The number of policemen sacked or barred in England and Wales reached a new record in the year ending March 2024.
According to the figures of the College of Policing 593 police officers have been sacked in the last year, a rise of nearly 50% compared to the previous one.
The Police Barred List, published by the College, also reveals the reasons why officers were fired. There are 912 recorded reasons, as each case can have multiple reasons.
The majority (519) were constables but all ranks are included in the totals and this year two chief officers have been added.
In 125 cases, dishonesty was the most common cause of dismissal. In 74 cases there were allegations of sexual misconduct or offences, while in 71 cases it was discriminatory behavior.
In 66 cases, the cause was an unauthorized access or disclosure of data. 18 of these cases involved officers who belonged to a racist WhatsApp group.
18 officers were dismissed for having indecent pictures of children, and 33 others for using their positions for sexual purposes.
Since the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 by serving officer Wayne Couzens, police forces have been under scrutiny. Independent reviews were commissioned by the Metropolitan Police, among others, to examine their workplace culture.
These reviews revealed examples of institutional racism and homophobia, as well as misogyny. They highlighted specific incidents where officers shared inappropriate messages in WhatsApp groups, or cases when previous offenses were overlooked during recruitment.
Tom Harding (assistant chief constable, director of operational standards, college) said that it was “hugely disappointed” to see the officers’ behavior fall below standard.
These figures demonstrate that we have robust, effective procedures in place for identifying and dealing with these officers quickly, as well as preventing them from assuming future roles within police.
These figures demonstrate that people who do not meet the high standards of our police forces have nowhere to go. Their behavior tarnishes the police and undermines public confidence.
The service will continue to work to ensure that we attract the best people into policing. Those who do not meet these high standards are no longer eligible to be a police officer.
The college said that there are over 147,000 officers in 43 police forces across England and Wales. Dismissals accounted for 0.35%.
Subscribe to our weekly HR news and guidance
Every Wednesday, receive the Personnel Today Direct newsletter.
Also, 30 officers of the Special Constabulary have been dismissed.
