Police officer sacked over ‘disgraceful’ behaviour after joining

AN Avon and Somerset Police officer whose “disgraceful” behaviour started four days he after he joined the force has been sacked.

The individual, identified only as PC A, had an inappropriate relationship with a woman he met while he was on duty, tried to buy drugs, wrongly disclosed police information and lied about being ill.

In mitigation, the officer said he was not “mentally capable of undertaking the demanding role of policing”, according to a ruling from his misconduct hearing on February 10.

Chief constable Andy Marsh found PC A culpable for his conduct in all of the findings and reached a finding of gross misconduct.

He said there were multiple proven allegations, beginning with an inappropriate text message just four days after the officer joined the force.

PC A entered into a relationship with the young woman and failed to tell his superiors.

The chief constable said: “In continuing with an inappropriate relationship, PC A has abused his position and had many ongoing opportunities to report concerns which he knew to be real, to his supervisor in the weeks and months that followed.

“I find the ongoing nature of this inappropriate relationship to be another aggravating factor.”

Mr Marsh added: “Viewed collectively PC A’s conduct is nothing short of disgraceful and the public must have full confidence that there is no place for such serious misconduct within policing,” he said.

“PC A will be dismissed without notice and placed on the barred list so that he can never have any involvement in any role in policing in the future.”