An officer dismissed from Bedfordshire Police this week, after being found to have sexually assaulted a woman, marks the tenth to be fired from the force in just 12 months and the fifth for sexual offences.
PC Dermot Dunne was instantly dismissed yesterday (Thursday) at the conclusion of a four-day misconduct hearing and will be placed on the barred list. He had been suspended prior to the hearing.
Following the dismissal, Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said the outcome reinforced the force’s zero tolerance for misconduct, particularly sexual offences, and that “there is simply no place in our organisation for anyone capable of such abhorrent behaviour”.
PC Dunne was found to have used a police computer system and obtained the victim’s mobile phone number, where he pursued a sexual relationship with her.
Several years later the relationship was rekindled and continued when PC Dunne was being investigated for a similar matter.
He failed to notify PSD about these circumstances and continued a sexual relationship with someone who he knew was now vulnerable.
The allegations with regards to sexually attacking the victim and use of a sedative were found not proven by the panel.
He will be placed on the College of Policing barred list, banning him from returning to policing or other similar professions.
“The behaviour of PC Dunne was appalling and completely unacceptable,” said the Chief Constable.
“There is simply no place in our organisation for anyone capable of such abhorrent behaviour and we will continue to do everything possible to root out any individual who falls short of the high standards I demand of our officers and staff.
“We are working hard to build an inclusive culture which does not tolerate such behaviour or attitudes, and we actively encourage colleagues to call out concerns so we can take action or address behaviour at an early stage,” he said.
“Likewise, the public should know that their concerns and reports of misconduct and unethical behaviour will be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Complaint figures
There were 666 formal complaints about Bedfordshire Police officers in the year to April 2021 involving 326 officers.
Of these, just four were referred to the official disciplinary process, according to figures from the Home Office.
From 2021 to 2022, the number of complaints had risen to 1,073 against 596 across 295 cases. 10 of those officers were subject to recordable conduct matters.
The Chief Constable says he takes the issue of police misconduct seriously, “We know behaviour and cases such as this will concern our communities.
“But I want to reassure people that we are determined to identify anyone in our ranks who behaves like this and get them out of policing for good.
“We are committed to keeping women and girls safe and expect the highest standards of professionalism and integrity from our officers and staff.”
