Police officer sacked after looking up partners on force database
A police officer who used force computer systems to look up her neighbours, ex-husband and partner's family has been sacked.
Michelle Denne has also been barred from working in the law enforcement sector again.
The ex-Staffordshire Police officer checked the force database on six occasions over five years for personal reasons.
Checks were done on her neighbours, an ex-husband in connection with alleged disputes in his background and on the family of a partner she was living with.
She did so, she claimed, to protect her children.
Denne was dismissed with immediate effect by Chief Constable Gareth Morgan at a special case misconduct hearing today.
It came after the 44-year-old, of Tarragona Drive in Stafford, was sentenced to a six-month community order, which included a 10-day rehabilitation, at Birmingham Magistrates Court last month.
She had pleaded guilty to six offences under the Computer Misuse Act.
Denne served in the Cannock policing team and had been a police officer for 20 years.
She handed in her resignation after being sentenced.
Having not reached 30 years’ service, Denne will lose a chunk of her pension.
Her details will now be sent to the College of Policing for inclusion on the 'barred list' which will prevent her being re-employed in the law enforcement sector.
Mr Morgan said: "Every day we are required to handle sensitive data and adhere to the proper use of systems without exception.
"The public trust us to secure the information we hold about them and this was a clear breach of that trust and privilege.
"We expect the highest levels of honesty and integrity from all of our staff and anyone who falls below these standards will be held to account."
