Newark and Sherwood-based Nottinghamshire Police officer dismissed after accessing information about someone known to him

A police constable has been found guilty of gross misconduct after he accessed information about a person known to him on police systems.

PC Connor Napier, who worked in Newark and Sherwood, logged onto police systems to find information about someone he knew after they had been arrested in July 2024.

The person had been arrested the previous evening and PC Napier searched systems in relation to this arrest.

He looked at both CCTV, body worn footage of the incident and custody CCTV when he had no policing purpose to do so and was not involved in the investigation.

After he finished his shift, he then disclosed the information he had retrieved to someone else known to him.

Nottinghamshire Police’s professional standards directorate carried out an investigation into the incident.

PC Napier said that “curiosity had got the better of him” and he accepted that this behaviour fell well below the high standards expected of him.

It was found that he breached the following standards of behaviour — discreditable conduct, confidentiality, orders and instructions, authority, respect, and courtesy.

An accelerated gross misconduct hearing was held at the force HQ at Sherwood Lodge today (April 3), which was open to both the press and the public.

The hearing was chaired by Chief Constable Kate Meynell who found the officer guilty of gross misconduct and he was dismissed from the force.

He will also be placed on the police barred list.

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “The behaviour demonstrated by this officer was unacceptable and went against the high standards we expect.

“This officer went into a number of police systems to look into extensive detail about an incident involving someone he knew when he had no policing purpose to do so.

“He then passed some of this information on to a member of the public, who knew the person arrested.

“I saw no other option than to remove him from our organisation as this was not only a significant breach of police systems and the person’s privacy but has the potential to affect public trust and confidence.

“This should send out a clear message to any officer who thinks about accessing police systems to look into people known to them.”