Viewing gory and sensitive murder scene film, a Huddesfield police officer reported to a colleague she done so out of boredom and ‘nothing to do’. The Huddesfield police officer has not been named so he can go out anonymously and do the same thing again elsewhere.
Based out of Huddersfield, the officer saw a colleague’s body worn video (BWV) arriving at the site of a double murder later access and examine graphic film of an officer reaching the scene of a murder of a 15-year-old child.
The West Yorkshire Police officer also watched video at the scene of a stabbing whereby the victim had severe injuries and officers were performing CPR.
The unidentified cop said that she watched the tape to educate herself on how to conduct a “precise and effective investigation” when under inquiry for glancing at it.
According to a colleague, the cop claimed to have been bored and had nothing to do, hence she watched the body worn video. The officer checked body worn footage twelve times over two days overall.
West Yorkshire Police has finally released a report on the misbehaviour case that shows the officer was let go for gross misbehaviour. “You have accessed and viewed BWV on the above dates without a lawful policing purpose,” the misconduct panel declared.
“The BWV accessed is on the total extremely sensitive and graphic in nature and includes attendance at scenes of murders, one of those being the murder of a child.”
The panel decided to keep the officer on the ground anonymous since publication of her name could affect her health negatively. The panel was informed that at the time of the behaviour in 2023 the officer had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and persistent PTSD.
When the officer told another officer during a break at the Huddersfield police station, her behaviour in viewing the film came under notice. She then expressed regret for what she had done and apologies to the victims and their families.
She stated it was untrue to claim she was bored or that she watched the video to kill some time. At the time, the officer had been on limited activity.
Finally, the panel concluded the officer’s actions had “psychological damage” to the bereaved families of heinous murders, who had to be informed that a police officer had seen footage of their dying moments.
Declaring the officer’s discharge without notice, panel chairman Nick Hawkins said, “The Panel have taken into account everything that has been said on your behalf. Having four years of police experience, you are obviously dedicated to a career in the law enforcement.
“We accept that you apologised to the families impacted and did not try to minimise your acts. We are aware of your diagnosis of serious mental health problems, which can compromise your judgement.
“You cannot, however, escape the reality that you accessed content you knew you ought not to have accessed. You know the force policy on the management of information and have undergone regular training concerning data protection.
“Despite this, you came across quite delicate and upsetting information on the dying hours of victims. Their relatives have had to be informed of your activities, and it is clear that this has greatly troubled those who have already experienced loss and grief.
“The public has a reasonable expectation that police personnel would only apply knowledge they possess for appropriate application in their line of work. Your acts will sour their faith in the police.
“The Panel did give serious thought to the imposition of a final written warning but concluded that the only sanction it could impose in this case was one of dismissance without notice.”
In a statement, West Yorkshire Police declared the officer’s actions to be “completely unacceptable and unethical”.
Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, Detective Chief Superintendent Nicola Bryar, said: “Body worn video is an invaluable evidence-gathering tool, but members of the public should rightly expect that any footage of them or their loved ones is viewed only for a legitimate policing purpose.
“Sometimes we deal with people at the most terrible points of their life; however, it is absolutely improper and unethical to view recordings of such events out of personal interest.
“An internal audit found this officer examining body worn video footage without permission. Additional investigations revealed that the officer had part shared with another police officer what they had seen and that tape pertaining to four events had been watched by him over two days. That police officer acted morally and reported the situation to their superiors, who then forwarded it to the Professional Standards Department for inquiry.
“We kindly contacted the families affected to let them know of this misbehaviour inquiry before the hearing took place; we understand that the knowledge of the officer’s acts will be very upsetting for them. Our investigations satisfy us that no more illegal access to footage has occurred or that the body worn video’s details have been shared with anyone outside of West Yorkshire Police.
“The officer has been fired from West Yorkshire Police after being judged to have engaged in gross misconduct. They will now be included to the Barred List of the College of Policing, therefore prohibiting their continued work in law enforcement.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.