Ex-police federation secretary handed policing ban

An ex-police officer and federation secretary who was jailed for fraud has been banned from policing for life, a misconduct hearing has decided.

Jamie Harrison, of Worcester Road, Droitwich, Worcestershire, was previously found guilty of 15 counts of fraud by abuse of position while he was with the West Mercia Police Federation.

While in his role, the 55-year-old used £12,699.88 of colleagues' money to pay for holidays. In March, he was jailed for two years and three months at Worcester Crown Court.

An accelerated misconduct hearing concluded Harrison would be added to the barred list held by College of Policing, which means he can no longer work in policing.

The chair of the panel added the former officer would have been sacked had he not resigned from West Mercia Police in 2022.

Harrison was found by the hearing to be guilty of gross misconduct having breached standards for honesty and integrity as well as discreditable conduct.

At the time of his trial, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Harrison abused his position "repeatedly" and would use the federation's petty cash, over which he had sole control, for his personal expenditure, keeping claims to under £100 to avoid scrutiny.

He received salary payments for days he was not working, the CPS added, with text messages proving he took days off to watch rugby abroad.

He also used his attendance at National Police Memorial Days as opportunities to take family members to stay in four and five-star hotels in York, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.

Det Supt Tony Garner, of West Mercia Police, said, after the misconduct hearing in July, Harrison "chose to act for himself" and took advantage of the positions he held.

"This was a betrayal of the trust placed in him by both the public and his colleagues," he added.

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