A police staff member from Birmingham has been sentenced for unlawfully obtaining communications data in a case described as a first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Nadeem Said, aged 56, was entrusted with the lawful acquisition of communications data to support police investigations but breached that trust by attempting to obtain data for personal reasons.
The Offence
Between November 5 and 8, 2022, Said admitted to obtaining communication data from Snapchat relating to a specific username without lawful authority or any policing purpose. Leicestershire Police confirmed that this is the first time a police staff member has been convicted for such an offence in a UK court.
Role and Betrayal
Said worked as a Single Point of Contact Accredited Officer for Leicestershire Police. His role involved the lawful acquisition of communications data from service providers to aid police investigations. However, an investigation by the force's professional standards department revealed that Said had falsified an application to obtain user data regarding a Snapchat account that was in contact with a person known to him. He then used this false application to unlawfully request data related to that account.
Court Sentencing
On Friday, May 15, at Northamptonshire Crown Court, Said was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Additionally, he was ordered to complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work. Said had been suspended from the force during the investigation and was subsequently dismissed in September 2024 after a review led to the removal of his vetting clearance.
Police Response
Chief Constable David Sandall of Leicestershire Police stated: 'Said was trusted in his role to lawfully obtain communications data to support policing investigations. He clearly breached this trust placed in him to try and obtain data for his own personal information. These offences committed by Said undermine the hard work and dedication shown every day by officers and staff in force and will not be tolerated. It is extremely disappointing to see a staff member in court in this way but public trust and confidence in our officers and staff is of the utmost importance. We will continue to take action against any wrongdoing in force and my thanks go to the investigation team who have worked extremely hard to bring this case to court.'
