C P P Not To Prosecute Officers

[malagabob]

The C P P has decided not to prosecute 4 high ranking detectives after they were sacked over their car buying scam.
The scam involved them ordering high spec cars to be used on covert operations, knowing they could buy the cars at a discount after only 6-12 months.

[sandyRoe]

They might feel that their getting sacked was punishment enough, or that there was no realistic prospect of convictions. Joe Public wouldn't be shown such leniency.

[boxtops]

I don't know this story - got a link?

[malagabob]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/police-sacked-in-car-selling-scam-1-6303692

[Peter Pedant]

Times and Teleg yesterday

screwed by ordering non standard models which fitted their own specs.

If they wre fired after a disciplinary - the standard is still beyond reasonable doubt and so a criminal prosecution is possible

if it were on civil standard it may not be provable in a criminal court


depressing event
so the next time you see a spanking blue flashing car
you can knock on the window and say nice car tosh
gonna get it for 500 knicker in three weeks are you ?

[Peter Pedant]

.
I would have thought

misfeasance in public office would fit

however I am not as wise as the CPS

[Baldric]

What's the C P P please?

[FredPuli43]

They have committed no crime save possibly misfeasance in public office. That is not really runnable. They had the right to buy the cars. The only subtlety is that, when the cars were ordered, the cars had features, extras perhaps, which the officers liked. Now, where is the evidence that this was some dishonest conspiracy to ensure that nobody else but the officer concerned could buy the car and did so at an advantage to himself and a loss to the public purse? It may be that the officer, having regard to the discount, was offering more than the trade would pay for the car . You only need one bit of evidence that that was, or could have been, the case and you can wave goodbye to the prosecution of all of them. You'd never get close to satisfying a jury enough to convict.

As a disclipinary matter alone, it runs, because it could be seen as not in the spirit of the police force, it doesn't look good and could be seen as causing dissension in the ranks (and any other excuse !)

[murraymints]

Surprise surprise !

[FredPuli43]

What's a surprise, murraymints? That police officers have committed no crime ?

I hope the days are gone when one or two senior officers in the West End vice squad were allowed to retire though it looked plainly that they were as much involved as more junior men who were prosecuted.