Police forces in England and Wales have been found to employ police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) with criminal convictions, including supplying drugs, forgery, burglary, robbery and domestic violence. Those with criminal convictions include senior police officers. At least 944 officers and PCSOs currently in service possess a criminal conviction. The figures were released following Freedom Information requests being submitted to 33 out of England and Wales’ 43 police forces. Many police forces were unable to provide information on the criminal records of staff prior to them joining the force, meaning that the true figure is likely to be considerably higher.
The Metropolitan Police, the largest police force in Britain, ranked top of the list with a total of 356 police officers and 41 PCSOs with criminal convictions to their names. The majority of convictions on the records of police officers and PCSOs were for traffic offences. The record of one South Yorkshire Police officer recorded a conviction of fishing in the absence of a licence.
In 2003, the Home Office issued guidelines that told of how police officers must have “proven integrity” as, due to the nature of their employment, they are exposed to pressure from criminals to disclose information. The guidance states that police forces should automatically reject potential new recruits possessing convictions for the most serious criminal offences, including causing actual bodily harm and supplying drugs, and that forces should only recruit new staff with such criminal convictions unless there were “exceptionally compelling circumstances”.
Duncan Lewis’ employment law solicitors can aid clients in determining the way in which their criminal convictions could affect their employment.