Officer would have been fired had he not already quit

Friday, 22 September 2023 01:00

A former Wiltshire Police officer would have been dismissed for discreditable conduct had he not resigned from the organisation.

A three-day misconduct hearing, held at Wiltshire Police Headquarters, concluded that the actions of former Salisbury CPT officer Pete Burden amounted to gross misconduct and had he still been employed by the Force, he would have been dismissed without notice.

In May 2022, Mr Burden acted in an unprofessional manner by lying to his supervisor about making home visits while on duty.

The panel did not uphold two other allegations.

Mr Burden’s actions breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour for police officers of discreditable conduct, duties and responsibilities and honesty and integrity.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said: “The actions of former Police Constable Burden fell well below the exemplary standards of professionalism that the public quite rightly expect from all police officers and staff. Upon becoming aware of his behaviour, he was immediately suspended from his role and an investigation commenced by the Force Professional Standards department.

“Mr Burden resigned from his role earlier this year. However, had he not, he would have been dismissed without notice from the force today. There is no place in Wiltshire Police for anyone who conducts themselves in this manner. He will now be placed on the national barred list which will ensure he will not be able to work in policing in future.

“His actions undermine the work of our committed officers and staff who are dedicated to providing the best service possible to the public. We are committed to ensuring every single member of our organisation carries out their duties to the highest standards and we will act robustly if this is found to not be the case.

“Further, I would encourage any member of the community who may have concerns about the conduct or professionalism of any of our officers or staff to contact the Force Professional Standards Department, CrimeStoppers or the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”