Two former Sussex police officers have been found to have breached professional standards following separate accelerated misconduct hearings at the Sussex Police HQ in Lewes on Wednesday, April 19. The hearings were conducted by Chief Constable Shiner, who ruled that both officers would have been dismissed from the force, had they not already resigned.
Former police officer PC Matthew Jukes, 23, was based in the West Sussex division. He faced allegations of downloading “prohibited pornography”, which led to a criminal investigation by Sussex Police. Jukes was suspended from duty. Additional inquiries revealed that some of these downloads occurred while Jukes was on duty. The Chief Constable determined that Jukes’ actions constituted a breach of the standards of professional behavior for duties and responsibilities.
The second hearing involved former police officer PC Daniel Matthews, 48, also from the West Sussex division. Matthews was alleged to have been in personal possession of Class A, B, and C controlled substances while off duty, as outlined by the Misuse of Drugs Act. Following an investigation, Matthews was suspended from duty and later accepted a police caution for drug possession. Chief Constable Shiner ruled that this matter amounted to a breach of the standards of professional behavior for discreditable conduct.
Chief Constable Shiner said: “I expect our officers to act with the upmost integrity, and in accordance with the force’s values, the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour. The conduct of these officers fell far short of those high standards.
“Never has it been more important for the behaviours and actions of every person who serves within policing to be beyond exemplary.
“As a Chief, I will continue to drive out those whose conduct falls short of the high standards that I, my colleagues, and importantly, our communities rightly expect.”
Both officers will be placed on the barred list, preventing them from returning to police service.
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