Neil Wilby Media

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched a criminal investigation on 3rd May, 2024 into a senior North Yorkshire Police officer but, surprisingly, only made the news public yesterday (15th May, 2024).

It followed a referral from the force on 30th April “relating to information provided by the officer during a series of vetting procedures”.

In a statement on its website, the police watchdog says:

“Our independent investigation began on 3rd May and will look at whether the officer may have committed, or witnessed and failed to report, a criminal offence.

“The investigation will also consider whether the officer knowingly failed to disclose information during a number of vetting processes since that time.

“We have now notified the officer that they are under criminal investigation in relation to these matters.

“We have also served a notice informing them we are investigating potential gross misconduct relating to alleged breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour for: honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities; and discreditable conduct.

IOPC Regional Director, Catherine Bates, says:

“These are serious allegations and it is important that we carry out a thorough investigation to determine the facts. This will be carried out by the IOPC, entirely independently of the police.

“However, I would stress that these remain allegations at this time and this does not necessarily mean that criminal charges or disciplinary proceedings will follow.

“At the end of the investigation, we will decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision, and also decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson says:

“We made a referral to the IOPC on 30 April 2024, and the officer has been suspended from duty. It would not be appropriate to comment further due to the IOPC’s ongoing investigation.”

Last month, the IOPC began an investigation into North Yorkshire Police over its prior contact with Lisa Welford, woman who was murdered in Malton last month. Details are sparse as to what that may involve.

Also reported extensively late last year elsewhere on the Neil Wilby Media website was the police watchdog’s criminal investigation into an allegation that a senior North Yorkshire Police officer may have provided a false or misleading account to avoid receiving a sanction for a speeding offence.

That officer was identified, exclusively, as DCC Mabs Hussain (read more here) whom was allowed to slip quietly away into retirement in February, 2024. No outcome of that investigation can be located and the IOPC, NYP and the Police and Crime Commissioner have all remained silent on the issue, despite being consistently pressed for answers.

Neil Wilby says, based on many years experience of holding both NYP and the IOPC to account: “There is very little confidence in either the watchdog or this police force, in particular, to believe that the outcome will be any different to the Mabs ‘investigation’.

“Meantime, the hard-pressed North Yorkshire public are funding full pay for yet another senior officer whilst he is suspended from duty.”

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Page last updated: Thursday 16th May, 2024 at 1045 hours

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