Appendix B: Police Discipline Code 1985
All police officers and police staff must follow the official Standards of Professional Behaviour. The standards that applied in 1989 were set out in the Police Discipline Code 1985, which was published as a Schedule to the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985. For the purposes of both the IOPC’s and Operation Resolve’s police misconduct investigations, the conduct of officers was assessed against this Code, which set out the professional standards that officers were expected to follow at the time when any breaches of those standards may have been committed.
SCHEDULE 1: DISCIPLINE CODE
1. Discreditable conduct, which offence is committed where a member of a police force acts in a disorderly manner or any manner prejudicial to discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the force or of the police service.
2. Misconduct towards a member of a police force, which offence is committed where-
(a) the conduct of a member of a police force towards another such member is oppressive or abusive, or
(b) a member of a police force assaults another such member.
3. Disobedience to orders, which offence is committed where a member of a police force, without good and sufficient cause-
(a) disobeys or neglects to carry out any lawful order, written or otherwise;
(b) fails to comply with any requirement of a code of practice for the time being in force under section 60 or 66 of the Act of 1984; or
(c) contravenes any provision of the Police Regulations containing restrictions on the private lives of members of police forces, or requiring him to notify the chief officer of police that he, or a relation included in his family, has a business interest within the meaning of those Regulations.
4. Neglect of duty, which offence is committed where a member of a police force, without good and sufficient cause-
(a) neglects or omits to attend to or carry out with due promptitude and diligence anything which it is his duty as a member of a police force to attend to or carry out, or
(b) fails to work his beat in accordance with orders, or leaves the place of duty to which he has been ordered, or having left his place of duty for an authorised purpose fails to return thereto without undue delay, or
(c) is absent without leave from, or is late for, any duty, or
(d) fails properly to account for, or to make a prompt and true return of, any money or property received by him in the course of his duty.
5. Falsehood or prevarication, which offence is committed where a member of a police force-
(a) knowingly or through neglect makes any false, misleading or inaccurate oral or written statement or entry in any record or document made, kept or required for police purposes, or
(b) either wilfully and without proper authority or through lack of due care destroys or mutilates any record or document made, kept or required for police purposes, or
(c) without good and sufficient cause alters or erases or adds to any entry in such a record or document, or
(d) has knowingly or through neglect made any false, misleading or inaccurate statement in connection with his appointment to the police force.
6. Improper disclosure of information, which offence is committed where a member of a police force-
(a) without proper authority communicates to any person, any information which he has in his possession as a member of a police force, or
(b) makes any anonymous communication to any police authority, or any member of a police force, or
(c) without proper authority, makes representations to the police authority or the council of any county or district comprised in the police area with regard to any matter concerning the force, or
(d) canvasses any member of that authority or of such a council with regard to any such matter.
For the purposes of this paragraph the Isles of Scilly shall be treated as if they were a county.
7. Corrupt or improper practice, which offence is committed where a member of a police force-
(a) in his capacity as a member of the force and without the consent of the chief officer of police or the police authority, directly or indirectly solicits or accepts any gratuity, present or subscription, or
(b) places himself under a pecuniary obligation to any person in such a manner as might affect his properly carrying out his duties as a member of the force, or
(c) improperly uses, or attempts so to use, his position as a member of the force for his private advantage, or
(d) in his capacity as a member of the force and without the consent of the chief officer of police, writes, signs or gives a testimonial of character or other recommendation with the object of obtaining employment for any person or of supporting an application for the grant of a licence of any kind.
8. Abuse of authority, which offence is committed where a member of a police force treats any person with whom he may be brought into contact in the execution of his duty in an oppressive manner and, without prejudice to the foregoing, in particular where he-
(a) without good and sufficient cause conducts a search, or requires a person to submit to any test or procedure, or makes an arrest; or
(b) uses any unnecessary violence towards any prisoner or any other person with whom he may be brought into contact in the execution of his duty, or improperly threatens any such person with violence; or
(c) is abusive or uncivil to any member of the public.
9. Racially discriminatory behaviour, which offence is committed (without prejudice to the commission of any other offence) where a member of a police force-
(a) while on duty, on the grounds of another person's colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins, acts towards that other person in any such way as is mentioned in paragraph 8 (abuse of authority);
or
(b) in any other way, on any of those grounds, treats improperly a person with whom he may be brought into contact while on duty.
10. Neglect of health, which offence is committed where a member of a police force, without good and sufficient cause, neglects to carry out any instructions of a medical officer appointed by the police authority or, while absent from duty on account of sickness, commits any act or adopts any conduct calculated to retard his return to duty.
11. Improper dress or untidiness, which offence is committed where without good and sufficient cause a member of a police force while on duty, or while off duty but wearing uniform in a public place, is improperly dressed or is untidy in his appearance.
12. Damage to police property, which offence is committed where a member of a police force-
(a) wilfully or through lack of due care causes any waste, loss or damage to any police property, or
(b) fails to report as soon as is reasonably practicable any loss of or damage to any such property issued to, or used by him, or entrusted to his care.
13. Drunkenness, which offence is committed where a member of a police force renders himself unfit through drink for duties which he is or will be required to perform or which he may reasonably foresee having to perform.
14. Drinking on duty or soliciting drink, which offence is committed where a member of a police force, while on duty-
(a) without proper authority, drinks, or receives from any other person, any intoxicating liquor, or
(b) demands, or endeavours to persuade any other person to give him, or to purchase or obtain for him, any intoxicating liquor.
15. Entering licensed premises, which offence is committed where a member of a police force-
(a) while on duty, or
(b) while off duty but wearing uniform, without good and sufficient cause, enters any premises in respect of which a licence or permit has been granted in pursuance of the law relating to liquor licensing or betting and gaming or regulating places of entertainment.
16. Criminal conduct, which offence is committed where a member of a police force has been found guilty by a court of law of a criminal offence.
17. Being an accessory to a disciplinary offence, which offence is committed where a member of a police force incites, connives at or is knowingly an accessory to any offence against discipline.