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09
Jun
North Yorkshire Police officer sacked for sharing bodycam footage with partner's daughter
A North Yorkshire Police officer has been dismissed for sharing bodycam footage with his partner's 15-year-old daughter.
The officer also accessed the police database while off duty to check custody records.
A three-day misconduct hearing was told the officer's partner reported she had been assaulted by her ex-husband on January 1, 2024.
Her ex-husband was subsequently arrested and the officer, who had asked to be kept updated on the case, used the database while off duty to check custody records
He claimed he was keeping abreast of police activity before returning to work on January 4 but checks revealed he had not done this in the previous six weeks when he was off duty.
The hearing heard that on January 16, the officer then showed his partner's daughter nine items of bodycam footage, one of which related to her parents' ongoing assault case.
The panel report, published last week after the hearing concluded on May 28, said the officer was not a 'credible' witness, adding:
"On the balance of probabilities, the panel found it was more likely than not that he carried out the allegation of showing the footage, to another person, without a policing purpose."
The report concludes:
This matter concerns multiple breaches of the standards and multiple violations of data privacy of the public. This could have an impact on public confidence in policing and the reputation of the police service.
Having considered all the above matters and the available outcomes, the panel firstly considered whether a final written warning was sufficient.
When considering the number of violations of sensitive personal data, the panel did not consider a final written warning would be sufficient to maintain public confidence and the reputation of the police service, or to deter misconduct and therefore to uphold high standards.
We therefore have concluded that the most appropriate outcome is a finding that the officer is dismissed without notice and that this sanction does fulfil the purpose of the misconduct regime.
The officer, who was suspended before the hearing, can appeal.
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