A Thames Valley Police officer has been dismissed following convictions for gross misconduct during his 22 years of service.
The officer, PC James Endean, was found guilty during a five-day misconduct hearing which ran from Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28.
The panel, chaired by Barrister Jenny Tallentire, consisted of Karen McArthur, an independent panel member, and Chief Superintendent Emma Garside.
They conducted hearing over four incidents in 2022 and 11 incidents in 2023, involving the scandalous officer.
Evidence was collected from several witnesses, including PC Matthew Fairman, PC Jade Foord, PC Matthew Hurst, PC Eric Harcup, PC Danielle Moody, PC Holly Chamberlain, PC Sarah Clark, and PC Georgia Parrot.
The panels aim was to find facts, examine if these facts breach any professional behaviour standards, and evaluate the effect of such breaches.
According to the witnesses, the officer, though experienced and knowledgeable, with the ability to support junior officers, misused his position.
He described as a "role model" for junior officers, attained the position of an Ethics Champion in January 2022, and became a 'white ribbon champion', an ambassador for women and girls, in 2023.
However, witnesses stated that he bullied officers, making spiteful comments and threats.
His conduct was described as intentional, deliberate, targeted, and unpredictable, disturbing more than one officer in the team.
Despite Endean attending a Reflective Practice meeting on January 7, 2022 for a separate incident, the panel heard that the officer’s misconduct did not change significantly.
His consistent sexual innuendos and misogynistic comments towards female colleagues and about female members of the public raised serious concerns.
Officers expressed that they felt targeted and anxious in the workplace when he was on duty, leading some to move teams or report his behaviour.
-The panel is of the clear view that the Officer’s misconduct, if known to the public, is likely to cause substantial harm to public trust and confidence in the police.
This is because misogynistic or sexual comments such as those the panel have found proved are likely to deter victims of crime from reporting to the police because they lack trust or confidence in the police- said Jenny Tallentire, the chair of the panel.
Although he showed good performance in his supervisory role and the experience beneficial for his team, the panel found that his behaviour did not improve considerably even after he was given training and made an Ethics Champion.
Ultimately, in weighing the seriousness of his misconduct, the panel came to the conclusion that no less severe outcome than dismissal was appropriate.
Despite the serious considerations involved, this decision prioritises public confidence and the collective reputation of the police service.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel