A Sussex police officer has been given a final written warning after they submitted study assessments which were not their own work to try and gain promotion.
The officer, who has been granted anonymity, submitted six work book assignments across five dates between November 2022 and June 2023 where the percentages of copied work ranged from 7% to 69%. Two parts of the last submission both contained 97% copied work.
At a misconduct hearing which concluded today, a panel found this behaviour breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of honesty and integrity and duties and responsibilities and this amounted to gross misconduct. The officer was given a final written warning for three years.
Sussex Police has not released any details of where the officer or based, or even whether they are a man or a woman. No reason for granting anonymity has been given.
Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme, Deputy head of Professional Standards said: “We expect our officers and staff to act with honesty and integrity, and in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour.
“We use various assessments to develop our supervisors and ensure they are skilled and competent in supporting their staff to best serve the public.
“Supervisors set the expected standards for our staff, and by passing off work completed by someone else as their own, this officer did not meet the standard expected, which is reflected in the findings by the panel.”
The misconduct hearing was held at Sussex Police headquarters from 29 January to 3 February in front of a panel chaired by Surrey Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner, who directed that the officer would remain anonymous.
The officer, referred to as PC W, was granted anonymity by the chair after making legal representations before the hearing. It is the responsibility of the chair to determine whether or not a hearing is partially or wholly held in public or in private, and whether any participant should be anonymised.
