Met and Kent police officers to face misconduct allegations over handling of indecent exposure reports

A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) constable will face a gross misconduct hearing and a Kent Police sergeant will face a misconduct meeting after Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigations into the handling of separate reports of indecent exposure.

The MPS police constable will face allegations they breached police standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities for alleged failings over the way inquiries were progressed. The constable is also accused of breaching the standards relating to honesty and integrity over parts of an account provided to IOPC investigators in respect of the alleged failings.

We began an investigation after a conduct referral from the MPS on 10 March 2021 concerning the investigation into reports that a man had exposed himself to female staff on two occasions in February 2021 at a drive-through fast food restaurant in south London. Former MPS officer Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to both offences on Monday 13 February 2023. 

The IOPC investigation, completed in January 2022, looked at whether inquiries were adequately carried out and supervised between the officer’s visit to the restaurant on 3 March and on 10 March when a different team took over. We considered whether local and national policies were followed in relation to the gathering of any available CCTV evidence, checks on a vehicle used by the alleged offender, and if evidential material was correctly dealt with.

We concluded that the constable has a case to answer for gross misconduct and it will be for the MPS to organise the misconduct hearing, at which a panel led by an independent and legally qualified chair will decide whether the allegations are proven.

We also found that another MPS officer had no case to answer, regarding their supervision of the indecent exposure enquiries.

The IOPC also completed a separate investigation into Kent Police’s handling of a report alleging that a man driving a car indecently exposed himself to a pedestrian in Dover in June, 2015. The vehicle was identified as belonging to Wayne Couzens.

We began our enquiries following a conduct referral from Kent Police in May 2021 and concluded that a sergeant has a case to answer for misconduct for alleged failures in following all reasonable lines of enquiry before the case was closed. We found no evidence to suggest that Wayne Couzens was identified as a police officer and he was not spoken to.

Kent Police will organise a misconduct meeting at which the officer will face allegations amounting to a breach of the police professional standards for duties and responsibilities. Our investigation was completed in March (2022).

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem said: “We have been unable to publish our findings until now due to the risk of prejudicing criminal proceedings against Couzens. Now that those have concluded it will be for the Metropolitan and Kent police forces to organise disciplinary proceedings which will consider the evidence we have gathered and determine whether the allegations against the officers are proven or not.”

Following the conclusion of these proceedings we will publish our reports.