Does this punishment fit the crime?

[Home Alone]

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Sorry about the length of the link. It refers to a copper who's been sent down for eight months for misconduct in a public office. He'd contacted three SPs while on duty and met one of them for sex while off duty. According to the report I read, "He also met other sex workers and used their services."

The Chief Superintendent in charge of Greater Manchester Police's Professional Standards Branch is quoted as saying,
" ... The severity of his misconduct is reflected in the sentence passed today and I hope it will serve as a stark reminder of the consequences people will face if they abuse their position for their own gain." [My emphasis.]

But will it? He's got eight months - which probably means he'll serve four. Is that really a stark reminder?

[AnthG]

I think they went for the headline grabbing but the crux of why he was prosecuted was for this

The investigation also found that PC Taylor had carried out over 700 unauthorised searches of secure information held on GMP systems between June 2017 and March 2019.

The searches included information regarding family and friends, other police officers, organised crime group members and individuals believed to be sex-workers.

They likely investigated him to find if he was seeing them while on duty too. But he didn't. But they found that ^ to hang him on.

[daviemac]

Victoria Thorne only got 15 months and she worked as a prostitute and fed pimps with information.       8 months seems reasonable for just visiting them when off duty.

[Hobbit]

I don't think he should have been jailed for it. According to that article, he saw sex workers for sex. He didn't murder or assault anyone. He certainly should have been fired as a police officer and not allowed to work in the police force ever again but I think that a jail sentence is an overreaction, unless I have misread something?

[martini2429]

External Link/Members Only

Sorry about the length of the link. It refers to a copper who's been sent down for eight months for misconduct in a public office. He'd contacted three SPs while on duty and met one of them for sex while off duty. According to the report I read, "He also met other sex workers and used their services."

The Chief Superintendent in charge of Greater Manchester Police's Professional Standards Branch is quoted as saying,
" ... The severity of his misconduct is reflected in the sentence passed today and I hope it will serve as a stark reminder of the consequences people will face if they abuse their position for their own gain." [My emphasis.]

But will it? He's got eight months - which probably means he'll serve four. Is that really a stark reminder?

Having read the article I think its more to do with the Secure Information searches he carried out and how he used the information he gained rather than the fact that he met and had sex with three Sex Workers, I think he could have got longer, he has also lost out on what could have been a very good pension had he continued to serve, is it a stark reminder, no not really, Coppers of all ranks will still abuse the system for their own gain, more will get away with it than are caught out.

 

[Hobbit]

Having read the article I think its more to do with the Secure Information searches he carried out and how he used the information he gained rather than the fact that he met and had sex with three Sex Workers, I think he could have got longer, he has also lost out on what could have been a very good pension had he continued to serve, is it a stark reminder, no not really, Coppers of all ranks will still abuse the system for their own gain, more will get away with it than are caught out.

 

I'm sure a lot of coppers abuse that power and do searches for personal interests or to help friends.

[AnthG]

I'm sure a lot of coppers abuse that power and do searches for personal interests or to help friends.

It's just a case of if they want to get you, they can always find something to get you on. Nobody lives squeaky clean lives.

[daviemac]

I'm sure a lot of coppers abuse that power and do searches for personal interests or to help friends.

A big risk them doing that, records of searches they did was how Victoria Thorne and that one who blackmailed the punter got caught. Not saying it doesn't happen but every search is recorded and linked to the person who requested or did it.

[Hobbit]

A big risk them doing that, records of searches they did was how Victoria Thorne and that one who blackmailed the punter got caught. Not saying it doesn't happen but every search is recorded and linked to the person who requested or did it.

Yes exactly. The security should be extremely high and every search should be recorded and alerts sent out if required. So you would be a stupid copper to take that risk. But clearly some are.

[winkywanky]

I'm sure a lot of coppers abuse that power and do searches for personal interests or to help friends.

What, over 700 times? 

That's a gross abuse of public office, I'd be worried if he didn't get a custodial sentence.

Along with the abuse of power by contacting WGs when he was on duty, this paints a picture of a very, very dodgy copper indeed  .

[winkywanky]

Yes exactly. The security should be extremely high and every search should be recorded and alerts sent out if required. So you would be a stupid copper to take that risk. But clearly some are.

Every search IS recorded. Like any other workplace, every copper will have his own log-in and certainly in the case of coppers, his searches traceable.

In the course of everyday duties all coppers will routinely be doing searches, so every search by every copper simply cannot be checked. Way too many. But if a copper comes under some kind of suspicion then his search history (along with all kinds of other stuff) will be closely looked at.

[martini2429]

Every search IS recorded. Like any other workplace, every copper will have his own log-in and certainly in the case of coppers, his searches traceable.

