The Openbaar Ministerie s Office has imposed 80 hours of community service on a 24-year-old police officer from The Hague. He frequently sought information over 11 months without a valid reason from his job.
The case came to light due to an automatic alert from the system that the employee had made a large amount of searches at abnormal times. For example, at night, off-duty or on leave. Further investigation revealed that during the period October 2023 to September 2024, the man had made searches in the police system that could not be directly linked to his work.
Among other things, the officer stated that, as an inexperienced police officer, he felt insecure and wanted to practice. Thus, he wanted to develop himself. He acknowledged that this was inaccurate.
The Openbaar Ministerie 's Office feels strongly about these types of unlawful searches. Police systems contain privacy-sensitive citizen information. Therefore, officers may not consult those systems in their own interest, personal involvement or curiosity. Furthermore, police information must be prevented from being leaked to criminals or other interested parties. This is another reason why it is important that police systems be consulted only to the extent necessary for the performance of police duties.
At an OM hearing, the prosecutor imposed eighty hours of community service. The defendant accepted it.
