Ex-City of London Cop Barred for Sharing Crime Scene Video
A former City of London Police officer has been banned from all policing roles after leaking video evidence of a crime scene on social media. Thomas Hawkes filmed footage of a suspected offence from a police terminal on January 28, 2023, and shared it with an unauthorized third party.
Damning Misconduct Hearing
An investigation revealed Hawkes accessed Evidence.com—a secure police platform for managing digital files—and recorded two videos from his phone showing a man being detained by officers. This was a grave breach of professional standards.
The misconduct hearing, led by City of London Police Commissioner Peter O’Doherty on November 5, 2024, branded Hawkes’ actions as gross misconduct. “If he were still serving, he would have been dismissed without notice,” said O’Doherty. Although Hawkes had already left the force, he is now on the College of Policing’s barred list, permanently preventing a policing comeback.
“The apprehension and arrest of a person is a serious matter. By sharing this footage with someone not legally entitled to it, Hawkes breached confidentiality and damaged trust in City of London Police,” Commissioner O’Doherty stated.
Policing Integrity Under Threat
Superintendent Carly Humphreys, head of Professional Standards, slammed the leak as a “wholly unacceptable compromise of policing integrity.” She warned, “Sharing police evidence without justification undermines the professionalism and security the public relies on.”
Hawkes will stay on the barred list for at least five years before applying for potential removal—subject to strict scrutiny. This case sends a sharp warning: safeguarding sensitive police info is non-negotiable.
