PC given sack for gross misconduct
Hearing is held by chief constable in private
A police officer has been dismissed for gross misconduct at the first hearing held in private since new transparency laws were brought in.
The unnamed officer will leave Kent Police without notice after acting “inappropriately, breaching professional standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct”.
The officer, a constable, worked in the east of the county but the exact nature of their actions were withheld, although the force did confirm no criminal investigation was necessary.
The hearing was held at the force’s headquarters in Maidstone just before Christmas and was chaired by chief constable Alan Pughsley.
A force spokesman said: “The chief constable exercised his discretion to hear the matter in private in order to protect the wellbeing of the parties involved.”
They added it was the first time this measure has been taken since the government announced reforms of the disciplinary process which were enacted in 2015. The changes required all misconduct hearings to be held in public unless there was an exceptional reason not to. Since tribunals have been open to the public we have reported on a number of cases where officers have been dismissed or received warnings.
In October 2015, DC Hayley Campbell received a final written warning after using the police computer to check a relative’s details and followed the progress of an investigation into damage to her car.
A month later, DC Daniel Spicer was sacked after taking a broken child’s bicycle from a skip at the station so he could do it up and give it to his daughter’s friend who didn’t have one.
Last month PC John Hetterley received a final warning after lifting up a colleague’s skirt and pinching her bottom on a night out.