A POLICE officer has been fired after replacing a colleague who acted as an officer during his suspension.
Sussex Police PC Hayley Noyes has been sacked after witnessing a stop and search incident at the request of PC Alice Price, who at the time was banned from wearing a police uniform, make an arrest or deal with members of the public.
Price, who was then being investigated for allegations of serious driving, stopped a motorist in Felpham, Bognor on December 31, 2019.
Noyes went to the scene at Price’s request, failing to dispute the clear violation of restrictions and covering up her banned colleague’s actions in a later report.
She also edited another officer’s incident report to downplay Price’s inclusion in the event and provided intentionally false information in her witness statement, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.
Officers arrested a motorist in Bognor in 2019
Graham Beesley, regional director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said: ‘Behaviour of this type, involving dishonesty, undermines the police service and has the ability to negatively impact public confidence in the police.
“The panel chairman described what the officers did as deliberate and premeditated operational dishonesty, and the seriousness of the allegations proven are underscored by the sanctions.”
The man held by Price and Noyes was found in possession of cannabis and a penknife, and was given a fixed penalty notice which was later overturned due to the misconduct complaints made against officers.
Price again violated her restrictions while dealing with a suspected shoplifter on January 12, 2020, for which she also did not provide a statement about her actions.
Brighton Police Station
Both men were found to have breached standards of professional behavior relating to honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and disreputable conduct. Noyes also breached standards relating to duties and responsibilities and reported inappropriate conduct.
Price resigned in March 2020. If Price had still been employed by Sussex Police, she would also have been fired, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.
Noyes was sacked with immediate effect.
Both officers will be placed on the College of Policing’s ban list, barring future employment with the police force, and are guilty of gross misconduct.
The ten-month investigation, which began in February 2020, reviewed body-worn video footage, police radio transmissions, recordings of the incident, interviews with officers involved and witness statements from the police.
The four-day trial ended on Thursday, April 28.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-29 17:00:00
