LOCAL: Two Dorset Police officers dismissed for gross misconduct

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Two Dorset Police Officers have been found to have committed gross misconduct following a public hearing. 

Police Constable’s, Hannah White and Jamie Woodfine, have been a subject to a misconduct hearing after a thorough investigation in connections to allegations that their conduct on duty has fallen below the standards of professional behaviour in respect of Honesty and Integrity and Duties and Responsibilities.

The panel that is led by an Independent legally qualified chair has decided on Tuesday 14 January 2020 that both of them has breached the professional standards as alleged and that the breaches amounted to gross misconduct. Hannah White has since then resigned from the Force and didn’t attend the hearing. As a result of that, the panel has ruled that had she not left of her own accord, she would been dismissed without notice. Whereas, Jamie Woodfine has been dismissed without notice.

Two officers have attended an address in Poole on Monday 25 June 2018 to carry out a welfare check on a woman following a call from a member of the public who reported an alleged breach of a court order. When they arrived they have discovered the woman was at the address with a man who was prevented from contacting her and from being at the address by the conditions of a non-molestation order. The man was liable to be arrested if found in breach of the order.

PC White and PC Woodfine, spoke with the woman and the man at the address and decided not to arrest the man, seeing that there was no risk to the woman. The police log report was updated by PC White with false and inaccurate information. It recorded that the man was not present at the address. 

After the misconduct hearing, David Lewis, the Deputy Chief Constable said: “Our officers have to adhere to the highest standards of professional behaviour, in particular their honesty and integrity must be beyond reproach. As a force we are committed to the protection and safeguarding of vulnerable people and in this case the officers failed to comply with the Force’s domestic abuse investigation policy and procedure and knowingly caused an inaccurate log entry of the incident to be recorded.

“I agree with the panel’s view that the officers’ actions amounted to gross misconduct and were sufficient to warrant dismissal. I hope this case demonstrates that we will take action against officers who fail to maintain the high standards that we set and what is expected of them when carrying out their duties in serving and protecting the public.”

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