A misconduct hearing for Northamptonshire Police concluded on 24 February 2026 that a former officer would not have been sacked for using police computers to find a stolen car while he was off-sick in Northampton, Northamptonshire.
Former PC Steve Scott admitted to using the force’s automatic number plate recognition system on 22 July 2025 to track a vehicle belonging to an acquaintance. At the time of the incident, Mr Scott was away from work on sick leave and did not have permission to access the data.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Mr Scott found the stolen car himself and watched the suspects from his own vehicle. He then provided a witness statement to officers on duty, which directly helped them recover the stolen property.
While Mr Scott admitted to breaking professional standards regarding confidentiality and following orders, Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet decided that dismissal would not have been justified. He noted that the officer acted on a desire to help solve a crime rather than for personal gain or to show favouritism.
The Chief Constable stated that public confidence would not be damaged by this decision because of the unusual circumstances. He explained that although the officer should have sought approval from a supervisor, his actions ultimately assisted the police in carrying out their duties.
