JSO officer arrested, accused of accessing database, giving info to ‘criminals’

Transcript

♪ >>KENT JUSTICE: 9 OF THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS. A NOW FORMER JACKSONVILLE POLICE OFFICER FINDS HIMSELF ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THLAW.EARLR DAY, SHERIFF PK WATERS ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF CHRISTOPHER BAR. HE'S ACCUSED OF ACCESSING INFORMATION UNRESTRICTED LAW ENFORCEMENT DATABASES AND SENDING THAT INFORMATION TO SUSPECTS IN A JSO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. AS NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER ERIK EXPLAINS. THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY THE CRIMINALS ARE CONNECTED TO GANGS.

>> JSO INVESTIGATORS TELL NEWS 4 JAX THAT ON 2 OCCASIONS WHILE CHRISTOPHER BAR WAS STILL A COP, HE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT DATABASES AND SENT INFORMATION ABOUT WITNESSES AND A JSO CRIMINAL CASE TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUSPECTS. IN THAT CASE. YOU'RE ON THE INSI WITH PRIVY TO THAT CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND NEWS 4 JAX CRIME AND SAFETY ANALYST TOM HACKNEY IS A RETIRED JSO DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS AND DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS WITHIN JSO. HE SAYS THERE'S A REASON WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT DATABASES ARE RESTRICTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. ONLY WE'RE KIND OF INFORMATION.

CAN A POLICE OFFICER OCTANE WHEN THEY GO INTO THESE DATABASES? IT'S IT'S SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT'S IN THERE. AND ANYBODY WHO'S EVER BEEN A VICTIM OF A CRIME. ARE WITNESSING A CRIME. >> ALL THE TRAFFIC STOP INFORMATION. ANYBODY WHO STOPPED RECEIVED A TICKET.

A FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT IS WRITTEN ON THEM. THERE'S THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION. THEY'RE ACCEPTABLE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD NEVER GET INTO THE WRONG HANDS. ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, BAR MAY HAVE SUPPLIED GANG MEMBERS WITH CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. DOES THIS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE AS WITNESSES OR EVEN THE OFFICERS? YEAH, >> IT THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS WHEN WHEN THESE CASES LIKE THIS OCCUR THAT NOT ONLY EXPOSES POTENTIAL UNDERCOVER OFFICERS, BUT CERTAINLY VICTIMS AND WITNESSES IN CASES.

>> WHOSE INFORMATION IS PROTECTED BY LAWN AND THEY WANT THAT PROTECTED TH'RE POD TH TH COULD LEAD TO BAD CONSEQUENCES. HACKNEY SAYS FROM AN INVESTIGATORS STANDPOINT. >> WHEN A POLICE OFFICER IS SUSPECTED OF SUPPLYING CRIMINALS WITH INFORMATION. THE FIRST THING THE INVESTIGATOR THINKS ABOUT IS WHETHER THAT OFFICER IS ON THE CRIMINALS PAYROLL SO FAR JSO HAS NOT CONFIRMED BAR WAS PAID TO COMMIT HIS ALLEGED CRIMES. >>JOHN GAUGHAN: WHEN WE CHECKED OUR OWN DATABASE ON JSO OFFICERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED FOR THE SAME CRIME, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE 6 THAT DATE ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2011.

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