As of March 2024, nearly 600 police officers in England and Wales have been dismissed, according to figures released on Tuesday.
This marks a dramatic 50 percent increase from the 394 officers who were sacked the previous year, amid ongoing efforts by police leaders to restore public confidence following numerous scandals.
Among those dismissed, 74 officers faced termination due to sexual offences and misconduct, while 18 were let go for possessing indecent images of children. These statistics were compiled by the College of Policing, an independent public organization.
The integrity of policing in the UK has been severely damaged since the 2021 case involving Sarah Everard, a marketing executive who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a serving officer in London’s Metropolitan Police. The officer was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
In a related case, another officer from the same unit was sentenced to 36 life terms for committing a shocking series of 71 sexual offences, including the rape of 12 women.
Dishonesty was the most common reason for dismissal, accounting for 125 cases, followed by 71 officers who were removed for discriminatory behaviour.
Tom Harding, Assistant Chief Constable of the College of Policing, expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is hugely disappointing to see the conduct of several officers falling far below the standard that we set… and which the public rightly expects.”
He also noted that the increase in dismissals reflects the “effective, robust procedures in place to identify and deal with these officers swiftly.” Harding emphasized, “Their behaviour tarnishes policing and erodes public trust.”
In January 2023, the Metropolitan Police disclosed that 1,071 officers from their 34,000-strong force were under investigation for domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
Overall, the police workforce in England and Wales exceeds 147,000 across 43 forces.
