The Metropolitan Police has lost or had stolen 2280 electronic devices over the past two years, official figures has revealed.
Data obtained under a Freedom of Information (FoI) by law firm Griffin law, has revealed that in total 1245 electronic devices were lost or stolen in 2019, and 1101 in 2020.
The most common items that went missing were tablet computers and iPads, with 1561 reported as lost and 59 registered as stolen. Mobile phones followed with 366 lost and 18 stolen during the period.
Over both years, 268 laptops went missing. Notably, in 2020 a high proportion of laptops that went missing were stolen (40) - thus representing a 60% rise compared to 2019.
Donal Blaney, founder, Griffin Law said: ”The Home Secretary and the Information Commissioner need to investigate this catastrophic loss of data urgently. This irresponsible attitude by the Met to electronic devices full of sensitive data relating to criminal investigations should be the last straw.
“Who knows what was on these devices? More evidence of misogyny, boorish behaviour and criminal wrongdoing among officers, conveniently destroyed to cover it up?
“And who now has these devices? The very criminals under investigation by the police who now know who gave confidential information about them that led to their arrests? How can anyone have confidence in the Met anymore? The Commissioner needs to get her house in order, immediately.”
No comments yet