Chief inspector admits breaking data law

A SENIOR policewoman is being investigated by anti-corruption officers after being convicted of illegally accessing classified information.

Chief Inspector Allison Strachan, 50, is being investigated by colleagues at Lothian and Borders Police’s Professional Standards Unit.

They are currently preparing a report into Strachan’s conduct while serving with the Edinburgh-based force between November 2006 and July 2008.

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Their investigation comes after Strachan, of Craiglockhart Gardens, Edinburgh, was convicted at the city’s Sheriff Court on Monday of breaking the Data Protection Act. She was fined £400 after pleading guilty to one charge of illegally obtaining information about a group of individuals at various police stations in the force area.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman yesterday confirmed that the Professional Standards Unit was set to submit a report about Strachan’s conduct to the force’s Deputy Chief Constable, Steve Allen.

DCC Allen could recommend that Strachan – who was in charge of Edinburgh’s Corstorphine police station during her career – is kicked out of the force.

The spokeswoman added: “Lothian and Borders Police can confirm that an officer who is currently suspended from duty appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 19 March, 2012, in relation to a data protection offence.

“The 50-year-old officer admitted the charge and was fined £400.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further as a report will be prepared in due course by the force’s Professional Standards Unit for consideration by the Deputy Chief Constable.”

Strachan was suspended by her superiors when the claims arose of Data Protection Act breaches.

On Monday, Strachan pleaded guilty to the offence in front of Sheriff Katherine Mackie.

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She originally faced five charges – four of which alleged she contravened the Data Protection Act.

Prosecutors alleged that she illegally accessed the Police National Computer at various locations in the Edinburgh area to gain information.

A fifth charge alleged that she attempted to pervert the course of justice because she passed the information on to a third party.

However, this charge was dropped at an earlier hearing because the Crown could not prove that what she did was illegal.

Three charges alleging that she breached the Data Protection Act were also dropped on Monday when she agreed to plead guilty to the single data protection breach.

Strachan was supposed to appear in court today. Her name did not appear on Monday’s court business lists, when she did appear.

Strachan then admitted accessing confidential records between 1 November, 2006, and July 2008 at Dalkeith police station, Lothian and Borders Police HQ at Fettes, Edinburgh, and at other police stations in the Edinburgh and Midlothian area.

Sheriff Mackie told Strachan a financial penalty was appropriate to deal with her offence.

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