Australia, Senior officer 'hacked police computer to buy drugs'

OFF THE WIRE
Aja Styles
WAtodayau.com
Police officer on drugs charges
A police sergeant with more than 22 years experience on the force will face methylamphetamine charges.
A police sergeant with more than 22 years experience on the force will face methylamphetamine charges after allegedly hacking into the police computer to track down the address of a drug dealer.
The 46-year-old officer has been stood down from all duties and the Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan will now consider his future with the force after an investigation by the police internal affairs unit.
Investigators have charged the officer with using a prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug, possessing a smoking implement and driving with an illicit drug in his blood.
Advertisement: Story continues below He has also been charged with using the police computer system to unlawfully access the details of the alleged dealer, who was already known to him.
Investigators claim the officer, while off-duty, went to the dealer's address in Safety Bay on November 17, where he smoked methylamphetamine and left with approximately one gram of the drug.
He was then arrested driving away from the house.
Deputy Commissioner Chris Dawson would not say whether the charges had brought into doubt any arrests or investigations the officer was previously involved in.
"We're clearly unhappy about it but look it's a situation in which, on the briefings I have received, the internal affairs investigators have done a very thorough job over a quite a short period of time, as soon as this matter came to our attention," He said.
He said internal affairs began investigating the officer after receiving a tip-off a number of weeks ago.
"It is clearly a matter of great concern that you have a serving police officer facing charges of this type," Mr Dawson said.
"It brings into question matters that the Royal Commission back in 2004 recommended in terms of testing of drug and alcohol in the workplace.
"We have been testing for about 10 years any persons that want to join police. What is absent at the moment is an opportunity to test persons while they are working or serving (as) officers.
"We have had discussions with the previous government and the current government and I can advise that we're drafting amendments to police force regulations so that we can put those testing regimes into place."
Police have also charged a 41-year-old Safety Bay man with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply, possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possessing cannabis and possessing a smoking implement.
The officer will face the Fremantle Magistrates Court on December 10.

The other man will appear in the Rockingham Magistrates Court on December 9.