Serving Police Officers with criminal convictions

The request was partially successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Please consider this communication as a request for information in accordance with the FOISA 2002.

How many current serving Metropolitan Police Officers have criminal convictions?

Please also supply a break down by crime.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Hush.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr. Hush,

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2010110000712
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 03/11/2010. I note you seek
access to the following information:

* "How many current serving Metropolitan Police Officers have criminal
convictions?"

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act,
subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference
to a third party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to
achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and
given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your
right of complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
write or contact Katie London on telephone number 02071613907 quoting
the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Katie London
Policy and Support Officer
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think
the decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your
request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is
to telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your
decision letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues
and assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision
of the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act)
regarding access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS
to have the decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days
from the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied
with the decision you may make application to the Information
Commissioner for a decision on whether the request for information has
been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information
Commissioner please visit their website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk. Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

show quoted sections

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Further to my previous request for information, by law, the MPS should normally have responded by 2 December 2010.

This email therefore serves as a reminder of your responsibility to respond to my request immediately, according to this legislation.

Yours faithfully,

Graham Hush

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Hush,

I have forwarded your email to the Information Manager dealing with your
request and asked that he provides you with an update on your request.

Please let me know if you do not hear anything.

Kind Regards,

Katie London | FOIA Policy and Support Officer | Security Standards and
Architecture | Directorate of Information | Public Access Office
Metropolitan Police Service
Email - [email address] | Phone - 0207 161 3907 | Met Phone -
783907
Address - Public Access Office, PO BOX 57192, London SW6 1SF
Protective Marking: Not Protectively Marked
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Recipients of this email should be aware that all communications within
and to and from the Metropolitan Police Service are subject to
consideration for release under the Data Protection Act, Freedom of
Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations. The MPS will
consider information for release unless there is are valid and
proportionate public interest reasons not to, therefore, sensitive
information not for public disclosure must be highlighted as such.
Further advice can be obtained from the Public Access Office - 783500.

P Please consider the environment before printing this email. If you do
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Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Many thanks for your response and I look forward to receiving an update soon.

Kind regards,

Graham Hush

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Hush,

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2010110000712

I write in response to your request for information that was received by
the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 03 November 2010. I apologise for
the delay in responding to your request and any inconvenience caused. I
note that you seek access to the following information:

* How many current serving Metropolitan Police Officers have criminal
convictions? Please also supply a break down by crime?

DECISION
The MPS is unable to provide the number of serving police officers that
have a criminal conviction. Whilst this information is held by the MPS, it
is not recorded in a manner where it can be retrieved within the cost
limit set out by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
(Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Please find the internet link to the Freedom of Information and Data
Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees)
Regulations 2004.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2004/2004324...
REASON FOR DECISION
In order to answer your request, a member of staff would have to establish
the number of police officers that have joined the MPS with a criminal
conviction and the number that have received a criminal conviction whilst
employed by the MPS and remained in service.

The number of police officers that have received a criminal conviction
whilst employed by the MPS and remained in service is held upon an MPS
database. It is as such, relatively straightforward to provide this
information to you. I have provided this information below from the dates
for which the information is retrievable by the MPS.

With regard to the number of police officers that have joined the MPS with
a criminal conviction, this information is held by the MPS but it is not
held upon a system where it can be retrieved within the cost limit set out
by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees) Regulations 2004. Whilst the number of police officers recruited by
the MPS with criminal convictions would be relatively few, in order to
accurately answer this question, a manual check of over 32,500 police
officer recruitment records would have to be undertaken. This includes a
large number of records held in paper format.

Having considered your request, I have estimated that the time required to
collate this information in order to provide an accurate answer to your
request would exceed the prescribed cost of a Freedom of Information Act
request. The prescribed cost for collating information in response to a
Freedom of Information Act request is currently set at 18 hours. Under
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a public authority is
not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority
estimates that the cost of complying with that request would exceed the
appropriate limit.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this email serves
as a Refusal Notice.

Section 17(5) of the Act provides:
(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information,
is relying on a claim that section 12 or 14 applies must, within the time
for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that
fact.

Section 12 of the Act provides:
(1) Section 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a
request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of
complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
Please note that the MPS, as well as all police services in England and
Wales, recruit police officers in accordance with the Home Office standard
for police recruitment. Please find the internet link below to the 'Home
Office Circular 54/2003: National Recruitment Standards - Eligibility
Criteria for Police Recruitment and Consistent Recruitment Practices'.

Home Office Circular 54/2003: National Recruitment Standards - Eligibility
Criteria for Police Recruitment and Consistent Recruitment Practices.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/ho...

In relation to police officers in receipt of criminal convictions
(instances where a police officer has appeared at court and has either
been found guilty or pleaded guilty), 336 police officers received a
criminal conviction from 01/01/2002 - 31/10/2010 and are currently serving
with the MPS.

Table one: MPS Police Officers Convicted at Court of a Criminal Offence
from 01 January 2002 to 31 October 2010 that are currently serving with
the MPS, broken down by Charge Category and Calendar Year.
Please note that the charge category 'other' is used to record offences
that cannot be categorised within the broad charge categories.

Table two: MPS Police Officers Convicted at Court of a Criminal Offence
from 01 January 2002 to 31 October 2010 that are currently serving with
the MPS, broken down by Traffic Type and Calendar Year.
Please note that a large proportion of the 310 traffic related offences
present in table two were committed whilst the officers were off-duty.

Securing and maintaining the trust of the community is integral to the
principle of policing by consent and in order to do so, the MPS recognises
that it officers must act with professionalism and integrity whether on or
off duty. The MPS treats each incident where the behaviour of a member of
our staff falls below the standards expected seriously and will, in each
instance, review the suitability of that member of staff, to continue to
serve with the MPS. Each case is judged upon its merits and where
dismissal is deemed inappropriate, the MPS will determine whether an
alternative sanction is justified. This review is undertaken in accordance
with current legislation and guidance. Any employee whose standard of
behaviour is proven to fall below the standards expected is robustly
disciplined by the MPS.

It is of note that the MPS currently employs in excess of 32,500 police
officers and more than 3,600 volunteer police officers in the Metropolitan
Special Constabulary and its Employer Supported Policing programme. It
should also be noted that the overwhelming majority of police officers
retained by the MPS having been convicted of a criminal offence, were
convicted of traffic related offences (including speeding, driving without
due care and attention and a smaller number for driving under the
influence of alcohol). Please also note that a large proportion of the
traffic related offences were committed whilst officers were off-duty.

The MPS is committed to delivering a professional service of the highest
standard to the public and expects its employees to conduct themselves
professionally, ethically and with the utmost integrity at all times. Any
instance where the conduct of our staff brings the MPS into disrepute is
treated extremely seriously by the MPS.

This notice concludes your request for information. I would like to thank
you for your interest in the MPS.

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact Damion Baird on telephone number 0207 230 5204 quoting the
reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Damion Baird
Information Manager
Directorate of Professional Standards

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law. Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New Scotland Yard, Victoria, London,
SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

The Metropolitan Police Service is here for London - on the streets and in
your community, working with you to make our city safer.

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
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References

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John Paffvett left an annotation ()

Dear Sir/Madam,
As the MPS will not rather cannot furnish you with the detailed information I know is computerized and accessed at the press of a button. Simply ask, how many police serving officers have criminal records in line with recruitment and equality policy.
Thats easy!
JP