A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed without notice after making inappropriate comments about using force and disparaging remarks about victims of crime at Charing Cross. PC Richard Marus, who was attached to the Met’s Central West Command Unit, was dismissed after allegations against him were proven at an accelerated gross misconduct hearing. The hearing was told that Marus boasted about driving a police vehicle in an inappropriate manner and suggested that he was looking forward to using force against members of the public. He also made disparaging and dismissive comments about people reporting mobile phone crime. Marus becomes the 11th serving officer to be dismissed over unacceptable conduct at Charing Cross.
Comments caught during BBC undercover filming
The officer’s behaviour was captured on camera during filming for the BBC Panorama investigation Undercover in the Police. Although the footage involving Marus was not included in the programme when it was broadcast in October, additional unaired footage was subsequently provided to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The watchdog’s investigation into the behaviour of a number of officers based at Charing Cross remains ongoing. The misconduct hearing also heard that Marus said he would make “arrest worthy” comments when speaking to people he knew but would be more cautious around new recruits. His accelerated gross misconduct hearing took place on Tuesday, August 4. The allegations were proven and he was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to authority, respect and courtesy, as well as discreditable conduct.
Met: ‘Commitment to raising standards’
Commander Simon Messinger, responsible for Professionalism at the Metropolitan Police, said: “PC Marus is the eleventh serving officer to be dismissed for unacceptable conduct at Charing Cross and we continue to support the ongoing IOPC investigation. “The scale and speed in which we have dealt with this issue demonstrates our commitment to raising standards and addressing cultural issues in the Met.” Marus was dismissed without notice. He will also be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, preventing him from rejoining policing or working for a number of other police-related organisations. The IOPC investigation into the conduct of officers at Charing Cross continues.
