Officers accused of leaking database information

Two Counties Manukau police officers will not face criminal charges, after being accused of leaking information from the police national database.

One officer was stood down in June, and the other was stood down in August last year after an allegation that information from the Police National Intelligence Application was illegally distributed.

Following an investigation, police today said neither constable would be charged and the matter would be dealt with internally.

Both stay suspended on full pay and there is no time frame for deciding whether they will keep their jobs.The National Intelligence Application is a computer network that holds information on people's criminal convictions and whether they are wanted by police or are a surveillance target.

The system also gives police facts on criminals' associates and their addresses.

Police national headquarters figures show 33 police staff were caught making unauthorised checks of the National Intelligence Application between August 2007 and August 2009. Nine of those later resigned.

A small number of police staff have been charged with using the computer system to help friends and family to evade arrest. Most have been non-sworn staff in call centres, not officers.

- NZPA