PSD Misconduct and Complaints Transparency Data - April to June 2025
Northamptonshire Police currently comprises of 1,446.31 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Police Officers, 81.4 FTE Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), 1076.55 Other Members of Police Staff, together with a further 93 Special Constables; a total of 2,604.26 FTE individuals.
During the second quarter of the year 2024, the Force dealt with 48,255 reported incidents and investigated 14,953 crimes which led to 2,766 arrests.
During this period the Professional Standards Department (PSD) recorded a total of 375 new Complaint cases (public complaints) and 23 new Misconduct cases (internal matters).
During this period PSD formally investigated and finalised a total of 20 cases of Misconduct, involving 11 Police Officers and 5 member of Police Staff and 4 Special Constables (NB: some of these matters may have been recorded in previous reporting period):
- 3 cases resulted in a finding of no case to answer.
- 11 cases resulted in a case to answer for which Reflective Practice was the outcome.
- 1 cases resulted in a case to answer and were assessed as amounting to Misconduct (1).
- 5 cases resulted in a case to answer and were assessed as amounting to Gross Misconduct (2)(3); these related to 3 Police Officer’s, 1 Special Constables and 1 member of Police Staff who attended a Gross Misconduct hearing.
- 0 cases resulted with no action due to the individual leaving the Force.
(1) Misconduct is defined as a Breach of Standards of Professional Behaviour so serious that if either admitted or proven, a Written Warning could be justified, as described in Schedule 2 to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020. These matters are heard at a Misconduct Meeting.
(2) Gross Misconduct is defined as a Breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour so serious that if either admitted or proven, dismissal from the Police Service would be justified. These matters are heard at a Misconduct Hearing.
(3) Note that where Officers or Members of Police Staff are dismissed because of misconduct proceedings or who resign or retire during misconduct proceedings, appropriate vetting records are maintained and can and will be disclosed in the event such an Officer or Member of Staff seeks employment with another Law Enforcement Agency.
During this period PSD had cause to arrange additional disciplinary proceedings under the Police Reform Act, in respect of Complaint cases being finalised:
- 0 case resulted in a case to answer and were assessed as amounting to Misconduct (2).
- 0 Gross Misconduct went through the HR Dismissal process.
Misconduct Meeting Outcomes during this period:
| Date | Breach of Standards | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| April 2025 |
It was alleged that a Staff member looked up a colleagues daughter's boyfriend on Niche without a policing purpose. If proven, this is a breach of the Standards of Professional behaviour relating to Orders & Instructions, Duties & Responsibilities, Confidentiality. Taking everything into consideration, the chair assessed the seriousness of the Misconduct as requiring a written warning. |
Proven Outcome: Written Warning (18 months) |
Misconduct Hearing Outcomes during this period:
| Date | Breach of Standards | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
April 2025 Hearing |
It was alleged that a Police Officer breached the Standards of Behaviour relating to Discreditable Conduct, Authority, Respect & Courtesy & Equality and Diversity when he behaved in an inappropriately familiar manner towards a colleague, by touching her in a way which was unwanted. The panel noted "we have come to the view that, keeping in mind the threefold purpose of police conduct proceedings, we can deal with the unusual set of facts by way of a written warning. We take the view that this represents a significant imposition on an officer". |
Proven Outcome: Written Warning |
|
May 2025 Hearing |
It was alleged that the Police Officer showed unwanted sexual conduct towards a colleague. The Officers breached the Standards of Behaviour relating to Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct. The panel determined that there was only one appropriate and proportionate conclusion that it could reach in the circumstances, namely, to impose disciplinary action, this means that had the former officer still been a member of the Northamptonshire Police force, the panel would have dismissed him without notice. |
Proven Outcome: Dismissed without notice |
|
June 2025 Hearing |
It was alleged that a Police Officer engaged in sexual activity with two females in circumstances where he knew they had been drinking and took deliberate steps to be alone with them, in doing so, he acted in a predatory way. The Officers breached the Standards of Behaviour relating to Integrity, Discreditable Conduct, and Authority, Respect and Courtesy. The panel was driven to the conclusion that the misconduct in this case, and the harm caused by it, was so serious that the only possible outcome was a finding that the former officer would have been dismissed if he had not ceased to be a police officer. |
Proven Outcome: Would have been dismissed |
Special Case Hearing Outcomes during this period (chaired by the Chief Constable):
| Date | Breach of Standards | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
May 2025 Accelerated Hearing |
It was alleged the Police Officer sent electronic communications which were of a sexual nature to a social media account which he believed was controlled by a person he met as an officer in charge of their criminal complaint and whom he knew was a vulnerable adult for the purpose of pursuing an improper relationship with them. The Officer breached the Standards of Behaviour relating to Discreditable Conduct. The Chief Constable considered the available evidence and found the matter proved as Gross Misconduct determining "that the seriousness of the conduct means the only appropriate outcome that would provide reassurance to the public is that the officer should be dismissed without notice". |
Proven Outcome: Dismissed without notice |
The PDF version of this document can be found below.