Travel policy ‘not priority’ former Supt tells tribunal

ASENIOR police officer has broken down in tears as he denied dishonestly using force cars, telling a tribunal his priority was “saving lives, not a travel policy”.

Superintendent Michael Rogers, who retired from Dorset Police in May this year, is accused of gross misconduct through four breaches of professional standards between 2015 and 2019.

He is alleged to have used pool and hire vehicles for private journeys and other work journeys that he was not entitled to do, as well as under-declaring the amount of private mileage he drove in force vehicles.

Mr Rogers is also accused at the tribunal, being held at Dorset Police Headquarters in Winfrith, of claiming expenses “far more” than the cost of meals he had taken.

Mr Rogers, whose responsibilities included being Gold commander in charge of the force’s response to major incidents, has denied being dishonest.

He described how he was told when he took up the position to “use the cars you need, the hotels you need and get on with it”.

He said that he was known as the “action man” and “the lifesaver” for his hard work and dedication to the job, averaging 55 hours of work a week.

Breaking down in tears, Mr Rogers, who had served as an officer since 1988, said: “We have saved hundreds of lives.

“I do not want this to be a coroner’s court, because if you are faffing around to get a police car to a 16-year-old girl at an NCP car park in Poole and you do not get there in time, I would never live with myself.

“And I do not give a stuff about some travel policy, I am here to save lives and that’s what I did.

“I have been described as an arrogant individual, I serve the public and I serve my staff, I do not serve ludicrous bureaucratic systems that no one gives a stuff about.

“I am not beyond reproach, I have made my mistakes but I serve the public and my staff as negotiators do proper policing.”

Mr Rogers is accused of using his force car for more than 900 miles of personal journeys without properly declaring the mileage.

These journeys included a trip in a Skoda vehicle in which he carried a sofa on its roof, as well as trips to recycling centres and to B&Q.

Mark Ley-Morgan, the lawyer presenting the case against Mr Rogers, said: “It’s the authority’s case Mr Rogers has failed to act with honesty and integrity and he abused his position as a superintendent.

“He has breached standards of conduct because he has behaved in a manner that discredits the police service and public confidence in it.”

Mr Rogers said that he only used pool cars or other police vehicles when he believed he was on call.

He said: “I have not acted dishonestly, I have tried to do my best, I have been a superintendent for 13 years.

“If I have cut corners, reduced the bureaucracy, technically breached a policy, I unreservedly apologise.

“I have always taken a vehicle when I believed I am on call and I have done that since I first went on call.”

The hearing continues.