Former volunteer police officer used excessive force during Bedford arrest

A former volunteer police officer has been dismissed after a panel ruled he used excessive force when arresting a member of the public.

Special Inspector Chris Smith – who resigned from his role in October last year – declined to attend the two-day hearing where his conduct was found to have amounted to gross misconduct.

The panel was told the incident occurred while Mr Smith was on patrol in Bedford in the early hours of December 18, 2021.

He and colleagues came across two men who they had earlier moved on for causing public disorder and arrested them for being drunk and disorderly.

During the arrest, Mr Smith struck one of the men to the knee with a baton several times. He later swore in a threatening manner at the other detained man when he was being transported to a police station.

The panel heard Mr Smith had 30 years’ experience as a police officer before retiring in 2019 and had returned as a volunteer during the pandemic.

The panel found his use of the baton and lack of leadership to junior colleagues amounted to gross misconduct for Use of Force and Authority, Respect and Courtesy.

He was further found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour for Authority, Respect and Courtesy in relation to his threatening manner to the second member of the public.

The panel ruled he would have faced dismissal had he not already resigned from his role.

Monica Daley-Campbell, panel chair, said: “Special Inspector Smith had served as a police officer for 30 years and it was commendable that he had decided to serve as a special police officer during the unprecedented demands of the pandemic.

"However, this did not in any way lessen the requirements on him in his role or the need to adhere to the standards of behaviour.

“He had a special duty to those junior officers, whom he had leadership of, to set the right tone for the future of policing.”

He will also be placed on the barred list.