Former GMP PCSO given 18-month community order after IOPC investigation

A former Greater Manchester Police (GMP) PCSO has been given an 18-month community order after pleading guilty to data protection and computer misuse offences.

Peter Kiba, 59, appeared for sentencing at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 20 January.

Our investigation looked at the former PCSO’s contact with a member of the public in Oldham in 2018.

Mr Kiba made unwanted contact with a woman he had a professional association with through a series of emails, texts and phone calls.

The woman told her employer, who notified GMP. The force then referred the matter to us.

Our investigation found that Mr Kiba had regularly accessed the personal information of the woman – including her home address and car registration – and the personal information of those connected to her.

IOPC Regional Director Amanda Rowe said: “Mr Kiba abused his position by repeatedly obtaining the personal information of both the woman, and people connected to her, held on GMP systems without a proper policing purpose.

“His behaviour brought his professionalism into question and the sentence shows that behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Our investigation began in August 2018 and was completed in July 2019. During our investigation we analysed an audit trail of phone and email contact between Mr Kiba and the woman and obtained details of searches carried out by the former PCSO on GMP computer systems.

We referred our report to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) who made the decision to charge the former PCSO, who resigned from his post in 2019.

Mr Kiba was sentenced to an 18-month community order, including 200 hours of unpaid work and eight rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also given a restraining order, fined £85 and ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge.