Detective Sergeant Caroline Brannan was found to have breached Kent Police's standards of professional behaviour, which amounted to gross misconduct, at an online hearing.
And what did this one do?
Earlier this month a panel heard how the officer, who has served at both Northfleet and Medway stations, tasked junior officers with "improper" personal errands.
On one occasion in February 2018 she instructed DC Max Bresnahan to drive 20 miles to take her mobile to the Apple store in Bromley and to bring it back once repaired.
According to the statement given by the former officer he was told by DS Brannan that she had a job for him and was given the keys to a police vehicle.He was told that, if quizzed by store staff, he should say he was the officer’s husband.
Ah. That's the sort of integrity we've come to expect from the crop of diversity hires that have plagued the farces for the last 30 years, isn't it?
Did she have a defence?
In her response the officer said that she had no clear recollection of these events and she believed DC Bresnahan either volunteered to take the phone or she had asked him to reasonably as he was making inquiries in the area.
That'll be a resounding 'No!' then...
Then on a separate occasion the following year DS Brannan tasked another officer – PC Patterson – with accompanying her to the Wickes store in Maidstone to collect some flooring she had purchased.
The junior colleague was required to accompany the officer in collecting the order and then drop this off at the officer’s home address, taking him away from his duties for a significant period.
Nor was this the only thing they had on her!
During the misconduct hearing DS Brannan also faced allegations that she had claimed for hours not worked and at an accelerated rate. Between May 2019 and November 2019 it was claimed the sergeant had made 12 overtime claims that were not legitimate.
This was on the basis that the hours claimed were not or could not have been worked and an overtime rate was falsely claimed.
But clearly it's not just the CPS that prove hard to convince...
But in its conclusion the panel decided, on the balance of probabilities, this allegation was not proven.
Ah, well. They have still other charges!
However, in another serious allegation, the panel heard how on four separate occasions the team supervisor was found to have disclosed confidential and sensitive information to colleagues concerning investigations into serving police officers.
That's got to be it for her, right? Wrong!
They said she also demonstrated "genuine remorse for what had occurred" and had undergone additional training.
As a result DS Brannan was not dismissed but handed a final written warning, to remain on her file for 18 months.
*sighs*
Every Police officer has a personal note book (today, May be a computer tablet, but a proper mote book in my day). In this, the officer records date and time booked on, and details of every job, interview, or conversation required for official purposes. Plus, every member of CID had, or had, an occurrence nook, which had additional information. To check if an officer was, or not, working, all they have to do is check their PNBs or desk diary. To claim they were working, when not, is fraud. To illegally claim an increased rate is committing the offence of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception. The officer should have been summarily dismissed and those on the disciplinary panel sent back to training school to 're-learn the law.
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