In the course of everyday duties all coppers will routinely be doing searches, so every search by every copper simply cannot be checked. Way too many. But if a copper comes under some kind of suspicion then his search history (along with all kinds of other stuff) will be closely looked at.

When I worked for the Met 15 years ago, every check on the PNC had to be recorded with a reference/case number, every month all PNC checks were dip sampled and if you couldn't prove why you needed to do the check, shit hit the fan and you were bollocked/disciplined

 

[winkywanky]

When I worked for the Met 15 years ago, every check on the PNC had to be recorded with a reference/case number, every month all PNC checks were dip sampled and if you couldn't prove why you needed to do the check, shit hit the fan and you were bollocked/disciplined

 

Thanks for the inside info martini.

A sackable offence, of course   

[Adoniron]

Not commenting on the length of the sentence but prison time for a police officer while be harder than for a civilian.

[Chorley]

Using PNC databases for your own personal use is a big no no.

The fact that he did it 700 times is really worrying and he absolutely should be punished.

[Hobbit]

What, over 700 times? 

That's a gross abuse of public office, I'd be worried if he didn't get a custodial sentence.

Along with the abuse of power by contacting WGs when he was on duty, this paints a picture of a very, very dodgy copper indeed  .

Yes, he does seem very dodgy and definitely should be fired and not be allowed to work in the police force again. I am just surprised it took them over 700 searches to realise he was a "dodgy character".  I usually find that I can tell what someone is like within 5 minutes of meeting them and yet the police force didn't realise for so long.....hmmmm.

[sgc]

Using PNC databases for your own personal use is a big no no.

The fact that he did it 700 times is really worrying and he absolutely should be punished.

Yes, that's why he was jailed. I think the article headline is misleading... He was not jailed for having sex with sex workers but rather for a complete breach of privacy and misuse of the system.

[Chorley]

Yes, that's why he was jailed. I think the article headline is misleading... He was not jailed for having sex with sex workers but rather for a complete breach of privacy and misuse of the system.

Indeed. There were a coue of fairly high profile cases near to me. On was a PC who used the PNC to stalk an ex's new partner and the other one was fired for giving intel to a local gang. 

[sgc]

Indeed. There were a coue of fairly high profile cases near to me. On was a PC who used the PNC to stalk an ex's new partner and the other one was fired for giving intel to a local gang. 

Oh wow! Full on.

[Markus]

I’m more concerned by the idiot that only got 15 years for throwing that kid off the Tate viewing platform.  In terms of police, there are more serious crimes. Two police officers were arrested and suspended from their jobs (presumably on full pay too) for allegedly taking pictures next to the bodies of the two sisters found murdered in a London park this month.  Pictures were apparently circulating on WhatsApp of the two police officers taking selfies with the bodies behind them. If true, that is worthy of a long sentence in my eyes.

Not surprised by coppers. They are a law unto themselves. This was probably the moment I lost a lot of respect for police officers: External Link/Members Only

[Adoniron]

I’m more concerned by the idiot that only got 15 years for throwing that kid off the Tate viewing platform.  In terms of police, there are more serious crimes. Two police officers were arrested and suspended from their jobs (presumably on full pay too) for allegedly taking pictures next to the bodies of the two sisters found murdered in a London park this month.  Pictures were apparently circulating on WhatsApp of the two police officers taking selfies with the bodies behind them. If true, that is worthy of a long sentence in my eyes.

Not surprised by coppers. They are a law unto themselves. This was probably the moment I lost a lot of respect for police officers: External Link/Members Only

He didn't get 15:years. He got life and must serve at least 15 years before he can be considered for parole.

[Xtro]

This is trivial news IMO.
There was (and always will be) bent coppers in at the very deep end of organised crime involving drugs and money laundering. This is the real news that doesn't get much attention, or the evidence gets shredded!
Operation Tiberius was an official internal Metropolitan Police investigation that uncovered links between 19 former and 42 then serving officers with corruption -  External Link/Members Only

More here -
External Link/Members Only
External Link/Members Only
Panorama documentary -
Cops Criminals Corruption: The Inside Story - External Link/Members Only

[Animalbeast]

If a police officer in their own time uses say AW, contacts and books an escorts and keeps their job completely separate then I don’t think that’s wrong.

But the problem is many will mention they are police officers. Some will probably do it to boast, some will do it to try and get a power edge over the SP and some do it after getting getting attached. All types then are in a position where it can lead to them abusing their position. The last type usually get manipulated or do it for fluffy reasons, the first 2 types do it for for their own reasons.

So basically I think police doing searches is a major and common source of corruption... that needs to be punished. Legally booking an escort in their own time shouldn’t have anything to do with it, but the coppers that book escorts and disclose their job are on a slippery slope