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1,600 UK police officers seized in 5 yrs for criminal activity

File photo of British police officers arresting a protester in the capital London

Over 1,600 British police officers have been arrested across England and Wales in the past five years on the suspicion of committing rape, narcotics trafficking and fraud.

A total of 1,629 UK police officers were detained during the period for criminal offenses that included assault, grievous bodily harm, and manslaughter, the local Sunday Times reported, citing data from 43 police forces throughout Britain.

Out of those arrested, according to the report, 500 were convicted of criminal charges or dismissed from police duty on suspicion of committing offenses.

Official figures further show that London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has witnessed the highest number of officer arrests during the period compared to other parts of the country, as 781 of its police force were taken into custody while 146 of them were subsequently convicted or received formal warnings.

This is while 50 British police officers were arrested back in 2012 as part of a national crackdown on suspected pedophiles in the law enforcement force.

According to the report, the country's College of Policing was supposed to publish the official data on police misconduct but failed to take action. It further added that chairman of the parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, reportedly expressed surprise at the inaction, and plans to discuss the findings with Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

"The code of ethics is now well embedded across the service... When members of the service fall short of these standards, well-established and rigorous processes are in place to ensure appropriate action is taken," said Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer of the National Police Chiefs' Council as cited in the British newspaper.


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