Christmas Appeal - Spare some coppers for a Copper

westcider | 02.12.2009 17:23 | Workers' Movements | South Coast

Every year, poor impoverished policemen and women, even senior police officers, find that their £30 to £50k salaries are just not enough to clothe and feed they're starving families. Many are driven to shoplifting - and caught on film - while often not prosecuted, in fact many manage to keep there jobs - especially the senior ones, however, they do face a severe ticking off.

Peter Cockell - Been Caught Stealin'

Chief Inspector Molloy [left, seated on the table]

After all, there doing such a good job, what with Bristol and the rest of the country a virtually a mugging-free zone, and what with containing all those "domestic extremists" as well- it our turn to show our gratitude to those who "protect and serve".

And remember - it's not just shoplifting - there are 1,063 serving officers with criminal records, including 59 for assault, 36 for theft and 96 for dishonesty. Other offences include battery, fraud, perverting the course of justice and forgery - all no doubt causded by the poverty they face by choosing a selfless life as a police officer.

Case 1:Peter Cokell has been handed a suspended prison sentence yesterday (2nd Dec) and ordered to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work after taking the PlayStation 3 games from The Mall at Cribbs Causeway by concealing them under his body armour.

District Judge David Parsons said the theft was a "gross breach of trust" and had damaged confidence in Avon and Somerset police.

Cokell, 34, of Wick, South Gloucestershire, was found guilty by District Judge Parsons after a trial during which CCTV footage showed him committing the crime he had spent six years trying to stamp out.

Peter Cokell has been handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work after taking the PlayStation 3 games from The Mall at Cribbs Causeway by concealing them under his body armour.

Case 2:

Chief Inspector Kim Molloy, from Nottinghamshire Police, was arrested at Tesco Extra in Top Valley Drive, Top Valley, Nottingham 28th November.

She has now been bailed pending further inquiries but not suspended.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: "A 44-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the incident and has been bailed until February 2010."

He confirmed Ch Insp Molloy had not been suspended from the force.

Case 3:

Two high-ranking police officers have been suspended over allegations they stole bottles of wine from a Marks & Spencer store.

Lovers, Chief Inspector Sharon Rowe, 44, and Detective Chief Inspector Jim Torbet, thought to be in his 50s, were questioned by officers from their own force last October. No prosecution followed.

westcider
Homepage: http://westsideclimateaction.wordpress.com

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

reality check

02.12.2009 19:46

Yep all true, but it is worth noteing that out of the 100.000+ cops in this country this under 2000 is a very low proportion if you take into account the population in general.

Also remember that as with all civil servants they fall twice and will,if convicted, recieve the maximum band sentencing.

anon by right

First the Bosses. Then the Cops.

02.12.2009 21:14

2% of all people who are supposed to uphold the law is a low proportion?!

I wouldn't say so - of these "beacons of law and order" I'd call 0.25% low.

ACAB

Re: reality check

03.12.2009 09:33

I second that 2% is not low at all. If someone could find (cited) statistics of the % of the population with shoplifting convictions then we would have a clearer picture here. I doubt it is particularly high.

"Also remember that as with all civil servants they fall twice and will,if convicted, recieve the maximum band sentencing."

This is disingenuous, courts take a dim view of people who abuse positions of trust for personal gain. This applies to everyone, not just police employees.

The real story here is that when the police stand up in court their word is worth more than anyone else's. This story shows the police to be no more trustworthy than anyone else, maybe less so (as if we needed telling this). This raises a lot of questions for miscarriages of justice and abuse of power by the police.

Anon

Woop Woop

03.12.2009 09:50

I encourage this sort of behavior from the cops. It delegitimizes the laws they claim to protect.

To be honest 2% is a ridiculously low amount. Just the people reading this have probably been assaulted by more than 2% of the UK police force, they are just never charged. Not to mention all the other illegal stuff that most MET cops get up to.

As noted after the G20, cops breaking the law has to be one of the most twisted percentages around.

Howard

"[cops]... recieve the maximum band sentencing."

03.12.2009 10:00

@anon by right

"Also remember that as with all civil servants they fall twice and will,if convicted, recieve [sic] the maximum band sentencing."

Are you for real? These crybabies will complain how they will rightly get treated like shit in prison and get let off with a slap on the wrist.

Also remember the 2,000 are just the ones who have been caught. Cops are in a very strong position to break the law and get away with it. I've heard stories from people with cops as relatives that they would always have loads of free drugs because people arrested would often ditch their stash in the back of the patrol car and they would just scoop them up at the end of the day. Not to mention all the beatings from filth people here must have had over the years.

Sounds like you have been living in a bubble wrapped in cotton wool your whole life, and it is YOU needs a reality check,

anon

answer

03.12.2009 21:18

to answer my detractors......

I am a civil servant (NHS btw)

"Also remember the 2,000 are just the ones who have been caught. Cops are in a very strong position to break the law and get away with it."

The polices internal investigations use entrapment, false flag, mail snoops, locker sweeps and much more besides. The cop pay march had so many "DPS" there it was apparently a running joke.

" I've heard stories from people with cops as relatives that they would always have loads of free drugs because people arrested would often ditch their stash in the back of the patrol car and they would just scoop them up at the end of the day. Not to mention all the beatings from filth people here must have had over the years."

If that is true, and I have no reason to disbelieve you, why not call the DPS annonimously through crime stoppers and report them. It has been done and every call HAS to be investigated because it can be checked under the DPA.

"Sounds like you have been living in a bubble wrapped in cotton wool your whole life, and it is YOU needs a reality check"

I work in the ambulace service,previous to that I have done things that have put me inside a cell more than once. I have met cops that I didnt like, been on the rough end a few times, I just chose to talk to the cops not to let pointless political BS cloud my judgement, I try to treat everyone as an individual.

Anon by right