Following the government’s announcement that police officers found guilty or gross misconduct will face automatic sackings, Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott has welcomed the news.
Under the new system, Chief Constables will chair misconduct panels, which hear any serious allegations against officers. Until now the panels have been chaired by an independent lawyer.
Mr Scott said: “I am pleased that Ministers have listened to PCCs and Chief Constables and proposed a sensible way forward on the dismissal of officers found to have acted in a criminal or corrupt way.
“Chief Constables already have the ability to dismiss police officers in some circumstances. But the public rightly questions why it takes so long and people remain in receipt of a salary when they are not fit to serve.
“This proposal strikes the right balance between speeding up the process, expanding the powers of the Chief Constable and importantly, retaining an independent person to contribute to the process.”