Thread: 944 Police & PCSOs have criminal records

Nearly 1,000 serving police officers and PCSOs have a criminal record

More than 900 serving police officers and community support officers have a criminal record, official figures show.
Forces across England and Wales employ policemen and women with convictions including burglary, causing death by careless driving, robbery, supplying drugs, domestic violence, forgery and perverting the course of justice.
Those with criminal records include senior officers, among them two detective chief inspectors and one chief inspector working for the Metropolitan Police.
At least 944 currently serving officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) have a conviction, according to figures released by 33 of the 43 forces in England and Wales in response to Freedom of Information requests.
Many forces could not provide details of criminal records dating from before their staff joined the police, meaning the true figure will be significantly higher.

Nearly 1,000 serving police officers and PCSOs have a criminal record - Telegraph

The report ends with the information:

Home Office guidelines issued in 2003 say police officers should have ''proven integrity'' because they are vulnerable to pressure from criminals to reveal information.
The guidance says forces should reject potential recruits with convictions for serious offences - including causing actual bodily harm, burglary, dangerous driving and supplying drugs - unless there are ''exceptionally compelling circumstances''.

Elsewhere in this forum, posters are bleating about awarding a tin medal to a previously convicted businessman.
Where's the outcry over convicted criminals serving as Police personnel when they're often in charge of collecting and keeping valuable material, crucial evidence, and high-value illegal substances?

hang about, how can that be?

i thought you had to be 100% clean to be a cop. I know people who have applied and refused because of convictions, and were told you can re-apply when your record is clean, which is 99 years after your convictions.....

Unless these guys have been serving since the 40/50's i cant see how thats possible.

Not commenting on specifics but many people who have fallen off the rails and been convicted and punished are probably more honest than your average citizen who has been getting away little crimes all their life.
Watching the Leveson press enquiry, convicted inside dealer James Hipwell of the Mirror came across as the most honest witness by far. He had nothing to hide anymore, put his past behind him and would certainly trust him over Piers Morgan or Kelvin MacKenzie.

yeah they only got in or are still in their jobs if they committed the offence whilst serving in either the pcso`s or the police in general because their family members were in the police force thats the reason why.

Originally Posted by rjt

If this information was known and none of these people lied about it when joining the force then it is a decision alone for those employing the person as it should be in any profession.

We don't take that attitude where the job involves children. This implies one class of transgressor continues to pose a risk. Why shouldn't the same reasoning be applied to particular jobs where honesty is thought desirable?

I suggest honesty should be a prime requirement of a Police Officer and everyone in the Police Service...