Met Police whistleblower PC James Patrick resigns

A police whistleblower who raised concerns about the recording of crime statistics in the Metropolitan Police has resigned from the force.

PC James Patrick had said crime figures were manipulated and sexual offences were being under-reported by 22-25%.

In a blog, PC Patrick said resigning had not been an "easy decision".

The officer had previously faced gross misconduct proceedings, but these were downgraded after an outside force investigated the case.

'No choice'

In the statement on his blog, PC Patrick said that his resignation had arisen directly from his treatment "as a result of making disclosures in good faith and in the public interest".

He added: "My experience led me to see just how flawed the whistle-blowing system is, how it fails, but also to firmly believe that no police officer should normally resign or retire while subject to any misconduct investigation; but the circumstances are such that I have no choice.

"It is impossible for me to see how I could ever trust the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] again, that is something which is permanently destroyed.

"I have held out for as long as I can but enough is enough: the camel's back has been broken with a sledgehammer."

PC Patrick claimed that throughout the misconduct process the Met Police had denied that there were any senior level discussions about him.

However, he said, he made the decision to resign after it was discovered that "significant material does indeed exist".

'Massaging figures'

In February, the Metropolitan Police said the hearing would now be a "formal meeting, chaired by an inspector as per national guidelines".

The stiffest punishment PC Patrick faced was a written warning for 18 months.

PC Patrick told MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) that massaging figures to hit performance targets had become "an ingrained part of policing culture".

He claimed that serious offences including rape and child sex abuse were being recorded as "crime-related incidents" or "no crimes" and he said he had found disparities between the number of reported burglaries and those finally recorded.

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has previously said there was a "truth" to PC Patrick's allegations.

Following PC Patrick's resignation, Scotland Yard made no further comment.