Police officer to face misconduct hearing after ‘falsely claiming colleague was drink-driving’

A police officer is set to face a misconduct hearing after being accused of calling 999 to his own force control room to falsely claim one of his colleagues was drink-driving.

Police Constable William Carter is accused of making several hoax calls to Thames Valley Police before allegedly logging into the force’s specialist computer system to see if the reports had been recorded by the 999 call-takers.

The officer, who is based at Amersham Police Station in Buckinghamshire, faces a formal investigation into his conduct on April 6.  

PC Carter is accused of misconduct in relation to false allegations that a colleague was intoxicated behind the wheel in a 999 call made on October 24.

It is also alleged that after the report was made, PC Carter went on to the policing recording system, called CMP, to view the record of the report that he had made – with no legitimate policing purpose to do so.

It is claimed that the Amersham-based officer then called 999 twice more to give false information.

If proven, the allegations would breach the Standards of Professional Behaviour that he signed up to as a police officer – specifically the codes Honesty and Integrity, Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Discreditable Conduct, Confidentiality and Orders and Instructions.

The allegations are so serious that if they are proven it would amount to gross misconduct and he could be dismissed immediately.

His hearing will be held over video link due to the Covid-19 pandemic.