Nearly 600 police officers sacked in a year as shocking figures reveal extent of misconduct crackdown
5 November 2024, 09:36
Nearly 600 police officers were sacked and barred from returning to the force in the year to March 2024, newly released figures have revealed.
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The figure marks a record number of misconduct cases brought against serving officers, including recent high profile cases including that of disgraced officer Wayne Couzens.
The numbers saw dismissal rates sky-rocket by a staggering 50 per cent in the last year.
Running from April 2023 to March 2024, the huge rise follows figures of 394 officer dismissals over the previous 12 months.
The figures, released by the College of Policing, shine a light on the crackdown in police misconduct in a bid "clean up" the force in the wake several high-profile dismissals.
Cases recently blighting headlines have included former Met officer Couzens, who kidnapped and murdered Sarah Everard, 33, and former officer David Carrick, who was revealed to be one of the worst serial sex attackers in British history.
The former saw several other officers punished for sharing offensive WhatsApp messages over group chats.
There are currently around 147,000 officers spread across 43 police forces in England and Wales, with the misconduct dismissals amounting to less than 1% of all officers.
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It comes just days after a police officer nominated for a bravery award was barred from the force over sexual impropriety.
Former PC Justin Robbie, who was based in Bristol, was one of the first on the scene of the Twinnell House fire in 2022.
He went on to save two men who were hanging from a top-floor window ledge, however, the officer has now been dismissed without notice from Avon and Somerset Police for gross misconduct.
It follows allegations of inappropriate requests and messages sent to a female colleague.
