Chief constable and senior staff member to face gross misconduct proceedings over data breach response
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded that Gloucestershire Constabulary Chief Constable Rod Hansen should face a gross misconduct hearing over allegations he failed to appropriately act on reports of a data breach.
It is alleged Mr Hansen did not sufficiently act on information passed to him in October 2022 regarding a staff member suspected of carrying out an unauthorised search of police systems – and accessing third party personal data – in relation 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.
The IOPC subsequently received a conduct referral from Gloucestershire’s Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) on August 15, 2024, and launched an independent investigation into the allegations four days later.
“Our investigation was finalised on August 8, 2025, and concluded Mr Hansen has a case to answer for gross misconduct,” the IOPC said.
The gross misconduct allegations relate to potential breaches of the following Police Standards of Professional Behaviour: 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 IOPC said.
The IOPC received a linked conduct referral for a senior staff member on August 8 last year from Gloucestershire Constabulary in relation to the same incident.
“Again, we began an independent investigation on August 19, 2024, and have now concluded he also has a case to answer for gross misconduct and should face a separate misconduct hearing,” said the IOPC.
“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.
“All parties have been informed of our decisions, and it will now be for the OPCC and Gloucestershire Constabulary, respectively, to organise disciplinary proceedings.”