Leicestershire PC Dismissed for Gross Misconduct Over Data Misuse

Leicestershire PC Dismissed for Gross Misconduct Over Data Misuse

Police Constable Victoria Czernek of Leicestershire Police has been dismissed without notice after being found guilty of Gross Misconduct for misusing a police system to access confidential data for personal curiosity. The Accelerated Misconduct Hearing, chaired by Chief Constable David Sandall, highlighted a serious breach of public trust regarding the handling of sensitive information.

The hearing, held on Friday, October 3, 2025, focused on PC Czernek, who was based in the Hinckley & Blaby NPA.

The key facts found to be proved were that on March 26, 2025, while on duty, PC Czernek accessed the force's system, Niche, to search for a person (Person A) whom she knew through a personal acquaintance (Person B).

Crucially, she did this without a policing purpose and/or lawful authority. Her actions included:

• Conducting a search for Person A on Niche.

• Opening the person's record on the system.

• Accessing a specific Niche record which related to allegations made by Person A (the victim) against Person B (the suspect).

• Accessing the occurrence enquiry log for that record.

The conduct was deemed a clear breach of several internal force policies, including the Information Security Procedure and the Information Management Staff Guide, which strictly mandate that systems and information should be accessed only on a "need to know" basis and for a policing or law enforcement purpose only.

Finding of Gross Misconduct

Chief Constable David Sandall concluded that the conduct amounted to Gross Misconduct due to its deliberate nature and the high degree of harm caused to public confidence.

The breaches were found against three key Standards of Professional Behaviour:

1. Confidentiality: Failure to treat information with respect and accessing it outside the proper course of police duties.

2. Discreditable Conduct: Behaving in a manner that discredits the police service.

3. Orders and Instructions: Failure to abide by Force policies and lawful orders.

The Chief Constable's determination underscored the seriousness of the breach:

• The conduct was to satisfy the officer's own personal and/or general curiosity.

• It represented a lack of respect for confidential information.

• It had the potential to seriously undermine the reputation of policing, as the public relies on officers accessing material only in accordance with their duties.

Consequence: Dismissal and Barred List

The Chief Constable determined that the officer's culpability and the harm caused were high, and although limited mitigation was presented, it was not enough to reduce the seriousness of the conduct.

The final outcome was dismissal without notice.

Chief Constable Sandall stated that this decision was necessary to uphold public confidence:

"I need to send a very clear message that data misuse is taken extremely seriously as the public trusts that the police use the data it holds relating to them with the strictest confidence."

As a consequence of the dismissal for Gross Misconduct, PC Czernek's details will be included within the Police Barred List, preventing future employment in policing.

The officer was advised of their right to appeal the decision to the Police Appeals Tribunal within 10 working days.