911 dispatcher accused of using police database to harass ex-boyfriend’s lovers

Woman won 2019 ‘Dispatcher of the Year’ prize

A 911 dispatcher has been placed on leave amid an investigation into alleged misuse of a communications system to “harass” her former boyfriend’s lovers, sheriffs in Michigan have said.

Rachael Collins, 41, was disciplined following charges of violating a policy regarding use of the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), a computerised information system restricted to criminal justice organisations.

In a statement, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said Ms Collins was subject to a report last month that said she had been in a “dating relationship” with the 911 dispatcher.

The caller said he believed Ms Collins was responsible for “harassing” phone calls received by a “former partner and new female friend”, the sheriff’s office said.

The man added that he believed Ms Collins had used her access to LEIN to locate the women’s numbers and other personal information on the system such as vehicle registration data and other sensitive records.

Following an investigation into the allegations, the sheriff’s office said “it was shown that Collins did a check on the female friend through LEIN without having a proper law enforcement reason to do so.”

The Macomb County employee was then put on immediate leave and an investigation was turned over to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, who charged Ms Collins with unlawfully accessing personal motor vehicle information.

Ms Collins turned herself in on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said, and she was released on a $5,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in Township District Court again on 3 October for a probable cause conference.

Rachel Collins collecting her prize for ‘Dispatcher of the Year' (Macomb County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook)

Kandace Bashaw, a neighbour of Ms Collins, told Fox2 Detroit that the charges seemed out of character for the 2019 “Dispatcher of the Year” winner.

"Rachael’s a really nice person and I see her with her daughter all the time and I couldn’t imagine her doing anything fraudulent like that," she said.

Another neighbour, Jack Dunn, meanwhile added: "It’s not right, it’s not right at all, people take advantage of the computer system and do things they shouldn’t do.”

It was unclear if she had a lawyer or had entered a plea, however.