FoI reveals criminal police officer figures

FoI reveals criminal police officer figures

The Herald reports that at least 170 serving police officers in Scotland have criminal records and many of them picked up their convictions while on duty.

It also emerged that half the police forces that gave information had not sacked a single officer with a criminal conviction.

Strathclyde Police alone has 107 serving officers who have convictions and has dismissed another ten.

Grampian Police has 34 officers with criminal records, none of whom have been dismissed, while Fife Constabulary employs 11 officers who have committed crimes and kept their jobs.

Lothian and Borders has four police officers with criminal convictions and Tayside has sacked just one out of its seven who have records. Dumfries and Galloway has eight police officers with convictions after axing three.

The figures, revealed by Freedom of Information requests from the Liberal Democrats, highlight how officers with convictions ranging from assault to perverting the course of justice and driving offences are still employed on the front line.

Robert Brown, the Liberal Democrats' justice spokesman in Scotland, said the figures were "staggering".

170 police officers 'have criminal record' (The Herald, 12 March 2009)

See also: More than 1,000 police have criminal records - Serving officers convicted of assault, burglary and dishonesty, according to data obtained under freedom of information law (The Guardian, 11 March 2009)