A Wiltshire Police officer has been dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing that found his actions amounted to gross misconduct.
PC Joshua Harper was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour during a hearing held on 13 December 2024 at Wiltshire Police Headquarters, chaired by Chief Constable Catherine Roper.
Of the four allegations considered during the hearing, two were upheld, specifically relating to:
- Authority, Respect, and Courtesy
- Confidentiality, Discreditable Conduct, and Honesty and Integrity
The hearing concluded that PC Harper’s behaviour, including sharing inappropriate material with a member of the public for his own sexual gratification, significantly undermined public trust in policing.
As a result, PC Harper was dismissed without notice and has been placed on the national barred list, preventing him from working in any policing role in the future.
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper said:
“The actions of PC Harper go against everything we stand for in policing. PC Harper shared inappropriate material with a member of the public for his own sexual gratification and, in the process, undermined the trust that the public place in us to serve them according to the highest possible standards.
“We continue to act robustly where behaviour is reported to us that falls short of what our communities expect and deserve. We will not stop until we root out behaviours such as those displayed by PC Harper from our organisation. Only through doing this can we ensure that we maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour and build the trust and confidence of the communities we are here to serve.”
Wiltshire Police reaffirmed its commitment to holding officers to account and ensuring that inappropriate behaviour has no place in the force.
This case highlights the force’s ongoing efforts to maintain public confidence by upholding the highest professional standards.
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