Hampshire Constabulary statement following dismissal of police officer

Hampshire Constabulary have released a statement after a Portsmouth police officer was found guilty of gross misconduct.

A Hampshire Constabulary police officer found to have committed gross misconduct has been dismissed from the force with immediate effect.

Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs said: “There is no place in policing for those who use their position to abuse the trust placed in us by vulnerable members of the public.

“As the independent chair said today the officer was acting for his own personal gain, seeking an improper relationship with a vulnerable woman. This not only impacted on her trust in the police, but on the trust the public place in us.

“Every member of our workforce should always uphold the highest levels of professionalism and integrity at all times, especially in the execution of their core policing duties. It is what the public expects from us.

“We know that on the occasions when they don’t meet these standards, we are rightly questioned on what we are doing to ensure our communities can continue to have trust and confidence in us. The actions of this officer not only let down the woman he was supposed to protect, but also undermines the exceptional work his colleagues do every day to keep people safe.

“As a force, we work extremely hard to ensure these standards are maintained and encourage the challenging of any behaviour that does not meet this level.

“We have robust systems in place for reporting any breach of professional standards. Everyone is expected to stand up and call out bad behaviours that have no place in policing, whether directly, through their line managers or via our internal confidential reporting line. Concerns can also be reported externally via our force website, the IOPC or Crimestoppers. It is vitally important the public feel confident they can trust us to thoroughly investigate and take action in such circumstances, as was demonstrated in this case.

“Our communities can have trust and confidence that such inappropriate behaviour in our workforce is rooted out and that we are a force that serves with respect, integrity and without fear or favour.”