A senior police trainer, PC Peter Miller, has been banned from the job after a misconduct hearing revealed he subjected nine female probationers to repeated and relentless inappropriate behavior. Miller, who had more than two decades of experience at Northumbria Police, used his senior position to invite new recruits to his home, with some interpreting the invitations as an overture for sexual activity.
The disciplinary hearing detailed how Miller sent unsolicited text messages and made late-night phone calls to new recruits. He reportedly told one trainee she was a "special girl," commented on another's "nice leggings," and invited recruits to his home under the guise of playing charades. Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson concluded that Miller "acted with malign intent for sexual gratification" and that his conduct was "predatory behaviour motivated by a desire to establish improper sexual relationships with junior colleagues."
Miller was found to have abused his position to engage in consensual sex with a student officer at his home on two occasions. The officer described feeling "manipulated, upset and used" following the encounters. Another recruit stated that the officers were vulnerable during their training, new to the role and subject to peer pressure. Miller was also found to have chatted with a recruit on a dating website and alluded to the possibility of being fired if the force discovered his actions.
Despite being well-respected by superiors, the hearing determined that Miller used his position to contact female students with the intent of pursuing sexual relationships. One officer reported feeling "uncomfortable," "freaked out," and "almost degraded" by his behavior.
Miller resigned from Northumbria Police shortly before the disciplinary panel could formally dismiss him for gross misconduct. The panel ruled that he would have been dismissed had he still been employed and ordered that his name be added to the police barred list. Mr. Simpson emphasized that Miller's conduct was "intentional, deliberate, targeted towards student female officers and part of a pattern of repeated conduct."
Miller, who was not present or represented at the hearing, had previously maintained that his messages were friendly and that his sexual encounter with one officer was consensual. The case presented by Olivia Checa Dover, representing the police, highlighted that Miller abused his position by sleeping with a significantly more junior colleague while he was the primary trainer for her cohort. The panel heard that Miller began messaging the woman on her private number within two months of her starting training. Ms. Checa Dover noted that the officer felt manipulated and singled out once she became aware of his reputation, adding that while the relationship was consensual, it occurred within a context where the trainer held significant power. The panel determined it was foreseeable that the officer would be left feeling used.
The disciplinary panel had previously warned Miller about his conduct toward trainees in November 2021. He was found to have breached professional standards by behaving inappropriately toward new recruits and forming an intimate relationship with a student officer between September 2020 and January 2021. He was cleared of violating COVID-19 regulations regarding the sexual encounter during lockdown.
Assistant Chief Constable Simpson stated that Miller's actions demonstrated that "on the balance of probabilities, PC Miller repeatedly sent messages to female student officers with the intent of pursuing sexual relationships." He added that police officers hold a privileged position of trust, and the public expects them to conduct themselves appropriately. Simpson stressed the importance of sending a clear message about expected standards and deterring similar behavior, concluding that dismissal would have been the appropriate finding.