To Catch A Thief

It's been said many times that it takes a thief to catch a thief and it would appear that the Hampshire Police Force have taken this to its logical conclusion. The revelation in the press last weekend that this particular force has around 42 officers with a criminal record, out of a total force of 4,000, is a shock, not a total shock I suppose. What does come as a surprise is that the offences which led to the convictions aren't what some people would class as trivial but include criminal records for offences such as assault, fraud and gun crime.

Hampshire Constabulary has of course defended its employment procedure by stating that "a criminal conviction does not preclude employment," - well obviously not if you live in Hampshire! Benefit fraud is socially unacceptable, possession of a cannabis plant is illegal despite what some hippies might think and being drunk and disorderly a pain in the arse if you happen to be on the receiving end of a good kicking or fifty five verses of Eskimo Nell when you are simply trying to buy a late night kebab, but what about discharging a firearm, assault and theft?

The biggest pointy head in the Hampshire Constabulary said that the force expect "high standards" from officers and staff, he didn't say whether or not this meant that potential officers would be expected to have robbed a bank rather than the local chippie. He went on to add, and I have a suspicion that he said it without a hint of irony that, "The Home Office sets procedures to be followed for officers with criminal convictions and very careful consideration is always given to people with convictions."

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said those in the force are subject to the police and misconduct regulations set by the Government. The regulations include a reprimand, fine or reduction in rank and decisions are left to individual forces.

This story came to light when a civilian worker for the HC was sacked from her job and via the Liberal Democrat's approached the Daily Mail after being cautioned for a minor crime. The Lib Dem spokesman said, not unreasonably in my opinion, that "It appears that Hampshire Constabulary is operating a two-tier justice system when dealing with criminal convictions. It is deeply unfair that police staff are being fired for minor offences, while police officers convicted of more serious offences are allowed to keep their jobs. The public will be rightly concerned that there are serving police officers who have committed crimes as serious as assault and firearms offences."

Meanwhile over the county line, as they say in the States, in Dorset a new scheme has got under way this week where persons charged with minor criminal offences have the chance to present themselves to their victims in return for not being given a criminal record. Stories that convoys of shotgun wielding police officers have been seen heading down the M3 and M27 have been denied by the Hampshire Constabulary.