2013. These searches were not for a policing purpose. The charge was found proven and amounted to misconduct.
The officer also conducted CJS searches on seven other people between 3 May 2013 and 8 November 2014 – all the searches were not for a policing purpose. The charge was found proven and amounted to gross misconduct.
The panel also found a charge of PC Case telephoning one of the individuals concerned and disclosing police intelligence to them in the conversation on 8 November 2014 as proven and this amounted to gross misconduct.
A further charge of conducting searches on nine other individuals was found not proven.
ACC Lewis, the panel chair, said: “Having to dismiss PC Case was one of the saddest things I have had to do – a good officer with a fine record, which was supported by a number of character witnesses, and a well-liked and respected family man.
“However, PC Case was in a position of trust and had privileged access to computer systems that can only be used for policing purposes.
“The panel found that PC Case used the CJS and PNC databases to carry out searches on himself and other individuals which were not for any policing purpose. He also disclosed police intelligence from one of these searches to another individual.
“Ultimately the Police Service has to be the home of the highest standards of behaviour and decision making; the public expects nothing less and their confidence in us depends on our acting in a way that is honest, open and beyond reproach.
“His actions were completely at odds with these standards and this has resulted in the panel’s decision to dismiss PC Case with notice.
“I hope this result sends out a clear message to the public, our officers and staff that we take such misconduct very seriously and we will fully and robustly investigate such allegations.”
The panel was made up of ACC Lewis, Superintendent Michael Rogers and independent member Mrs Jill Withey. PC Case attended the hearing.