Herts police among forces with most officer misconduct hearings

According to figures from the BBC Shared Data Unit, eight Herts police officers had a misconduct case to answer, with only six forces across the UK having more – including the Metropolitan Police who topped the list with 58.

Of those cases, two were because of death or serious injury, while three were for misconduct during custody and detention.

Five officers were found guilty of misconduct following their hearings, but just one was dismissed from the force, while another was given a warning, with the remaining three dealt with by management action.

“We require the highest levels of integrity from our officers and staff and when someone fails to meet this standard, we take appropriate action,” said Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer.

“The figures, in part, reflect our intolerance towards misconduct matters. If claims are made against an officer, a thorough investigation will be carried out.”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary had six officers with a misconduct case to answer, with four of those following a death or serious injury.

One officer left the force before their misconduct hearing, while the other five were found guilty, all of which were dealt with by management action.

Cambs police had no members of staff who had misconduct cases to answer.

“We take all complaints seriously and all are thoroughly investigated by our professional standards department (PSD), who will refer matters to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in accordance with the referral criteria when applicable,” said a Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokeswoman.

“Complaints are dealt with at the appropriate level following a full review. The outcome of misconduct cases is relative to the severity of the incident and information obtained.

“The outcome of a hearing is not directly influenced by PSD, these decisions are made by the Legally Qualified Chairs.

“Not all IOPC outcomes are published, though most are. But we do publicise all our hearings and outcomes.”