Former Bedfordshire Police staff member given suspended prison sentence for corruption
A former Bedfordshire Police staff member has been handed a suspended sentence after sharing “confidential information with an external party”.
Lauren Thomas, who was a vehicle liaison officer, accessed vehicle searches linked to herself or vehicles linked to crime without a policing purpose – and then passed on the information to a third party.
She was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office for sharing confidential information with an external party at Luton Crown Court on Friday (July 5).
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) started in May 2022 following a referral from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire’s (BCH) professional standards department (PSD). Investigative enquiries were carried out by officers from the BCH Anti-Corruption Unit under our direction.
In July 2022, Ms Thomas resigned from the force while she was under investigation.
She was acquitted of conspiracy to commit MIPO, and charges under the Computer Misuse Act (1990) and Data Protection Act (2018) will lie on file. Ms Thomas has been ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,500 in costs.
Bedfordshire Police’s Assistant Chief Officer Phil Wells said: “We expect the very highest standards from our officers and staff and will thoroughly investigate any concerns we have or are reported to us.
“Policing relies on the trust and confidence of the public, so there is simply no place in this force for anyone who abuses their privileged position for their own gain.”
IOPC Director of Operations, Steve Noonan, said: “Through her role at Bedfordshire Police, Lauren Thomas had access to sensitive and confidential information on police systems. She abused the position of trust placed on her by accessing and passing on information to a third party with no policing purpose.
“Offending of this nature is rightly treated seriously and she has now been convicted of a criminal offence. Any police officer or staff member who acts in this manner should be aware that they risk facing criminal charges.”