Senior Police Officer Suspended Amid Misconduct Investigation

An investigation into alleged misconduct spanning two police forces has led to the suspension of a senior officer. Una Kelly, the Assistant Chief Constable for Cheshire Police, was suspended effective 14 November, according to a statement from the constabulary. The constabulary clarified that the inquiry “related to historical matters” and had no connection to the Cheshire force itself. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), a police watchdog, confirmed it is carrying out an inquiry into allegations originating from 2018. An IOPC spokesperson indicated that the investigation concerns claims that “two senior police officers at separate forces shared confidential information relating to an employment matter without proper purpose”. The IOPC reported receiving a referral from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire in late October, followed by another referral from Cheshire Police in November. The watchdog added that the details prompting these allegations “came to our attention during the course of a separate investigation”. The IOPC stated it was unable to disclose any specifics regarding the other investigation at this time. The spokesperson further noted, “Our investigation is at an early stage and no disciplinary notices have been served”. Ms. Kelly was among the initial recruits from a Catholic background to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). At that time, using her maiden name Jennings, she stated she was one of 15 Catholics in the inaugural group of PSNI recruits, commencing her service on 4 November 2001. In 2017, she transferred to South Yorkshire Police, where she held the position of district commander for Rotherham and Sheffield before her promotion to head of crime.