Over 1,000 serving police have criminal records

More than 1,000 serving police officers have criminal convictions according to data obtained by the Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act.

1,063 police officers hold criminal records – approximately one in every 100 officers. The offences listed include assault (59), theft (36), dishonesty (96), and other crimes such as battery, perversion of the course of justice and forgery.

In Scotland, at least 170 serving police have committed criminal offences, with data revealing 107 offenders in the Strathclyde force—the third highest in the UK—34 in Grampian, 11 in Fife, and four in the Lothian and Borders area. Northern Constabulary and Central Scotland police forces have refused to disclose any information.

Home affairs spokesmen for the Liberal Democrats, 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.

“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.”

Mr Huhne added that, in addition to there being no vetting procedures for dealing with new applicants, the Home Office offers no guidelines regarding police officers who are convicted whilst serving.

Mr Huhne claimed: “There is a disturbing lack of consistency in how police forces deal with officers who are convicted of crimes. The Home Office recognises this decisive problem for applicants but not for serving officers.”

Indeed, one sergeant in Sussex was twice convicted of assault and dismissed, but re-instated by the Home Office, the data exposes.

Individual forces are left to make their own decisions if a serving officer is convicted; current government rules allow for alternatives to dismissal, for example, reprimands, fines and demotions. Indeed, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), has confirmed that officers convicted of crimes do not automatically loose their jobs.

Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester and head of workforce development for ACPO, said: “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. It is very rare that a person with a criminal conviction will be recruited into the police service.”

The data also discloses that half of the police forces in Scotland have not sacked a single police officer with a criminal conviction.
The Liberal Democrats' justice spokesman in Scotland, Robert Brown said the figures were "staggering".

“The public entrust the police with the use of legal force precisely because they are self- disciplined and restrained," he said. "This trust is undermined if serving police officers convicted of a violent offence are seen not to be dealt with strictly.

Mr Brown concluded: "Hiring and firing must ultimately be the decision of the chief constable but, given these revelations, the Scottish Government needs to review any guidance it gives to police forces."