Former Cambridgeshire police officer committed gross misconduct using handcuffs on a date

A former police officer has been found to have committed gross misconduct after he turned up to a date in uniform and restrained the woman with his police-issue handcuffs.

A police conduct hearing was told that former Police Constable Benjamin Mace had taken home his uniform and handcuffs and changed into them in his car on the way to a woman’s address on or around November 1, 2019, after meeting her online.

He then introduced himself to the woman as an on-duty officer, handcuffed her and told the woman she would be searched, the hearing was told.

Mace, who was based at Thorpe Wood Police Station, was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Honesty and Integrity and Discreditable Conduct, amounting to gross misconduct.

The hearing, which concluded on 5 December, at Cambridgeshire Constabulary Headquarters in Huntingdon, found that Mace would have been dismissed had he still been with the force.

Deputy Chief Constable Jane Gyford said: “Mace abused the trust and professionalism which the public rightly have in police officers, not to act in such a manner, on or off duty. His behaviour has no place in policing and he has now been held to account for his actions.”

The conduct panel found that the use of handcuffs could only be justified for legitimate policing purposes. It found that the use of handcuffs was a use of force that required justification and that in the circumstances that occurred, there was no justification, or policing purpose. Whether or not the woman, known as Ms A, consented was “irrelevant”.

Following the hearing, Mace will now be placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local bodies (PCC’s), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.