To Catch a Copper -The shocking, disturbing and real life gross misconduct by UK Police Officers.
Laura Baron
Specialist Recruiter| ADHDer | Passionate about Neurodiversity and Empowering Others.
For any of my connections working in the Legal Risk and Compliance Space or with a vested interest in this subject, if I was to ask you what your initial understanding of compliance was, what would you say?
Some of you might say it plays a critical part of a law firm, as its purpose is to mitigate risks the firm may face and it ensures that the firm is adhering to all applicable laws and regulations. While other industry experts may add that compliance is a framework that protects the law firm, your colleagues, and your clients safe.
This leads me on to my next question……
Did any of you watch to Catch a Copper? – A shocking and somewhat disturbing viewing experience. In a nutshell it is basically a real-life Line of Duty that investigates corrupt police officers and exposes them via bodycams.? As a viewer I was shocked and appalled, firstly at the lack of compliance to ethical and professional standards, as set out by the Police Staff Standards of Professional Behaviour and secondly the lack of disciplinary action is what really make it such a disturbing watch.
Perfect examples that the Police Officers in question have breached their own professional standards are enlisted below.
Police staff are honest, act with integrity and do not compromise or abuse their position.
Female officers arriving at the Clifton Bridge, having being called out to intercept a woman who has been threating to jump from it with the end goal of taking her own life. You would be naive enough to think that our police officers would demonstrate compassion, and a certain level of empathy towards the vulnerable woman instead of restraining her in the police car, hand pressing her throat and fitting her with a “spit hood” before pepper spraying her in the face at the result of kicking out at a police office.
Use of restraint
Not quite as bad as an additional clip where two male officers assist hospital staff in preventing another “mentally vulnerable “patient from absconding. Again the woman is clearly in crisis after saying she wanted to die, but is mocked by the two officers, who laugh about her vulnerable state and at one point clearly on camera call her a “f****** B****”. It makes for shocking viewing as the police officers are fully aware of the negative footage of them that is clearly visible on their body cams and even make a joke of it.
Discreditable conduct
Police staff behave in a manner which does not discredit the police service or undermine public confidence in the police service.
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This brings me on to my final case, that of Sgt Lee Cocking who volunteered to drive a highly intoxicated woman home in Weston-Super Mare on Christmas Eve 2017. Having been charged with the criminal offence of misconduct in public office, Sgt Cocking convinced the jury that post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by a previous bad experience at work had left him physiologically unable to stop the woman making him pull in to a pitch-dark layby , and sexually assault him. You’ll have to watch but let’s just say no action was taken against him and he was granted retirement on medical grounds with full pay and a comfortable financial settlement package.
None of the cases mentioned above lead to any disciplinary action, and in 2022, less than 1% of the 81,000 complaints resulted in formal misconduct proceedings.
Regardless of the industry we work in, it’s important that we uphold a certain level of compliance, it raises the bar as professionals to want to do better, to protect ourselves, our businesses and our clients. We all have a duty of care, to safeguard the people we come into contact with and this in my own opinion is a prime example of a massive breach of compliance and gross misconduct by the British Police force. Is it any wonder in today’s society we have lost our trust in the police as a whole?
If you did watch it, it would be great to get your perspective on it and if you didn’t I’ve shared the link below so you can catch up!
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9 个月Wholly agree with your analysis of the show. The systemic bias' are so obvious to everyone except the investigating officers, federation reps and the IOPC - ironically because they lack the diversity to understand the bias in the first place. There are so many important lessons to learn from this documentary and I really hope more like it are made and into other forces too.