Sexual Offences / Police officers (47A/23)

6 February 2023 | Discipline, Complaints and Legal

Request

Response

Our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to provide this information within the appropriate (cost) limit within the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act (see ‘Reason for Decision’ below).

The data that you have requested is not in a retrievable format, ie there is no search function within our data system that will pull this information back. In order to get an accurate picture, every individual record (of which there are thousands for the years requested) would need to be assessed. This exceed the 18 hours for the purposes of the FOI Act.

Although excess cost removes the force’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, as a gesture of goodwill I have supplied information, relative to your request, retrieved before it was realised that the fees limit would be exceeded (see enclosed document). I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of the request.

We have manually for quite some time (since 2020) kept a record of convicted officers.  We have provided this information below.  It is important to note that information is as accurate as it can be given the human error element – as it is a manual record, some information may have been missed. Please note that 2022 data may be a little behind if the sheet has not yet been updated, or the conviction is extremely recent.

1. The number of officers convicted of a sexual offence as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in the last three years e.g. rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, rape of a child under 13 and where possible break down by:
2. a) year
3. b) type of sexual offence
4. c) rank of officer

2020: 1 officer

1 child sexual offence – PC

2021: 0 officers

2022: 1 officer
possession of indecent images – PC

 

2. The number of officers convicted of other offences in the last three years and where possible break down by:
3. a) year
4. b) type of offence, e.g. common assault, criminal damage, GBH
5. c) by rank of officer

2020: 2 officers
Class B possession – PC

Driving under the influence – PC

 

2021: 8 officers
3 x Assault – PC, PC, Insp
1 x Theft, PC
2 x Drink Drive -PC, PC
1 x Driving Offence – PC
1 x Abuse of Police Powers – PC

 

2022: 2 officers

Theft – PC

Racially aggravated public order – PC

3. The number of police staff convicted of a sexual offence as covered under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in the last three years, as in point one, and where possible broken down by year and type of offence.

0 police staff have been convicted of sexual offences in the last three years.

 

4. The number of police staff convicted of other offences in the last three years as in point two, and where possible broken down by year and type of offence.

0 police staff have been convicted of other offences in the last three years.

 

5. The number of convicted police officers as set out in points one and two that were handed prison sentences or suspended prison sentences for these convictions, and where possible broken down by
6. a) sexual offences or other offences
7. b) year

Please note that this data will not be linked to the year, exemption S40 Personal Information (as an individual might be identified).

The withheld information is exempt by virtue of the following exemptions

 

Section 40 (2) personal data

Section 40(2) is an absolute and class-based exemption if to release the information exists would breach the third party’s data protection rights.  In this case to release this personal information would not constitute fair processing of the data. As this exemption is class based I am not required to identify the harm in disclosure and in this instance, I believe that the right to privacy outweighs any public interest in release

 

Any further details regarding these incidents are exempt by the following:

 

Section 40 (2) – Personal information

 

These exemptions and explanatory notes are shown here:

 

https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/information-management/freedom-of-information/#freedom-of-information-exemptions

 

For sexual offences: (2 officers in total)

1 x suspended sentence

 

For other offences: (12 officers in total)

1 suspended sentence with conditional discharge

2 x imprisonment

 

6. The number of police staff as set out in point three and four that were handed prison sentences or suspended prison sentences, and if possible broken down by
7. a) sexual offences or other offences
8. b) year

N/A as above.

7. Of the officers convicted of a sexual offence as covered under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, how many of these retained their job in the force, and how many of these serve in the force currently (if these numbers differ)?

Zero officers.

8. Of the officers convicted of other offences, how many of these retained their job in the force AND who serve in the force currently (if these numbers differ)?

Zero officers.

9. Of the staff convicted of a sexual offence as covered under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, how many of these retained their job in the force AND who serve in the force currently (if these numbers differ)?

N/A as above.

10. Of the staff convicted of other offences, how many of these retained their job in the force AND who serve in the force currently (if these numbers differ)?

N/A as above.

11. Of the officers and staff who retained their job with the force, how many faced internal disciplinary proceedings?

N/A as above.

We want our officers to uphold the highest of standards so the public has the utmost confidence in them.

Sexual harassment and abuse are 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.

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