Lancashire Constabulary officer summonsed

PR 1582         Lancashire Constabulary officer summonsed

A Lancashire Constabulary officer has been summonsed to face the charge of misconduct in public office following an Independent Police Complaints Commission managed investigation.

Police Sergeant James Alan Boothby, 48, who works as an Accident Investigator and Vehicle Recovery Liaison Officer, will appear before Liverpool City Magistrates Court on Monday 29 June.

The summons relates to an investigation into how a vehicle sales and disposal contract was awarded when PS Boothby was working in his role as a Vehicle Recovery Liaison Officer for Lancashire Constabulary.

A file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided it was appropriate for the officer to be summonsed to appear at court.

Notes for editors:

"Confidence in the police complaints system: a survey of the general population" will be published by the IPCC on Tuesday 23 June 2009. A copy will be available for download from the IPCC's website www.ipcc.gov.uk. The survey aims to measure the levels of public confidence in the police complaints system. The survey of 4,000 people nationally was carried out in November 2008.

The IPCC has overall responsibility for the police complaints system. Since April 2006 it has taken on responsibility for similar, serious complaints against HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency in England and Wales. The IPCC’s jurisdiction was extended in 2008 to cover UK Border Agency staff exercising police-like powers.

The IPCC has the task of increasing public confidence in the complaint systems and aims to make investigations more open, timely, proportionate and fair.

The IPCC is run by a Chair, ten Operational Commissioners (including two Deputy Chairs) and two Non-executive Commissioners.

From 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2009 the IPCC has used its powers to begin 353  independent and 759 managed investigations into the most serious complaints against the police and other agencies. It has set new standards for police forces to improve the way the public's complaints are handled. The Commission also handles appeals by the public about the way their complaint was dealt with by the local force.

The IPCC is committed to getting closer to the communities it serves. Its Commissioners and staff are based in IPCC regional offices in Cardiff, Coalville, London and Sale plus a sub office in Wakefield.

The IPCC web site is constantly updated at www.ipcc.gov.uk or members of the public can contact the IPCC on 08453 002 002.

Media contact:

Ian Christon, IPCC Regional Communications Officer (North Region) Tel 0161 246 8582 Journalists with urgent enquiries outside normal office hours should contact the on-call press officer on 07717 851157