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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for (a) the Metropolitan police force, (b) the south-east regional crime squad and (c) the National Criminal Intelligence Service, for each of the last 10 years (i) how many officers were investigated for corruption, (ii) for how long officers under investigation were suspended broken down by three-month intervals, (iii) the outcome of the investigation and (iv) how many officers investigated for corruption resigned their position (1) while suspended and (2) within a year of investigations being completed or discontinued. [6689] Mr. Maclean: [holding answer 2 December 1996]: Information on the number of officers investigated for corruption is not available for the period requested as records were not kept by type of allegation. Table 1 sets out, from 1990 onwards, the numbers of Metropolitan police officers who were suspended for corruption, and the breakdown of the length of the suspension. Table 1 also gives details of the outcome of the investigations, including the numbers of those under investigation who were required to resign or who resigned from the service before their case was heard by a disciplinary board. The information requested at iv. (2) is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The National Criminal Intelligence Service was formed on 1 April 1992 and the south-east regional crime squad was formed on 1 April 1993. Police officers are seconded to these organisations from the Metropolitan police service and from provincial forces. The responsibility for the conduct of any criminal or disciplinary investigation and, if appropriate, for the suspension of seconded officers rests with an officer's home force. Figures for NCIS and SERCS are included, therefore, within the Metropolitan police service figures. I understand that there have been no other corruption investigations or suspensions relating to officers seconded to these organisations from other forces. Table 1: Metropolitan police officers suspended for corruption 1990 to 1996 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 so far Number of officers 1 2 2 {1}3 2 0 2 Number of months on suspension 1-3 months 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3-6 months 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 6-9 months 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9-12 months 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-2 years 0 1 0 {1}3 1 0 0 Still suspended 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 Final outcome Reinstated 1 1 0 {1}1 1 0 0 Dismissed 0 1 1 {1}1 0 0 0 Required to resign 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Resigned before board 0 0 0 {1}1 0 0 0 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1}These figures are made up of two officers from the Regional Crime Squad and one from NCIS. The NCIS officer was reinstated and of the Regional Crime Squad officers one resigned, the other was dismissed.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

6689; 286 c596-8W;286 c594-6W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Discipline Corruption Police Metropolitan Police National Criminal Intelligence Service South East Regional Crime Squad

Contains statistics

Yes