Police officer dismissed for lying about failing Maths GCSE

Devon and Cornwall Police said the officer had multiple opportunities to admit what had happened

Author: Jonny FreemanPublished 10th May 2023

A Devon and Cornwall Police officer's been dismissed for telling the force he had a maths GCSE when he'd actually failed.

PC Kye Smith applied to join the force saying he had a grade C, but six months later was told he'd failed his Maths Function level 2.

A disciplinary hearing heard he'd had multiple chances to correct the record, but didn't do so.

The officer’s details will be submitted to the College of Policing Barred List, preventing them from working within policing.

Chief Constable Will Kerr said: “PC Smith had multiple opportunities to correct this matter and chose not to do so. This was not a one-off, nor a minor error of judgement. During that protracted period, he remained a serving police officer drawing a salary from the public purse for a role he knew he was not fully qualified to have.

“The public deserve higher standards than this. PC Smith’s actions have, with repeated failure to admit that he did not hold a Maths GCSE qualification at Grade C, fallen seriously short of the required standards of professional behaviour.

“My determination is that this conduct amounts to Gross Misconduct and that the behaviour was over such a protracted period of time that this warrants consideration of dismissal.”

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