Danish TV Series Exposes Police System Failures

A Danish television series has brought systemic failures within the Danish police force into sharp focus, examining how internal IT vulnerabilities and procedural errors have repeatedly undermined investigations and endangered citizen privacy.

The program documents institutional breakdowns that extend beyond individual misconduct. Research by investigator Negin Nader Bazrafkan, published in 2021, revealed a troubling pattern of police officers misusing the Pol-Intel system—the force's central intelligence database—to conduct unauthorized lookups on private citizens. Officers accessed records out of curiosity, including searches on ex-spouses and acquaintances, demonstrating how system access controls failed to prevent abuse.

One documented case involved a police officer identified as "Lasse," 48, who shared confidential informant data with unauthorized parties due to a system error. The breach triggered a three-year legal process that ultimately resulted in the officer being charged and convicted. An appeals court (landsretten) imposed a sentence of eight day-fines, a relatively light penalty that reflects the complexity of attributing fault when system design failures enable misconduct.

These individual incidents point to deeper structural problems. Multiple analyses have identified recurring system errors that repeatedly surface in major law enforcement scandals. The failures operate across different levels: inadequate access controls, insufficient audit trails, poor data segregation, and insufficient oversight mechanisms that allow misuse to persist undetected for extended periods.

The television series contextualizes these failures within Denmark's broader law enforcement accountability landscape. By documenting how IT system vulnerabilities have contributed to case errors and privacy violations, the program raises critical questions about institutional reform and the technical safeguards necessary to protect both investigative integrity and public trust.

The exposure of these systemic issues arrives at a moment of heightened scrutiny of police practices across European democracies. For international observers, the Danish case illustrates how even well-resourced, developed-nation police forces can struggle with fundamental data governance challenges—a concern that extends well beyond Scandinavia.

The series demonstrates that addressing these failures requires more than disciplining individual officers. System architecture, access protocols, training standards, and oversight mechanisms all require fundamental reassessment to prevent future breaches and restore confidence in law enforcement institutions.

**Sources**

https://dansk-politi.dk/nyheder/utroligt-jeg-har-holdt-til

https://www.djoefbladet.dk/artikler/2021/11/negin-undersoegte-hvordan-politifolk-misbruger-it-system-til-at-snage-i-borgeres-privatliv

https://www.raeson.dk/2022/jesper-olsen-den-dag-thorkild-fogde-blev-efterladt-paa/

https://politiken.dk/danmark/art7414120/Uopklarede-drab-p%C3%A5-unge-kvinder-fik-politiet-til-at-opdage-telefejl

https://www.berlingske.dk/kronikker/her-er-fire-vaesentlige-systemfejl-der-igen-og-igen-bidrager-til-store-politiske-problemsager