THEY’RE supposed to fight crime and keep us safe, but sometimes the strong arm of the law becomes the wrong arm of the law.

The County Gazette can reveal how, while most police officers in Avon and Somerset are good coppers, the force has had to discipline the odd bad penny.

Action has been taken against 165 officers since 2011 for crossing the thin blue line, with more than one case of a boy in blue turning into a boy in booze.

A total of 15 Avon and Somerset officers have been sacked, while 48 facing disciplinary action have resigned, a Freedom of Information response shows.

Of those, 10 went before the courts for offences ranging from perverting the course of justice, drink driving and assault to harassment, fraud and theft - two were found not guilty. Another was cautioned for common assault.

The others were accused of breaching standards of honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities; incivility, impoliteness and intolerance; discreditable conduct; confidentiality; fitness for duty; authority, respect and courtesy; and orders and instructions.

Over the same period 102 officers received written warnings – 21 final – while 25 have been suspended, with 15 of those involved in current investigations.

Their breaches related to discreditable conduct, disobeying orders and instructions, confidentiality, use of force, neglect or failure in duty, mishandling of property, traffic irregularity, failure to challenge and report improper conduct and oppressive conduct.

The miscreants’ ranks range from special constables right up to the Chief Constable – most were PCs, but there were 18 sergeants, two inspectors and one superintendent.

In Somerset West – covering Taunton and Wellington – three officers were dismissed, seven resigned, 11, including an inspector, had written warnings, and another was given a final warning.

Of officers suspended locally, one PC resigned before being investigated over a criminal offence, while the FOI response said four other officers are subject to a ‘live investigation’, one for honesty and integrity issues, the others during an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “We expect high standards of professionalism and behaviour from all members of the force, as would members of the public.

“The majority of complaints are dealt with at a local level, ensuring the highest standards are maintained and many do not reach the stage of formal misconduct proceedings.

“There are rare occasions where members of our staff have let the public down to such an extent that formal misconduct procedures are appropriate.

“In these cases we seek to apply the legislation in an open and fair way to ensure members of staff are held to account and if appropriate, are given an opportunity to improve.

“However, we will not hesitate to take robust and appropriate action against any member of staff who we believe, may have breached those high standards of professionalism and behaviour, which both we and the public expect.”

Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow said: “It is important that we have absolute confidence in our police service and that we have a system in place to ensure this.

“To combat the complex and ever-changing nature of crime it is vital that standards are maintained and our force is fit for purpose.”

Chief Constable Nick Gargan, who was suspended in May 2014, resigned last month after receiving eight final written warnings after being found guilty of eight charges of misconduct.

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “We all expect high standards of professionalism and behaviour from our policing service and this is something I am updated on at monthly professional standards meetings.

“I am assured that the majority of complaints are dealt with at a local level, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained.

“However, where an officer is guilty of wrongdoing they must be disciplined appropriately.”

She added that that disciplinary hearings must now be held in public, which she believes will give local people confidence in the integrity and behaviour of their police service.”

 

 

FACTFILE.

Since 2011, across the whole force.

*48 officers have resigned.

*15 have been dismissed.

*102 have received written warnings, 21 of them final warnings.

*25 have been suspended – of those 15 were categorised as live investigations, seven resigned in lieu of an investigation, two were dismissed and one was reinstated after it was ruled there was no case to answer.