Senior officers will be able to fire officers for gross misconduct, rather than waiting for them to go through a lengthy disciplinary procedure
Police officers will face automatic dismissal if found guilty of gross misconduct under plans to overhaul the disciplinary process. Chief constables, or other senior officers, will have greater powers to root out and sack rogue staff from their forces as part of reforms which will see them once again preside over misconduct hearings.
But Gavin Stephens, one of Britain’s most senior officers as chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, welcomed the “sensible” plans, telling the PA news agency they will put police chiefs “back in control” of being able to quickly remove corrupt staff from forces.
Under the plans unveiled on Thursday, a finding of gross misconduct will automatically result in a police officer’s dismissal unless exceptional circumstances apply. Independent lawyers will continue to sit on the panel to advise and maintain “rigour”, but now in a supporting role. The outcome of the hearings will still be determined by a majority panel decision and continue to take place in public. Government officials are looking at creating a list of criminal offences that would automatically amount to gross misconduct upon conviction and are also exploring the idea of expanding the rights of police and crime commissioners to challenge disciplinary decisions to make sure chief constables are being held to account for their rulings.
“Otherwise you’re going back to a situation where there is a real risk that effectively by reverting to the pre-2016 system or something similar, police officers or police chiefs are marking their own homework.
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