Derbyshire detective investigated by IOPC over alleged misuse of Microsoft Copilot with sensitive case data
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating an unnamed Derbyshire Constabulary detective for alleged gross misconduct over the use of AI during criminal inquiries. It is alleged the officer used AI to create policy decisions, assess and manage risk and justify decision-making, and entered sensitive operational and personal case data. That would breach force conditions that no such data be put into AI. Derbyshire Constabulary made a voluntary referral on June 23 after an internal review, and the IOPC will analyse the officer's use of Microsoft Copilot.
What the AI did
A detective allegedly used Microsoft Copilot, an AI assistant, to create policy decisions, assess and manage risk, and justify decisions in criminal inquiries. Sensitive operational and personal case data was also allegedly entered into it, against force conditions that no such data be put into AI.
First reported October 22, 2026 · Added to the register November 1, 2026 · 1 source
- Developer
- Microsoft
- Deployer
- Derbyshire Constabulary
- Model
- Microsoft Copilot
- When it happened
- May 2025
- First reported
- October 22, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
If your staff use an enterprise AI assistant such as Microsoft Copilot. Any organisation that gives staff an AI assistant could see sensitive operational or personal data entered into it, or decisions made or justified with it, against internal rules, as is alleged to have happened here.
What to check
- Enforce limits on what data staff can enter into AI assistants through technical controls, not just guidance.
- Audit how staff are using AI assistants.
- Bar AI from making or justifying consequential decisions without a person accountable for them.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Timeline
- May 2025Happened
- October 22, 2026First reported
Every fact and its source (4)
- Voluntary conduct referral to IOPCJune 23“Derbyshire Constabulary made a voluntary conduct referral to us on June 23”[1]
- Alleged misuseAI used for policy decisions, risk assessment and justifying decisions; sensitive data inputted“It’s alleged the officer used AI to create policy decisions, assess and manage risk, and to justify decision-making, and that sensitive operational and personal data relating to cases was also inputted”[1]
- Regulatory responseIOPC investigation for alleged gross misconduct“The officer has been served notice advising they are being investigated for alleged gross misconduct.”[1]
- Force conditions on AI useNo operational, sensitive or personal data to be inputted“no operational, sensitive or personal data should be inputted to AI”[1]
Sources
- Derbyshire detective investigated over allegations of 'inappropriate AI use'manchestereveningnews.co.uk · October 22, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity M (3/5): harm to individuals, or a policy breach with limited reach. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Alleged, meaning one party's claim.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
