Former Derbyshire Police Officer’s Misconduct Could Have Led to Job Loss
Derbyshire Police Chief Constable Rachel Swann stated that ex-PC George Shepherd would have faced dismissal if he were still serving with the force. Shepherd was found guilty of breaching the Data Protection Act 2018 by unlawfully accessing private information using police systems. This misconduct resulted in fines exceeding £1,000 after a trial at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court in July last year.
Chief Constable Swann oversaw an expedited misconduct hearing on 27 February, ruling that Shepherd’s actions constituted gross misconduct. Consequently, Shepherd’s name will be included in the College of Policing’s barred list, barring him from future service as a police officer.
Despite no prior performance issues, Swann highlighted that Shepherd failed to acknowledge the severity of his actions. She emphasized that a mere warning would have been inadequate given his repeated offenses and lack of remorse.
Swann’s report noted Shepherd’s refusal to accept wrongdoing, despite being convicted in court. She concluded that while not all criminal convictions warrant dismissal, Shepherd’s case lacked significant mitigating factors.
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Source: Derbyshire Police
