Cleveland Police Chief Sacked

5 October 2012, 08:33 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The chief constable of Cleveland Police has been sacked today after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

Cleveland Police's Chief Constable Sean Price was dismissed after he was investigated following allegations about his role in recruiting the daughter of the former police authority chairman Dave McLuckie to a civilian post.

It was claimed he used "undue influence'' to get her the job.

Mr Price has also been investigated for criminal matters as part of the wide-ranging Operation Sacristy inquiry into alleged police misconduct.

IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said:
"Sean Price's attempts to mislead the IPCC investigation by lying and putting pressure on a member of staff to lie on his behalf were shameful.

He almost got away with his attempted deception.

However the member of staff in question showed great integrity and courage in refusing to be bullied and stood up to him by asking to submit a new witness statement to the IPCC fully explaining Mr Price's role in this matter.

Mr Price appeared to think his position as Chief Constable gave him the power to order people to do as he wished.

A Chief Constable must set the standards for the police force to follow. Sean Price appears to have forgotten this and he set his own standards which fell far below those that would be expected.

He has attempted to intimidate and bully staff under his leadership and mislead an independent investigation.

He has failed at that - and most significantly he has failed the police officers and staff he led, the police service as a whole and the public of Cleveland."

The suspended chief of Cleveland Police has said he was "extremely disappointed''.

In a statement reacting to his dismissal, he said:
"Clearly, I am extremely disappointed with the result today.

I believe the disciplinary proceedings have sadly come to an incorrect conclusion.

When the judgment was delivered and I was offered the chance to put forward mitigation I declined - the panel was mistaken in their finding and I could not seek to argue for a lesser punishment for something I haven't done.

I will therefore be discussing with my lawyers over the next few days how this can be addressed.

As chief constable I have been, and remain, immensely proud of the achievements of Cleveland Police and the dedication of its officers and staff.

They've produced record falls in crime and disorder and won the confidence and support of the communities they serve, winning the title of police force of the year in 2011.

I am confident this success will continue. On a personal note, I continue to deny any wrongdoing in this or any other matter.''