Anthony Searle has appeared on behalf of the Appropriate Authority in a police misconduct hearing concerning a former Avon and Somerset Constabulary police officer who has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Intelligence had been received by the Constabulary that the officer had been smoking cannabis whilst off duty, as a result of which she was required to take a drugs test. Three days after the test, she admitted to a senior colleague that she had been smoking cannabis. The drugs test came back negative. The officer decided to resign from the force.
After a hearing on 5 October 2018, the panel found that the officer would have been dismissed if she had still been a member of a police force. Such a finding is the only disciplinary action that can be taken against former officers who have committed gross misconduct. Appropriate Authorities have been able to initiate and/or conclude misconduct proceedings with respect to certain former officers since 15 December 2017.
