Final written warning for South Yorkshire Police officer after misconduct hearing

A South Yorkshire Police officer has received a final written warning after a misconduct hearing.
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PC Christopher Hawke attended a two-day hearing last month after being accused of accessing information from police databases without having a legitimate policing purpose.

He was accused of obtaining information on three occasions between March 2015 and June 2016.

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PC Hawke was also accused of being in possession of confidential police information on his personal mobile phone.

A police officer has received a final written warning after a misconduct hearingA police officer has received a final written warning after a misconduct hearing
A police officer has received a final written warning after a misconduct hearing

The allegations were all proven.

South Yorkshire Police said: “The panel found that PC Hawke had accessed information through South Yorkshire Police systems without having a legitimate policing purpose for doing so, on March 22, 2015; July 2, 2015 and June 10, 2016. This was in breach of the standard of professional behaviour relating to confidentiality.

“Further, the panel found that in or around 2018, PC Hawke had possession of confidential police information on his personal mobile phone. This was in breach of the standard of professional behaviour relating to confidentiality.

“This conduct constituted gross misconduct.

“The panel, which was chaired by a legally qualified person and included a senior police officer and an independent panel member, decided that the most appropriate outcome was a final written warning.”

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The hearing was held in private because the allegations related to access to police intelligence of a sensitive and confidential nature.

Last month a South Yorkshire Police officer was sacked for gross misconduct after being found to have engaged in sexual conduct with a teenager while on duty a number of years ago.