Sussex Police officer dismissed for misconduct at Gatwick
Officer failed to store and record seized items correctly
A Sussex Police officer has been dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing regarding the incorrect handling of seized ammunition and a butterfly knife while on duty at Gatwick.
PC Oliver Kirkup faced allegations at a hearing from 15th to 20th July, centering around his failure to process and store seized ammunition and incomplete paperwork for a butterfly knife between 1st July and 29th August 2024.
In addition, the officer was accused of not wearing his uniform hat, responding that he had ordered a new one, then falsely claiming five days later that he had received it.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner, who chaired the hearing, found that the proven allegations constituted breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour regarding Orders and Instructions, Honesty and Integrity, and Duties and Responsibilities. These breaches were deemed to amount to gross misconduct.
As a result, PC Kirkup has been dismissed with immediate effect and will be placed on the College of Policing Barred list, prohibiting his return to any policing role.
Commenting on the outcome, Superintendent Fash Mohammadi stated: “The actions of this officer on these occasions were not in line with the values and standards that we expect, lacking honesty and integrity. All staff are aware of the Standards of Professional Behaviour, and the Force remains committed to holding officers to account where they fall below the high standards the public rightly expect.”