West Mercia Police determined to ‘rid the service of corrupt officers’ following latest misconduct hearing

The latest misconduct hearing involved a former police constable who formed inappropriate sexual relationships with three vulnerable women he met through his policing duties, two of whom were sexual assault victims.

Jonathan Townsend, 41, was accused of sending and receiving explicit images on his work mobile telephone.

The hearing found that the behaviour of Mr Townsend was so serious it amounted to gross misconduct and the chair ruled that had he not already resigned he would have been dismissed without notice.

It comes after West Mercia Police Constable Michael Harrison, 33, who was once commended for bravery, was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing on Thursday (February 3) after he was found to have sent explicit pictures to vulnerable women while on duty (see https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/west-mercia-police-officer-dismissed-over-relationships-with-vulnerable-woman/).

The dismissal of Mr Townsend followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Between November and December 2019, he was alleged to have formed an inappropriate relationship with a woman, with whom he engaged in text messaging and video calls of a sexual nature on his force issue mobile phone. In the same time-frame, he allegedly asked for and received sexualised images on his work phone from another woman whom he then engaged in sexual activity with. On a date in January 2020, he exchanged unprofessional texts with another woman on his work phone.

The IOPC began its investigation in October 2020 following a referral about the officer’s conduct from West Mercia Police. The case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service but no charges were authorised and the matter was referred back to the force with a recommendation of a misconduct hearing.

The IOPC said: “Investigators interviewed the officer and two of the women involved and analysed the PC’s mobile phone. At the end of our investigation in April 2021 we submitted our report to West Mercia Police with our view that PC Townsend had a case to answer for gross misconduct. The officer resigned from the force in November last year.”

At a police disciplinary hearing on Monday (February 7), led by an independent, legally qualified chair, it was determined the former officer, who had been part of the South Worcestershire Policing Area, had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in a number of areas including authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct. The panel decided he had “abused his position for a sexual purpose” with the women and would have been dismissed had he still been serving.

Deputy Chief Constable Julian Moss said: “This is the second such case to be heard in West Mercia Police in the past week, and the outcome reaffirms our commitment to rid our force, and the whole police service, of corrupt officers.

“We will not accept this behaviour in our force. It is a form of serious corruption and we are working with vigour to eradicate it.

“Jonathan Townsend has been added to the College of Policing Barred List.”

IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: “Former PC Townsend took advantage of vulnerable women and the kind of behaviour he demonstrated has absolutely no place in policing. Abuse of position for sexual purpose is a form of serious corruption and damages public confidence in the police.

“This outcome imposed by the police disciplinary panel should provide a clear message to any officer who misconduct themselves in such a way, that they face serious consequences and will be held to account.”