HUGE COST OF POLICE HEARING REVEALED
Force spent £57,000 and Police Federation £40,000... and it ended in written warning for sergeant:
THE near-£100,000 cost of a written warning to a police sergeant following a month-long disciplinary hearing has been described by the Police Federation as “eye-watering” and unnecessary.
It was also attacked by MP David Jones, who called it “a significant waste of public money”.
The tribunal took place in June at the Colwyn Bay headquarters of North Wales Police (pictured inset).
Sgt Melvin Dawson was claimed to have been “trigger-happy” in his use of incapacitant spray and faced 15 allegations relating to the treatment of detainees at Caernarfon in 2018 and 2019.
But there was just one finding against him, of a less serious nature, for which he was given a written warning.
Freedom of Information responses reveal it cost the police force £34,600 in barrister fees, plus £929 for subsistence (“providing water, tea, coffee, lunch”) and the Police Commissioner had to find £21,818 in fees of the legally qualified chairwoman and lay member, with expenses – the £57,000 total being met from public funds.
The Federation spent more than £40,000 on defending Sgt Dawson, met from its own funds.
The sergeant at the hearing described custody suites as “a dangerous environment”.
Mark Jones, secretary of the Federation in North Wales, said Sgt Dawson was consistent that his use of Captor was justified, proportionate and necessary in each of the 15 allegations.
He added: “An independent panel examined and heard a significant amount of evidence and determined that, apart from one incident, all the allegations were unproven. The one allegation which was proved was deemed to be at the much lower level of misconduct rather than the more serious gross misconduct.
“The same outcome could have been achieved far quicker and far cheaper in an internal misconduct meeting which would have negated these eye-watering costs.”
Mark Jones said: “All these allegations came as a result of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, yet over £57,000 worth of costs came from the public purse.
“Finally, a monetary value cannot be attached to the immeasurable impact this whole process has had on Sgt Dawson, something that could have easily been avoided if dealt with another way.” In a statement, North Wales Police said it convened the misconduct hearing following an IOPC investigation. “The proceedings ensured due process was followed in the public interest,” they said. “The verdict of the tribunal was made independently and was based solely upon evidence. Furthermore the proceedings were heard in the public domain.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “On conclusion, in October 2020, we presented our final report to NWP, who agreed to take forward a gross misconduct hearing. It was appropriate the evidence was put before an independent panel.”
David Jones, Conservative MP for Clwyd West, declared: “The IOPC has some serious questions to answer over its decision to press on with the proceedings. Quite apart from the needless distress and anxiety they have caused Sgt Dawson, they have also resulted in a significant waste of public money – more than enough to pay the cost of putting another fully trained police officer on the streets of North Wales.
“It is very clear that the complaints against Sgt Dawson could, and should, have been dealt with by an internal administrative procedure. Taxpayers across North Wales will be dismayed by this episode.”