Sussex Police officer dismissed after he victimised his colleague

A Sussex Police officer has been dismissed after he victimised a colleague who he believed had reported him for driving a police vehicle on emergency blue lights to pick up three friends from a hotel.

PC Robert Potts, 47, appeared before a misconduct hearing which was held at Sussex Police headquarters on 7-9 April in front of a panel chaired by Surrey Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner.

Misconduct hearings are chaired by a chief police officer in accordance with the  Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2024. This applies to cases where misconduct proceedings were issued on or after 7 May, 2024. The misconduct panel also comprises  two Independent Panel Members, appointed by the local policing body, to allow for independence and impartiality during the proceedings from outside policing, representing the public.

The hearing was told that the officer believed that a colleague had reported him to the Force’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) for driving a marked police car while on duty in July 2022 from Uckfield to Eastbourne, at speed, contravening various traffic regulations to collect three women friends from a hotel. He then dropped them off at various addresses in Eastbourne before driving back to Uckfield to resume his duties. He had been out of circulation for around 90 minutes.

PSD were made aware of this incident and investigated. Meanwhile PC Potts’ application to join the force Road Policing Unit (RPU) was put on hold.

On 31 March 2023, PC Potts appeared at a gross misconduct hearing in relation to the incident. He was found guilty of gross misconduct and made the subject of an extended Final Written Warning for a period of three years.

The panel was told that PC Potts then went onto victimise his colleague, making derogatory and disrespectful comments about them undermining their professionalism and repeatedly singling them out for criticism, at least in part because of their perceived involvement in his previous misconduct proceedings.

This amounted to breaches of the following Standards of Professional Behaviour: Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct. The panel found four of the allegations proven and that this amounted to gross misconduct. A further allegation was found not proven. As the officer was already the subject of a live final written warning, the only available sanction under the regulations was dismissal. The officer was dismissed without notice and will now be added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme, Deputy Head of Force Professional Standards said: "Policing is an incredibly challenging profession, and we ask much of our officers and staff in the discharge of their duties.

"We expect our staff to challenge where they see behaviours that are not appropriate, or are in breach of the standards, and it is entirely unacceptable that, having been rightly challenged, PC Potts victimised his colleague simply for doing what is expected, and making their role even more difficult than it already is.  

"All staff are aware of the Standards of Professional Behaviour and the force remains committed to holding officers to account where they fall below the high standards the public rightly expect."