Police Confidentiality ?

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confused.com
Posts: 2666
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 07:16
Am I the only person who is slightly concerned about ex Met Detective Neil Lewis, openly discussing what happen in police investigations a number of years ago? He says there were porn images. Now I have no ides if there was or were not, however, to make these statements surely must go against some form of non disclosure agreement when you join the police service? Would also be nice if he chooses to go down this route, if he supplied some sort of evidence, other than , his word for it.
Personally speaking, I find it very hard to believe a former police person, who allegedly discloses, what must surely be private information. Makes you wonder how much he fee is for such interviews and what his agenda is. After all, even if it were true, I don't believe looking at porn is illegal, yet he is attempting somehow to make a link between viewing porn and the topic of sexual harassment which is in vogue.

I think he needs to be investigated re breach of confidentiality. Most of us have to sign such agreements in our 'ordinary' jobs, so can't believe the met does not have one......
Red Duke
Posts: 1991
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 09:15
Location: North West
There is definitely another agenda going on here. Somebody wants to have a senior politician ousted and is using this as a way of doing it.

If he had broken any law back in 2008, he should have been charged then.

However, I think that the basic problem is that most politicians aren't as clever as they think they are and can't seem to keep their business and private lives separate.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29756
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
He hasn't broken the law. The issue is whether he has broken the MP code of content and browsing porn whilst being paid by taxpayers to do parliamentary and potentially allowing adware and viruses from porn sites on to government computers.

I see no reason to disbelieve the former computer forensic investigator. He didn't raise it at the time in 2008 as the computer was analysed during the investigation into leaks and legally watching porn was a non-issue. Given Green has been publicly denying this I think it is very much in the public interest for someone to say "hang on, I can't listen to him deny this without raising what I have seen and analysed in the past".
confused.com
Posts: 2666
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 07:16
Surely irrespective of what he is saying is true or not. There is something intrinsically wrong about the content of a police investigation being made public by a former police man?
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29756
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
If it was something which had previously been subject of an investigation then maybe, but the porn viewing wasn't. It was just something observed during investigation of leaks.

A hypothetical example. If I was stopped for drink driving and the traffic officer noticed my car lights, breaks and wheels were in poor condition and potentially unsafe but were legal then nothing would happen. If ten years later I was being investigated for running someone over and I publicly claimed I always had a meticulously well kept car with no wear and tear then I would hope the traffic officer would come out and say I was lying that when investigating a different incident in the past he saw may car maintenance was poor and could have caused danger.

Green is dead facto Deputy PM. I think suggesting that a potential witness should cover up for servant of the people is more damaging.
confused.com
Posts: 2666
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 07:16
Think you are on very shaky ground there, so any personal information gathered during a police investigation, is allowed to be made public at the whim of an ex police officer. Can't see how you van even attempt to call him a witness, as there has been no crime. I take it you would then have no objection, if while police investigating, let’s say a break in. at your house. Discovered you were a cross dresser (for example) and this was reported as a matter of fact in the local paper ? I do think you are applying a rule, based on the people involved rather than the principle of police disclosing information which is of no relevance to anything, least of all in the public interest.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29756
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Breaking in? Completely off topic and irrelevant.

If during a search or raid with a warrant the police saw I was a cross-dresser, and years later that had relevance in either a criminal case or a case of public interest and it was something I denied in Parliament (or my equivalent of) then I would expect anyone who knew to go public with the information rather than let me get away with, in their view, lying in Parliament and interviews.
confused.com
Posts: 2666
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 07:16
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Breaking in? Completely off topic and irrelevant.

If during a search or raid with a warrant the police saw I was a cross-dresser, and years later that had relevance in either a criminal case or a case of public interest and it was something I denied in Parliament (or my equivalent of) then I would expect anyone who knew to go public with the information rather than let me get away with, in their view, lying in Parliament and interviews.
Totally wrong in this case. The denial only came after the ex police officer broke his confidentiality. Would be interested what criminal case was or coulod be relevant to an adult looking at porn, or how that is in any way in teh public interest. How, could that in any way be twermed with 'getting away with it'. What exactly has anyone 'got away with'?
You say telling lies, who is to say he is telling lies or not ? I am naive enough to think, if you believe someone has broken the law (again, what law?) you being it to the police. You dont sel;l your story, especially if you only had teh alleged knowkedge due to teh fact you were in the police.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29756
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
I thought the ex-police chap only announced this yesterday? Green had already denied it a couple of times in recent weeks after others accused him. Not illegal but against Parliamentary Code. And public interest as the ex-police bloke says he was watching porn between sending emails and reviewing documents etc, so doing watching porn on taxpayer funded time.

On 7pm news it was mentioned the Met have stated they may consider investigating the ex-officer for leaking confidential information, but I haven't heard The World Tonight so don't if that has developed any further.
confused.com
Posts: 2666
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 07:16
he has actually been peddaling his story for weeks now. Glad to hear he is being investigated. The police have no place in divulging information on members of the public, which has nothing to do with any criminal investigation or prosecution. It is only a step away from a police state, where we have no privacy at all.
Adults watch porn. Bog deal. If anyone has broken their employers rules, that is a matter for the employer, not the police ! And certainly not for public knowledge. Can't see how you can defend his actions, but maybe your 'public interest'. is more salacious than mine
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29756
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
I want my MPs, whose pay increases are funded by taxpayers, to not break Parliamentary rules. If ex-police leaks are the only way to ensure such MPs are held accountable then not ideal but so be it.

I suppose the message for people is if you become an MP and a servant of the people, then abide be the rules and don’t waste taxpayer money, or, if you think you are unable to live up to that responsibility then don’t become an MP.

If the behaviour and attitude of the de facto deputy PM is not in the public interest then I do not know what is.
ctfc-fan
Posts: 1880
Joined: 06 Jan 2010, 12:00
I see Tim Brain, ex Glos Police chief, thinks the officer was correct as it's required for any investigation.

Um, give it to the investigators privately maybe?
Johnsons Red Army
Posts: 1598
Joined: 27 Dec 2015, 14:19
Location: Stroud
And he's gone!
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