Drugs, death in custody and punching: 10 misconduct cases involving Humberside Police officers

Drugs, death in custody and punching: 10 misconduct cases involving Humberside Police officers

Just recently there seems to have been a number of disciplinary hearings involving the misconduct of Humberside Police officers. This year alone 15 Humberside police officers and staff have either been sacked or received formal warnings for misconduct as a result of the force being more transparent. Lucy Leeson looks at some of the recent cases.

Testing positive for Class A drugs, using an automatic number plate recognition camera to photograph a woman’s cleavage and punching someone in the face are just some examples of misconduct hearings held by Humberside Police.

While the vast majority of officers undoubtedly do an excellent job, Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said last week that he was concerned about the number of officers being sacked by the force.

He said: “Firstly I don’t like to see anyone’s career brought to an end.

“Secondly I don’t like to see the public being on the receiving end of police officers who are not acting with integrity and within the powers they possess.

“I am also concerned because it might indicate that for many years there was police officers getting away with that behaviour and it not being highlighted. It is difficult to know where the line is to be drawn.”

The force is now publishing details of misconduct cases in a bid to be more transparent. Here are ten recent cases:

Drugs, death in custody and punching: 10 misconduct cases involving Humberside Police officers

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15 Humberside police officers and staff have either been sacked or received formal warnings for misconduct.

Just recently there seems to have been a number of disciplinary hearings involving the misconduct of Humberside Police officers. This year alone 15 Humberside police officers and staff have either been sacked or received formal warnings for misconduct as a result of the force being more transparent. Lucy Leeson looks at some of the recent cases.

Testing positive for Class A drugs, using an automatic number plate recognition camera to photograph a woman’s cleavage and punching someone in the face are just some examples of misconduct hearings held by Humberside Police.

While the vast majority of officers undoubtedly do an excellent job, Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said last week that he was concerned about the number of officers being sacked by the force.

He said: “Firstly I don’t like to see anyone’s career brought to an end.

“Secondly I don’t like to see the public being on the receiving end of police officers who are not acting with integrity and within the powers they possess.

“I am also concerned because it might indicate that for many years there was police officers getting away with that behaviour and it not being highlighted. It is difficult to know where the line is to be drawn.”

The force is now publishing details of misconduct cases in a bid to be more transparent. Here are ten recent cases:

Sacked for kicking and bouncing on a man

SACKED: PC Lee CurtisRoads policing officer Lee Curtis was sacked for gross misconduct on June 9 after he was found guilty of repeatedly bouncing on a man as he tried to restrain him.

CCTV footage was shown of an incident in Gertrude Street, Grimsby, at around 3am on October 17, 2014 when PC Curtis was shown to be bouncing on suspect Robert Peterson. The officer was told he had overstepped the mark when making an arrest and such action would not be tolerated in the modern police force.

The panel accepted the pulling of the detainee’s legs and kicking was reasonable and appropriate force but the bouncing was not. Sergeant Christopher Wright had also been accused of misconduct but the case against him was not proven.

Sacked for punching a man in the face

A police officer who punched a man in the face during a scuffle and a fellow officer, who was present at the time and failed to intervene, were sacked from the force last week.

Officer A, who punched the man in the face, was involved in the arrest of a man at his home, which was captured on a body-worn camera. However, when the officer brought the man into custody, it was claimed the arrest had been made outside the address.

On another occasion, Officer A left work without informing or getting the permission from supervisors. On a separate occasion, Officer B was on cell watch duty for a vulnerable prisoner in custody but he fell asleep twice.

Humberside Police say they will not release the identity of the officers over concerns for the welfare and safety of one of them.

Sacked for using number plate camera to photograph woman’s cleavage

PC David Smith was sacked for using an automatic number plate recognition camera to photograph a woman’s cleavage.

PC Smith, who served with Humberside Police for 19 years, accused a colleague of using the camera to “zoom in to get closer footage” of the woman while she was sitting in a pub beer garden back in October 2011, but had in fact taken the footage himself. He then downloaded the images onto his home computer.

