Adam Jones of Thames Valley Police Found Guilty of Misconduct in Public Office
Adam Jones, a former police constable with Thames Valley Police, has been found guilty of misconduct in public office. On 16 December 2024 he was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment.
The charges stemmed from contacting three different women on occasions when there were no policing purpose for him to do so and seeking by such contact to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship
Having resigned in September 2022, Thames Valley Police undertook an accelerated misconduct hearing which found that had he not resigned he would have been dismissed in any event.
The case is a sobering reminder that police officers, entrusted with upholding the law, are held to the highest ethical and legal standards. Any breach of this trust, especially by those in positions of authority, undermines the credibility of the entire force and shakes public confidence in law enforcement.
Thames Valley Police Response
In response to the verdict, Thames Valley Police issued a statement:
“His actions have no place in policing and this outcome reflects our commitment to take decisive action in such circumstances and uphold the trust and confidence of the communities we serve.
“Our communities put their trust in us to use the personal information we hold on police systems lawfully, legitimately and appropriately. The public has a right to expect that police officers act with the utmost integrity and professionalism all day, every day.
“As this case demonstrates, where they do not, I am clear that they will face the consequences of their actions.”
Whilst I welcome the approach of Thames Valley Police and their expedition of the misconduct process it does raise questions about how he was able to do this to not one but three different women. Other officers need to be wise to this sort of behaviour and have no fear of reporting any possible misconduct immediately.
With new vetting guidance being published by the College of Policing my hope is that misconduct in public office will become few and far between. But it will take every officer and stakeholder to take vetting seriously. No more should officers with histories of violence, racism, misogyny and misandry be handed a uniform that affords them respect from the general public that can be abused again and again.
