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May 2024

News

Third North Yorkshire Police officer suspended

Published: 16 May 2024, 06:05 BST

by Flora Grafton

A third North Yorkshire Police officer has been suspended from duty while under investigation.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates the most serious complaints about police conduct, revealed the news today.

It said in a statement it had opened an investigation into a senior officer after the case was referred on April 30.

The IOPC said the referral related to “information provided by the officer during a series of vetting procedures”.

It added:

“Our independent investigation began on May 3 and will look at whether the officer may have committed, or witnessed and failed to report, a criminal offence.

“The investigation will also consider whether the officer knowingly failed to disclose information during a number of vetting processes since that time.”

The officer has now been notified they are under a criminal investigation, the IOPC said, adding:

“We have also served a notice informing them we are investigating potential gross misconduct relating to alleged breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour for: honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities; and discreditable conduct.”

The name of the officer, or where he or she is based, have not been revealed.

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said:

“These are serious allegations, and it is important that we carry out a thorough investigation to determine the facts. This will be carried out by the IOPC, entirely independently of the police.

“However, I would stress that these remain allegations at this time and this does not necessarily mean that criminal charges or disciplinary proceedings will follow.

“At the end of the investigation, we will decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision, and also decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police confirmed the officer had been suspended, and said it would “not be appropriate to comment further” due to the ongoing investigation.

Latest investigation

The news comes after three other North Yorkshire Police officers were recently placed under investigation by the IOPC.

In April, two officers were placed under investigation, and one of them suspended, after an arrest turned violent in Tockwith in January.

The police said at the time it had referred the case to the IOPC following “concerns raised about the officers' use of force” at the scene of a road traffic collision.

It added:

“Officers attended, and arrested a man in his 40s in connection with the incident.

“The man became violent towards officers, who used force to restrain and arrest him. He was taken to custody, and subsequently released on bail while enquiries continue.”

The police watchdog previously revealed a senior officer had been suspended and was under criminal investigation in December.

It said the investigation related to the “potential offences of misconduct in public office, improper exercise of police powers and intent to pervert the course of justice”.

The Stray Ferret reported both suspended officers remained on full pay.

The IOPC today told the Stray Ferret both previous investigations were still ongoing.

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