July 15, 2025 A Fredericton police officer won’t face criminal charges after his personal computer, containing sensitive police files, ended up in the hands of a man arrested in a drug investigation.
New Brunswick’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) said Monday the incident was “unusual and careless,” but found no evidence the officer intentionally gave the device or documents to the accused.
According to the SiRT report, the officer had used a personal Apple desktop to access work email because not all Fredericton officers are issued laptops. He said the computer had not been used for years and was supposed to be discarded. His wife told another officer by email that the computer was “not believed to be of any value.”
The computer was later found in the possession of a man arrested in a drug case. The breach came to light in May 2024 when officers found photos of police documents on the suspect’s seized phone. The documents were marked “Protected A,” referring to law enforcement intelligence not meant for distribution outside police.
Photos also showed family images and a contact list, with one image confirming the officer as the device’s administrator. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts of how the computer was acquired — some said it was left outside, others said it came from a dumpster. One woman claimed it was given to her boyfriend to pay off a debt.
The accused told investigators the computer contained “old police reports.” SiRT was unable to recover the device and could not determine how much police information had been accessed.
Director Erin Nauss said the case was unrelated to a recent police error that led to stayed murder charges in a separate case. Fredericton police did not respond to a request for comment.
