AN investigation by civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch has revealed that police forces across the UK are still involved in 10 data breaches a week, with Surrey Police the second worst.

The report ‘Safe in Police Hands?’ reveals that between June 2011 and December 2015 at least 2,315 data breaches were conducted by police officers and staff nationally.

More than 800 employees accessed personal information for no policing purpose, while data was shared inappropriately or without authorisation almost 900 times.

Surrey contributed to 202 of those breaches over the past four-and-a-half-years, with West Midlands Police coming in top with 488 breaches over the recorded time period.

Offences executed by Surrey police officers as well as civilians included accessing police systems without a policing purpose; inappropriately sharing information relating to operational policing; and using police systems under another person’s details.

These offences led to four officers and civilians retiring or resigning; while others received written warnings; management advice/intervention/action; dismissal; formal verbal warnings; and words of advice.

Renate Samson, Chief Executive of Big Brother Watch, said: “We trust the police to keep us safe, in the 21st century that is as much about keeping our data secure as protecting us on the streets.

“The revelation that the police are still committing 10 data breaches a week shows that work still needs to be done before we can be sure our personal information is safe in their hands.

“The Government are about to give law enforcement access to the details of all the websites each and every one of us look at. In light of our findings questions must be asked about whether more access will make for better policing, or only increase the opportunities for misuse.”

Based on the findings of this report, Big Brother Watch has proposed five policy recommendations to enhance protections for personal information and ensure that serious data breaches are properly punished.

This includes the introduction of custodial sentences for serious data breaches and the removal of internet connection records from the Investigatory Powers Bill.

Surrey Police says it takes data protection extremely seriously, with robust procedures in place to investigate any breaches and deal with members of staff and officers who do not meet the high expectations placed upon them.

A spokesperson said: “All potential officers and staff undergo a series of vetting checks to assess their suitability before being accepted into the force. Data protection training is mandatory for all officers and staff, computer systems are regularly audited and vetting procedures are carried out on a continual basis.

“The computer misuse policy and the high standards officers and staff are expected to meet, is also communicated on a regular basis through internal channels.

“A pro-active vetting audit was carried out within the timeframe of the Big Brother Watch report, which uncovered a number of historic computer misuse cases. After that trawl was completed, the number of computer misuse cases returned to a normal level.

“The vast majority of Surrey officers and staff behave in an honest and professional manner, and are encouraged to raise any concerns so that any problems can be identified and addressed at an early stage.”