Professional standards head sacked for gross misconduct
An officer in charge of professional standards has been sacked for misusing his force-issued rail pass to travel in first class.
btIain Miller was dismissed without notice from his role as a detective chief inspector on June 1 following a four-day misconduct hearing held by British Transport Police (BTP).
Mr Miller, who held a senior position in BTP’s professional standards department (PSD), was found to have sat in a first class seat without purchasing an appropriate ticket.
He also failed to provide a proper explanation when challenged, which the force claimed was aggravated by his role in the PSD.
Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: “As someone who oversaw the standards of professional behaviour of other officers, ex-Det Chief Insp Miller would have been acutely aware of the importance of honesty and integrity in ensuring public trust in the police.
“It is regrettable that he not only misused a privilege offered by the railway industry but also chose to mislead the inspectors when challenged. The panel clearly considered this to be an abuse of trust as well as dishonest behaviour.
“All officers, regardless of their position, are expected to follow our clear standards of behaviour and ethics at all times and this outcome should provide a stark reminder of the consequences of any breach of those standards.”
Mr Miller’s actions prompted a referral from BTP to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which launched an independent investigation.
The inquiry was completed by July 2017 and the final report was shared with BTP suggesting Mr Miller could have committed gross misconduct.
The force agreed with this conclusion and scheduled the June 1 hearing.
IOPC regional director Jonathan Green said: “Det Chief Insp Miller was an experienced officer who was responsible for upholding standards of behaviour within BTP.
“It is therefore very disappointing that he chose to misuse the rail pass and then failed to demonstrate the appropriate insight and remorse expected of a senior officer when asked to account for his actions.
“I am pleased BTP agreed with the conclusions of our investigation and the panel has issued a clear message that such behaviour is not acceptable.”