Police Officer Amerdeep Singh Johal has been sentenced to 6 years in jail for blackmail.
Johal, pictured, was using one of the Met Police’s intelligence databa
se to blackmail sex offenders. Pc Amerdeep Singh Johal was demanding money from the offenders for his “co-operation”.
While the police have investigated and convicted this man, quite rightly, it appears it is another example of data guardians misusing the information.
The police stated that “There are strict guidelines in place regarding the use of intelligence databases and if anyone abuses it that is taken extremely seriously.”.
But the reality is that this occurs more often then we would hope, or others are willing to admit:
In 2008 there were two cases of police officers accessing data for their own purposes. One police officer used information to harass and intimidate an innocent woman; another used his access to criminal records to gain access about his partners’ family.
In 2008 the Liverpool Lib Dem council obtained the phone records of the leader of the council opposition
In 2008 councillors used the RIPA Act to put a family undersurvellience, including being followed, to see which school they should attend.
In 2007 CCTV operators in Cardiff turned the cameras onto people’s homes and hotel rooms when they were supposed to be guarding the Welsh Assembly.
In 2006 council CCTV operators were involved in taking zoomed in photos of people appearing in naked in photo shoots.
In 2005 CCTV council operators in the UK used their cameras to repeatedly spy on a woman in her house and bedroom.
in 2005 NCP CCTV operators were accused of filming a couple having sex and copying the film onto DVD.
In 2004 police, along with a private detective agency, were involved in illegal phone tapes.
In 2002 a BT employee was involved in tapping a celebrity’s phone
In 2002 a WPC used police databases to locate a woman she believed was having an affair with her husband