CRIMINAL COPPERS

The number of police officers found guilty of crimes is on the rise

OVER 150 police officers and staff were convicted of crimes in England and Wales last year, including sexual offences. Home Office figures show that a total of 115 police officers were found guilty of criminal charges in the year to April 2023. There were also 43 police staff found guilty of crimes last year. These are people who work for the police but not as officers.

In total it means 158 police officers and staff were convicted of crimes last year.

The figures include 33 officers and seven support staff found guilty of sexual offences. Serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick will be amongst those, having been jailed for life last February.

Another 18 officers and five staff were found guilty for violence against a person. Nineteen officers and 15 staff were convicted for traffic offences, 10 officers and two staff for misconduct in a public office, four officers and one staff for criminal damage, four officers and one staff for theft, and one officer and one staff for drugs.

Last year’s figures represent an increase on the previous year. There were 93 officers and staff convicted of crimes, 12 of which were for sexual offences.

However, the figures include only criminal proceedings that originally started from a complaint, conduct matter or recordable conduct matter, which means that the total number of convicted police officers could be even higher.

A total of 972 misconduct proceedings were held against police officers in the year to April 2023, according to the Home Office data.

The Metropolitan Police held more than any other force in the country, with a total of 241.

The Met is also the largest force in the country though.

Northamptonshire Police held the most proceedings of any force relative to its size.

They held 34 proceedings last year, the equivalent of 22.4 for every 1,000 officers.

Humberside Police held the next highest number of proceedings relative to its size. There were a total of 30 last year, which is equivalent to 13.2 for every 1,000 officers.

Meanwhile in Cleveland Police held 18, or 12.2 for every 1,000 officers, and Thames Valley held 60, or 12.1 for every 1,000 officers.

A total of 393 of the proceedings found that officers were guilty of gross misconduct.

Of those, 139 were dismissed and 208 received the outcome of “would have been dismissed”, which is where an officer has already left the force for some reason. Another 38 officers received a final written warning, two had a reduction in rank, and five received no action at all.

A total of 435 of the proceedings found there to have been misconduct. Another 123 found no misconduct to have taken place, and 20 were discontinued.