Exclusive: 24 serving Greater Manchester police have criminal convictions – four for violence

By Ian Silvera  

Four serving police officers of the Greater Manchester Police Authority have convictions for violence against persons, Mancunian Matters can reveal.

Mancunian Matters can also reveal that there are in total 24 serving police officers who have criminal convictions.

Of the 24, 16 have traffic related convictions; two officers have a public order conviction, one officer has a misconduct in public office conviction, another officer has a conviction for no TV licence, and four officers have convictions for violence against persons.

Commenting on the information, Chief Inspector Mike Dawson, of the professional standards branch, said: “Out of 8,000 serving police officers, GMP currently has 24 who have criminal convictions. 

“The vast majority of these are for motoring offences.”

He added: "Greater Manchester Police expects high standards from its police officers, whether on or off duty and when we are notified of an officer’s conviction an assessment is made whether the officer concerned should face disciplinary proceedings." 

Campaigners object to officers being able to serve who have convictions for violence against persons.

Patrick Ward, spokesperson for United Campaign Against Police Violence, said: “It is shocking that Greater Manchester Police Authority continues to employ officers with criminal convictions for violence. It shows the double standards of policing, that officers convicted of violence are then trusted prevent others doing the same.”

He added: “These findings further blow away the myth that police keep the peace, rather than all too often breaching it themselves without consequences.”

Figures published by the Daily Mail reveal that nationally at least 900 serving police officers have criminal convictions.

The Metropolitan Police, for example, have 397 officers with criminal convictions, and Kent Police have 49 serving police officers with convictions. 

Like the Greater Manchester officers, serving officers throughout the country have convictions ranging from traffic offences to violence.  

Growing Concerns

The death of Ian Tomlinson during the G-2O summit protests in 2009 reinvigorated scrutiny against police forces across the country.

More recently, concerns were raised with the way some Greater Manchester police officers dealt with suspected rioters during the 2011 summer riots.

One video attracted attention when it appeared to show a suspected rioter being hit by police officers with their batons and one officer kick the man while he was on the floor. 

The footage was taken on August 9th, 2011, in Manchester.