Our five colleagues have spent four years under the strain of a legacy investigation

STATEMENT from Essex Police Federation on the conclusion of a legacy IPCC hearing.

The use of force allegation has been found not proven against all five officers being investigated.

Today’s outcome means that all concerned can finally start to put this ordeal behind them. Our colleagues have been fully exonerated after four long years under investigation into excessive force.

An investigation was launched after a detained person injured his hand whilst in police custody. The detained male was in a police cell with his foot in the toilet. Officers moved him from the toilet for his own safety, during which process the male’s fingers were injured.

Essex Police Federation Chair Steve Taylor stated: “It is wholly unjustified that our five colleagues have spent four years under the strain of a legacy investigation by the now-defunct IPCC which has a history of dragging its heels in failed investigations.

“This investigation was a complete waste of public money. How much has been spent investigating five officers since June 2015 only to find the excessive force allegations cannot be proven? How long have the public of Colchester been without the services of these otherwise impeccable officers?

“These officers have been hamstrung by this failed investigation. They have been unable to enter any custody suite in the county without being supervised by other colleagues – taking away further precious frontline resources from our already stretched service.

“One of our colleagues has been held back from promotion while this investigation has been ongoing, and one officer has been suspended on full pay for over three years. Some of the officers also spent nearly four years facing possible criminal charges, putting severe strain on themselves and their families. Four years during which their livelihoods, pensions and liberty have been in the balance.

“The effect of this investigation on all five officers’ families will not go away quickly.

“How can a 20-minute incident justify a failed four-year investigation at great cost to the public purse? Why should the tax-payers of Essex have to fund failed investigations such as this rather than more officers on the streets to keep them safe?

“This is the second time in just a month that Essex officers have been subject to IPCC-directed investigation that has found the allegations against our officers to be not proven.

“Essex Police Federation understands the need for an independent and transparent investigation, but the IPCC and its new incarnation the IOPC cannot possibly justify putting five officers’ lives and careers on hold for four years.

“All investigations must be timely as well as transparent. This patently was not. A four-year investigation into these officers is a disgrace.”

Temporary Sergeant Marcus Buckley was one of the officers involved. He has been held back from promotion for four years while this case has been ongoing, and says it has had a huge impact on him and the other officers involved.

He said: “We as police officers wouldn’t ever have a suspect on bail for four years no matter what, so it’s unacceptable that the IOPC have allowed this to rumble on and just left us in limbo for four years.

“If I could say anything to the IPCC/IOPC I’d simply ask them why? Why has it taken so long? What possible excuse can you come up with to justify why an incident that happened in a police station covered with CCTV, with bodycam footage available at the time, and our interviews were conducted three or four months after the incident happened, so how then does it come to the IOPC having to then take three-and-a-half years to investigate when they’ve got all the evidence in front of them? It’s inexcusable.”