Former PC barred after asking suspect out on a date
- Published
A former police officer who asked a suspect out on a date has been banned from serving with any force.
Mark Wood, 33, would have been sacked by Humberside Police had he not already resigned, a misconduct hearing concluded.
The hearing found that Wood, who was based in Grimsby, had breached professional standards on misconduct, confidentiality, honesty and integrity.
Det Supt Rebecca Dickinson, head of professional standards, said Wood's actions were "wholly inappropriate" and "fall below the bar of the high standards we expect our officers to uphold, whether on or off duty".
In May 2023, a suspect was taken into custody, where she was interviewed by Wood before being released on bail.
The officer accessed police systems the following day to find the suspect's phone number, and texted her from his personal phone, asking her about her relationship status under the pretext of discussing bail conditions.
Wood continued to message and call the suspect, asking for her home address before asking her out on a date.
The hearing on 27 August found that he failed to make any record of his contact with the woman or bring it to the attention of the investigation.
The panel concluded the standards of professional behaviour were breached and his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.
Wood chose not to have any representation at the hearing and did not attend.
Det Supt Dickinson said: "Wood completely abused his position of trust. He breached the standards of behaviour that we expect at Humberside Police, putting investigations at risk.
"It is of paramount importance that we maintain the public's trust and confidence, and anyone who fails to adhere to our high levels of standards and professionalism will be held accountable for their actions."
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