The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into allegations that an officer misused the Police database by conducting searches of himself, his partner, family members, friends, neighbours, people he saw on social media, other Police officers and gang members he had no reason to be investigating.
Police found the officer conducted more than 38,500 database searches during a period of 21 months, including approximately 7,000 when the officer was off duty. They identified a pattern of behaviour where the officer would scroll through the database for long periods of time, as if it were a social media application. The officer continued to conduct inappropriate searches even after Police advised him he was under investigation.
While the officer said he had lost control of the ability to use the database appropriately due to personal issues, he was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for searching gang members and Police staff. The officer could not explain why he was viewing database records of people currently imprisoned that he had not dealt with in his business capacity as a Police officer, nor could he explain why he was querying gang members located throughout New Zealand. The investigator concluded that the officer entered those names directly into the database application and had to have known those names to be able to query them.
The Authority informed Police that in our assessment there were grounds for considering laying criminal charges against the officer and initiating an employment process. Police declined to carry out a criminal investigation but did begin an employment process.
The Authority has indicated to Police that in our view the employment investigation was compromised by reason of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, arising from the fact that the officer with responsibility for the employment outcome had a working relationship with a close family member of the subject officer. Police disagreed that this gave rise to any conflict of interest.
After completing an employment investigation, Police proposed to dismiss the officer for serious misconduct. The officer resigned. The serious misconduct and proposed dismissal have been noted on the officer’s personnel file.
IPCA: 23-19791