Officer dismissed following public misconduct hearing

A Staffordshire Police officer who harassed a colleague and accessed police systems for personal reasons has been dismissed from the force without notice.

The officer was dismissed after a public misconduct hearing, chaired by an independent legally qualified person, found that his actions amounted to gross misconduct.

It was heard that he harassed a colleague on a number of occasions between November and December 2016. He also viewed information held on police systems for a non-policing purpose and attempted to dispose of evidence on his mobile phone.

Deputy Chief Constable, Emma Barnett, said: “The officer’s behaviour was completely unacceptable and his actions caused significant distress to the colleague involved.

“He does not represent the vast majority of colleagues who will be appalled by his actions, and I hope this outcome sends a clear message that officers are held to the highest standards of behaviour and conduct and anything that falls below this will not be tolerated and action will be taken.”

Note

An application by the defence solicitor for the officer to be given anonymity was upheld by the independent legally qualified chair of the panel, hence their name has been removed from this statement.