Merseyside PC leaked sex offender's name after he spied on her sister
A Merseyside Police officer was handed a final written warning for leaking details of a sex offender's status after he spied on her sister. The PC, who was granted anonymity, had suffered "trauma" in her past that made her "particularly concerned" about her sister's safety, a police misconduct panel heard.Her sister later shared the man's name in a local WhatsApp group and warned residents "a sex offender was living in the neighbourhood" - leading to him being confronted.Merseyside Police said the officer had "been reminded of the levels of professionalism we expect and, more importantly, the people of Merseyside deserve."
The panel heard the officer, referred to as Officer A, had advised her sister to contact the police after being told she had seen a man staring through a window into her home on CCTV footage. Despite the incident being reported, Officer A "found it difficult to get it out of her mind", she told the hearing at Merseyside Police headquarters in the city centre.
In September 2023 she searched for the man on a force intelligence database called Niche - despite an on-screen warning saying any use must be for policing purposes.The man was arrested, and a short time later the officer's sister wrote in the WhatsApp group: "We are still probably not supposed to share this but we feel everybody had the right to know who is living in our neighbourhood so we can all be extra vigilant, look out for each other and not have our children anywhere near him."As a result the man was confronted about being a sex offender by someone who let slip who had written those messages, leading to him making a complaint in February 2024.
'Conduct fell far below standards we expect'
The panel, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, determined that Officer A was guilty of gross misconduct. ACC Goss said the police rely on information from the public who "would be loathe or fearful to come forward" if that data could be "accessed for non-policing purposes with impunity". However the panel heard Officer A's judgement may have been clouded by her "traumatic experiences" - details of which were not published. ACC Goss also wrote she "understood the seriousness of the findings against her" and was a "committed officer who will serve diligently in the future". The final written warning will remain in place for five years. Ch Supt Sabi Kaur, head of PSD, added: "This officer's conduct fell far below the standards we expect of everyone employed by Merseyside Police."
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