Fredericton cop cleared in data leak

Serious Incident Response Team investigation finds no grounds officer committed crime when drug suspect was found in possession of protected police intelligence documents

Protected police intelligence was leaked to a suspect in a drug investigation by way of a discarded personal computer that had belonged to a Fredericton police officer, a new report reveals.

However, the police watchdog agency that investigated the 2023 breach says it doesn’t appear the officer was involved in any wrongdoing.

An investigation found no wrongdoing on a Fredericton police officer’s part when his discarded personal computer found its way into the hands of a drug suspect. (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), the agency tasked with the investigation of possible offences stemming from alleged police misconduct or excessive force in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, issued a news release Monday about a previously unknown investigation into the Fredericton Police Force.

“The director of the Serious Incident Response Team has found no reasonable grounds to believe a member of the Fredericton Police Force (FPF) committed a criminal offence in relation to police materials found on a seized phone,” it stated.