Hearing concludes former special constable's actions amounted to gross misconduct

A hearing has concluded that a former Wiltshire Police special constable would have been dismissed for gross misconduct.

The one day hearing (2/4), held at Wiltshire Police Headquarters, and chaired by an Independent Legally Qualified Chair, concluded that the actions of former Special PC Gavin Cox breached the standards of professional behaviour for police officers. Had he not already resigned, Mr Cox would have been dismissed without notice.

The misconduct panel considered four allegations:  

1. He allowed an improper emotional relationship to develop and exist between Female A and himself
2. Failed to record contact and interactions between himself and female A and male A
3. Failed to record contact and interactions relating to potential domestic violence and criminal offences on and around 19th and 20th May 2022
4. Undertook improper searches and access to police held data regarding female A and male A on 17th May 2022.

All four allegations were upheld.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Mr Cox’s actions will no doubt weaken the trust and confidence that our community has in us as their police force, and this is exactly why we are committed to rooting out individuals like this whose behaviour falls well below the standard we would expect of a member of Wiltshire Police, whether employed or a volunteer.

“I would like to stress that there is no place in our organisation for anyone who conducts themselves in this manner. We encourage all members of our organisation to use an anonymous reporting tool if they have concerns regarding a colleagues behaviour to help ensure we have a positive, supportive and inclusive culture for the benefit of our colleagues, and ultimately our communities we serve. Where members of our communities have concerns with regards to a member of Wiltshire Police, I equally encourage these to be reported also. We are dedicated to providing the best possible policing service, with and for you, to ensure we are Keeping Wiltshire Safe”

In December, the Force launched a new Safe2Say Anonymous Reporting System. This is a bespoke internal reporting system which is geared to giving officers, staff and volunteers the confidence to report any wrongdoing, concerns they have or intelligence surrounding our workforce.