Two officers sacked by force

TWO Leicestershire Police officers have been sacked on the spot following a two-week behindclosed-doors misconduct hearing.

The officers were dismissed on Friday May 26, a week after the hearing had concluded.

Their names, ranks, roles and details of their offences are not being made public.

Most police misconduct hearings are open to the press and public unless there are compelling policing or legal reasons for holding them in private.

The hearing was presided over by an independent, non-police chairperson who has a legal background. It was their decision to hold the hear- ing privately, meaning the press and public could not be present.

Leicestershire Police issued a statement on behalf of the panel to explain the decision.

The statement read: “A decision was made by the independent chair to hold the hearing in private as the evidence heard included sensitive police tactics, confidential information and aspects of covert policing techniques.”

The force did release the outcome of the hearing and issued a statement from the head of its professional standards department.

It said the officers were dismissed without notice after the panel found both of them guilty of gross misconduct.

Speaking after the officers’ dismissal, Superintendent Martyn Ball, head of professional standards at Leicestershire police, said: “We expect our officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour as this is vital in maintaining the trust and confidence of the public we serve.

“In this case, the actions of the two officers fell well below the standards that both the force and the public would expect.

“The independent panel chair determined that their behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and both officers have been dismissed without notice.”

In 2015, the Home Office ordered forces to hold misconduct hearings in public and to publish their outcomes unless there were compelling reasons for not doing so.

In December that year, a constable became the first Leicestershire officer to be the subject of misconduct proceedings open to the public.

She was dismissed after a panel of senior officers agreed she had lied about the behaviour of a member of the public who had filmed her on his phone.

Then, in March last year, a detective was sacked after he failed a drugs test and did not report that someone he knew was committing criminal offences.

The-then Home Secretary Theresa May said of the move to increase the transparency of the police: “The public needs to have confidence that the complaints system is fair and effective and that the disciplinary system effectively holds corrupt officers, or those who are guilty of misconduct, to account for their actions.”