PC Smith also recorded video footage of a young woman in Harrogate police station, before downloading the software onto his personal computer in 2012. He denied taking the footage for personal use, stating he was trying to get a reception on his phone and did not know the camera was recording.

In November 2012, PC Smith used a Cleartone automatic number plate recognition camera to replace car number plates with racist and offensive words, some describing male and female genitalia. PC Smith said he had taken pictures of the vehicles for future intelligence.

The officer had also downloaded movie clips from an onboard police vehicle camera and a photograph of a bus parked in the street with no insurance, both without a “policing purpose”. He admitted taking the footage, but said it was for work purposes.

Five allegations of misconduct were proven after a two-day hearing in March.

Sacked for taking ecstasy and cocaine

Traces of cocaine and ecstasy were found at the Hull home of PC Rebecca Jones and in her car. The Class A drugs were also found in a sample of her hair.

PC Jones, who served with Humberside Police for 12 years, denied ever knowingly taking the drugs. The 44-year-old officer was accused of one allegation of misconduct and a panel concluded the allegation had been proven following a hearing at Priory Road police station in Hull on July 4. Jones was sacked from the force without notice.

Warning for three officers after man died in police custody

Sergeant Nicholas Mortimer and PC Emily Turner were found guilty of gross misconduct following the death of Grimsby man David Hill while he was being held in police custody. PC Mark Gowan was found guilty of misconduct.

Mr Hill, 57, of Peaks Lane, New Waltham, had been arrested on suspicion of affray by threatening a neighbour. He had been drinking and suffered from diabetes.

Retired carpet fitter David Hill, 57, of Peaks Lane, New Waltham, died in a cell at Grimsby Police Station on May 21, 2013. But instead of taking him to hospital, officers booked him into the custody suite at the Victoria Street station, where he later died on May 21, 2013.

Sgt Mortimer faced allegations he failed to get medical attention for Mr Hill when he needed it and after he had been made aware of his diabetes. PC Turner and PC Mark Gowan were accused of a breach of standards of professional behaviour in respect of duties and responsibilities and, authority, respect and courtesy, and challenging and reporting improper conduct.

Sgt Mortimer and PC Turner received final written warnings and PC Gowan received a written warning.

Warning for posting derogatory comments on social media

A police constable was given a written warning back in April for posting offensive comments on social media about chief constable Justine Curran.

The same officer also failed to provide a witness statement for a misconduct hearing for which he was a witness at the earliest opportunity. The evidence he did provide was also “unconvincing” and contained inaccuracies.

Warning for officer who had an ‘inappropriate’ relationship

A police constable was given a written warning in March for discreditable conduct after the officer formed an “inappropriate relationship”.

Warnings for officers who ‘dragged’ man in pain into custody suite

An innocent man with broken legs was dragged into Clough Road custody suite, strip-searched and left naked in a cell for five hours. The 49-year-old was arrested in Hull on February 13, 2014 and detained at Clough Road and the incident was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Humberside Police disciplinary hearings found that the two arresting PCs, Edmund Richardson and Kevin Dodgson, who dragged the man into the custody suite, had not shown an appropriate level of concern or treated him with courtesy and respect, and that an appropriate continuous risk assessment had not been carried out.

Two police sergeants, David Beer and Nicholas Hunt, who were responsible for the man’s safe detention, were found by the disciplinary panel to have failed to obtain medical care for him and to have either taken or allowed a haphazard approach to the strip search and seizure of his clothing.

A detention officer also failed to notify the man that a strip search had been authorised, leaving the man confused about what was happening to him. All five were given final written warnings.

Warnings for accessing the force’s computer system without police purpose

Two police staff members were given written warnings in February and March for accessing police computer systems without a policing purpose for doing so.

Sacked for drink-driving

A police constable was sacked from the force for driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit. The officer, who has not been named, was dismissed without notice following a hearing on June 29.

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/drugs-death-in-custody-and-punching-10-misconduct-cases-involving-humberside-police-officers/story-29600382-detail/story.html