Gross Misconduct (453A/23)
Request
Between 2018 and 2022 inclusive:
1. How many police officers in your force have been found guilty of:
a) gross misconduct?
b) gross misconduct on account of a sexual assault incident, a domestic abuse incident, or coercive control?
2. How many of those officers found guilty continued to serve as police officers? Please give separate figures for a) and b).
3. How many of those found guilty were dismissed as a result? Please give separate figures for a) and b).
4. How many of those found guilty resigned? Please give separate figures for a) and b).
5. How many of those found guilty lost all of their pension? Please give separate figures for a) and b).
6. How many of those found guilty lost part of their pension? Please give separate figures for a) and b).
7. How many officers in your force have been criminally convicted of a rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse or coercive control offence?
8. How many officers who received the aforementioned criminal convictions continued to serve as police officers (even if they subsequently retired in line with length of service expectations)?
Response
We want our officers to uphold the highest of standards so the public has the utmost confidence in them.
Sexual and domestic abuse is simply unacceptable but when it is done by a police officer – who holds a position of power and someone the public should trust – it must be rooted out and eliminated.
We must do everything we can to maintain public confidence and trust in policing.
This will provide reassurance to the public that we mean it when we say we’ll do all we can to preserve and rebuild trust.
Questions 5&6 – This information is held by the Office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (WMPCC). The WMPCC are a separate body to West Midlands Police and therefore you will need to direct this part of your request to their office: https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/freedom-of-information/
Questions 1-4 & 7-8 Please find attached (453A_23_attachment.pdf). It should be noted though that due to the changes in Police (Conduct) Regulations in February 2020, information prior to this time would have been recorded under previous regulations where recording may be inaccurate and therefore, any data before this time should be taken as being unreliable.
If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would therefore ask you to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.