Welsh police officers convicted for ‘drink driving’ and ‘assault’ | Wales

Now at least 295 police officers and PCSOs with convictions are serving with the police, reported by separate figures from 18 forces.

A Freedom of Information Request by the Press Association asked every police force in the UK how many police officers and PCSOs had been convicted in the last three years.

Devon and Cornwall Police said five police officers and five PCSOs had been convicted since 2012, with one officer convicted of possessing indecent images of children and two convicted of indecent exposure.

“Police officers and staff should quite rightly be treated in the same way as any member of the public when committing a criminal offence and the public of Devon and Cornwall can have confidence this will always be the case”.

Forces refused to disclose the names of officers involved in crimes even though they would have been identified in court, arguing that this would breach data protection rules.

Five police officers and one police community support officer in north Wales as well as one Dyfed-Powys Police officer have been convicted of offences in the past three years, figures show.

It also refused to say how many officers in the force had a criminal conviction because retrieving the information would exceed the time limit set out under freedom of information laws.

South Wales and Gwent Police did not provide information.

Forces revealed 309 police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) were convicted of offences from 2012 to June this year.

However, only 25 out of 45 forces provided figures when approached, making it likely that the true figure is much higher.

Warning that the findings could damage trust in the police, Lucy Hastings, director of the charity Victim Support, said: “Victims of crime will clearly find these figures alarming”. Of those, 54 were still serving, including 10 awaiting the conclusion of misconduct review hearings.

But no figures for officers with criminal convictions have been made available by Staffordshire Police following the FOI request by national news organisation the Press Association.

And a male detective constable at Cheshire Constabulary was convicted of possession of a class A drug.

Other offences included perjury, theft, harassment, possession of offensive weapons, perverting the course of justice and driving offences.

“Together we the Police Code of Ethics, the Force’s Professional Standards Department will always take robust action when any criminal matter is reported involving our own staff”.

David Knopwood at West Yorkshire Police.