Former Police Federation Treasurer Convicted of £13,500 Expenses Fraud

A former police officer and West Mercia Police Federation treasurer has been convicted of fraud after using members' funds to pay for family holidays, alcohol, and entertainment.

Jamie Harrison, 55, from Droitwich, was secretary and treasurer of the West Mercia Police Federation (WMPF) between 2010 and 2018 – a position of trust in which he was responsible for safeguarding the financial interests of his fellow officers.

Harrison abused this position by repeatedly dipping into the Federation's petty cash, over which he had sole control, to fund personal expenditure on food, alcohol and entertainment. He kept his claims just under £100 to avoid scrutiny. Over 100 fraudulent claims were identified.

Harrison also received salary payments for days when he was not at work. Text messages proved he took days off to watch rugby abroad, including trips to Italy and Ireland, and spent time working on his allotment, whilst his timesheets falsely recorded him as working full shifts.

Most egregiously, Harrison used his attendance at National Police Memorial Days – solemn occasions honouring officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty – as opportunities to take his wife and children on family holidays at Federation expense. The family stayed in 4 and 5-star hotels in York, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London, with Harrison claiming the cost of accommodation, meals, day trips from his fellow officers' funds.

Jamie Harrison was convicted of 15 counts of fraud by abuse of position at Hereford Crown Court.  The total value of the fraud was approximately £13,500.  Harrison resigned from West Mercia Police in February 2022.

Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "As a police officer and Federation treasurer, Jamie Harrison was in a position of considerable trust and was expected to act with honesty and integrity. 

“Instead, he exploited his control over WMPF's finances for personal gain and behaved in a thoroughly dishonest way during the entire eight years of his tenure.

“Harrison displayed an extremely cavalier attitude to being caught, dipping into petty cash at will, claiming expenses far beyond what was reasonable and falsifying timesheets.

“His entitled and dishonest behaviour ran counter to everything he should have stood for as a public servant and was total betrayal of the colleagues whose subscriptions funded the Police Federation, who trusted that their money would be used appropriately.

"The Crown Prosecution Service is determined to bring to justice those public servants who commit fraud and abuse positions of trust."

Detective Superintendent Tony Garner from West Mercia police said: “Jamie Harrison chose to act for himself. He took advantage of the position as Treasurer and Secretary within the Police Federation to use member’s funds for his own gain. This was a betrayal of the trust placed in him by both the public and his colleagues.

“His actions amounted to criminal behaviour, and an investigation was carried out, without fear or favour, as the public would rightly expect.”