Over a thousand serving police officers in Great Britain have criminal convictions, according to figures publicised by the Liberal Democrats.
The information, gathered from Freedom of Information requests to Britain’s police forces, shows how:
*There were 1,063 serving police officers in 41 police forces across Britain who had criminal convictions
*This includes five officers who were sacked by the force but reinstated by the Home Office
*There are 77 serving police officers with convictions for violent offences who have kept their jobs: 59 with convictions for assault; 14 for violence against the person; two for battery; and one for wounding
*In the last five years, just 45 have been dismissed from the police for violent offences
*96 serving police officers have convictions for offences of dishonesty: 36 for theft; five for perverting the course of justice; three for fraud; and one each for dishonesty and forgery
*In the last five years, just 37 have been dismissed from the police for dishonesty
*210 officers have been dismissed or required to resign in the past five years as a result of other criminal convictions
Commenting
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "It is staggering that so many of the people entrusted to protect us from crime have criminal convictions themselves.
"It is even more worrying that so many police officers convicted of serious crimes involving dishonesty or violence have been allowed to keep their jobs. There is a disturbing lack of consistency in how police forces deal with officers who are convicted of crimes. Hiring and firing must ultimately be the decision of the Chief Officer but it would be sensible for the Home Office to issue some guidance.
"The Home Office recognises this decisive problem for applicants but not for serving officers. The public entrust the police with the use of legal force precisely because they are self-disciplined and restrained, which is why anyone convicted of a violent offence should be dismissed.
"I cannot see how a police officer convicted of dishonesty can perform their duty effectively, as any prosecutor would be reluctant to call them as a witness for fear of being taken apart by the defence. The public will be rightly concerned that there are serving police officers who have committed crimes as serious as GBH, assault, wounding and robbery.
"The trust that is absolutely vital in policing is seriously undermined when police officers are being convicted of crimes of dishonesty. Allowing police officers convicted of offences of violence or dishonesty to continue serving merely brings the vast majority of law-abiding and diligent officers into disrepute. Police forces should get tough on bad apples."
ACPO comment
Chief Constable Peter Fahy, ACPO lead for Workforce Development commented: “The police service expects good conduct and probity from its officers and staff at all times. Where wrongdoing is alleged, police officers are investigated and action taken as appropriate to each case. It should be remembered that there are just over 140,000 police officers in the country, the overwhelming majority of whom serve the public with dedication under sometimes difficult circumstances.
"It is very rare that a person with a criminal conviction will be recruited into the police service. Where an officer has committed misconduct, which can include a criminal offence, a range of disciplinary actions can be taken by a police force. Each case is judged on its merit, taking into consideration a range of factors, including how the offence reflects on an officer’s integrity. Where a minor offence is committed, it needs to be laid against the years of dedicated service by the officer to determine if it is more damaging to the community if an officer is not allowed to continue to serve.
“The force concerned will then take action depending on a range of factors including the severity of the offence and its impact on an officer’s ability to carry out their duties.”
