Suspended Gloucestershire police chief to face gross misconduct proceedings
Rod Hansen is to face a disciplinary hearing over allegations he failed to appropriately act on reports of a data breach
A suspended police chief is to face gross misconduct proceedings over an alleged data breach, a watchdog has said.
Rod Hansen, who is the chief constable of Gloucestershire Police, is to face a disciplinary hearing over allegations he failed to appropriately act on reports of a data breach.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the allegations concerned whether Mr Hansen did not sufficiently act on information passed to him in October 2022.
This related to a staff member suspected of carrying out an unauthorised search of police systems - and accessing third party personal data - linked to a road traffic collision.
The collision took place in September 2022, but concerns over Mr Hansen's response to the matter only came to light in 2024.
Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson made a referral to the police watchdog - and in August last year after a gross misconduct notice was issued, Mr Hansen was suspended.
An IOPC spokesman said an investigation concluded Mr Hansen has a case to answer for gross misconduct relating to challenging and reporting improper conduct; discreditable conduct; duties and responsibilities; honesty and integrity; and orders and instructions.
"We believe a police disciplinary panel could conclude Mr Hansen didn't handle the matter in accordance with the force's own policy and data protection laws," the spokesman said.
A separate investigation into the same incident against a different senior staff member concluded they also had a case to answer for gross misconduct and will face a separate disciplinary hearing.
"It will be for a police disciplinary hearing and a police staff disciplinary hearing, respectively, to ultimately determine whether the gross misconduct allegations are proven," the spokesman said.
"All parties have been informed of our decisions, and it will now be for the OPCC (Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner) and Gloucestershire Constabulary, respectively, to organise disciplinary proceedings."
Following Mr Hansen's suspension, Maggie Blyth was appointed interim chief constable and is now temporary chief constable.