Serving police officer and former constable with West Midlands Police both charged with misconduct over ‘relationships with women on duties’
- Charges authorised against PC Anthony Ritchie and ex-officer Steven Walters
- Ritchie, 43, alleged to have formed an inappropriate relationship with a woman
- Walters, 52, engaged in sexual activity with a woman during course of his duties
- The two men are set to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on April 23
A serving West Midlands Police constable and a former officer have been separately charged with misconduct in a public office.
Rosemary Ainslie, the CPS’s head of special crime, said charges had been authorised against PC Anthony Ritchie and ex-officer Steven Walters after a referral from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Ms Ainslie said: ‘The alleged misconduct involving PC Ritchie occurred between 2014 and 2018 and that involving Steven Walters took place in 2013.’
She added: ‘Criminal proceedings are active and nothing should be published that could jeopardise the defendants’ right to a fair trial.’
The two men are set to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on April 23.
A serving West Midlands Police constable and a former officer have been separately charged with misconduct in a public office (stock image)
In a statement, the IOPC said 43-year-old Ritchie is alleged to have formed an inappropriate relationship with a woman he met during the course of his duties, between June 4, 2014 and March 29, 2018.
It is separately alleged that 52-year-old ex-constable Walters engaged in sexual activity with a woman during the course of his duties as a serving officer on October 1, 2013.
The independent police watchdog said it began investigating after referrals from the force in April and May 2018.
Files were submitted to the CPS by June 2020 and both men were charged on Wednesday.
West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country – covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million
In a statement, West Midlands Police said Ritchie had been suspended following the charge, having been removed from frontline duties at the time of his arrest in April 2018.
The force added that Walters left the force in 2016.
West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country – covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million.
The force said it deals with ‘more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day’.