A Telford police officer has been sacked over alleged data breaches over a 10-year period. Trainee Detective Constable Thomas Lauder was dismissed from West Mercia Police today, January 16, following a two-day gross misconduct hearing.
The panel found the 42-year-old had accessed police systems between March 2012 and October 2022 to conduct searches on family members and associates – without a valid policing purpose. It claimed Lauder had ‘breached professional standards’.
Lauder was working as a trainee detective at Telford’s Malinsgate Police Station before he was dismissed. The hearing was held at the force’s headquarters in Worcester.
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Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “Thomas Lauder carried out numerous data breaches over a 10-year period whilst working for West Mercia Police, accessing information the general public would not have access to and without a proper policing purpose to do so.
“Lauder abused his power as a police officer, which has a negative impact on the trust the public have in police, and therefore undermines the hard work and dedication of our officers. Officers like Lauder have no place in our force and our commitment to removing them will continue.”
Lauder was added to the College of Policing’s Barred List – banning him from working for a UK police service in the future. The outcome of the hearing is subject to a normal appeals process.