Officer charged

A Calgary Police Service detective has been charged with unauthorized use of a computer and breach of trust under the Criminal Code.

 

It is alleged that police-related databases were used to look up the contact information of a number of people.

 

The non-public information was allegedly provided for skip tracing purposes.

 

Skip tracing is a term used to describe the process of locating a person’s whereabouts. It is commonly used when a business is owed money and is typically part of a civil process.

 

Today, Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Gerard BRAND, 45, was charged with one count each of unauthorized use of a computer and breach of trust. These charges cover allegations between the dates of March 2010 and August 2011.

 

The charges were laid by the CPS Professional Standards Section.

 

BRAND, a 21-year member of the CPS, is currently relieved from duty with pay.

 

Allegations of this nature are taken very seriously by the Calgary Police Service; the security of personal information and the protection of privacy are of the utmost importance.

 

Police officers may only access police databases when in the execution of their duties, and the information accessed is required for a policing purpose (such as the investigation of offences, protection of life and property).

 

There are strict policies around the use of all databases accessible by sworn and civilian members; all database usage can be tracked and is regularly audited.

 

Media availability information will be sent in a separate advisory.