Police officers sacked over scam


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from; http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/crime/police-officers-sacked-over-car-buying-scam-1-6303921

 

Four Lancashire Police officers have been sacked over a ?scam? involving covert police vehicles.

A spokesman for the force said five officers were suspended from duty in March this year after allegations were brought to the attention of Constabulary bosses last October.

It is understood the ?scam? involved the buying of unmarked police cars to use in covert operations.

To stop the cars being identified by criminals, they are changed frequently and sold by the force to the public at heavily-reduced prices when they are finished with.

But the officers had been found to have ordered cars they wanted for themselves to be used as covert vehicles, knowing they would soon be available to buy at a reduced cost.

 

 

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Is that really a scam? And worth sacking someone over?

Perk of the job I'd say.

 

Yeah no it's not good, there are specific laws dealing with the sale of public capital items. So essentially what these guys were doing was, picking out a car they liked, using it officially for a bit, knowing it would go to auction then buying it directly (big no-no) without going through any type of public auction.

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Is that really a scam? And worth sacking someone over?

Perk of the job I'd say.

One would assume there are policies in place to prevent a conflict of interest like this, in which case the officers would have known what they were doing was wrong. I think it's more that police need to be seen to be beyond reproach and this sort of behaviour is unseemly.

 

They should have been charged with fraud (or at least misconduct in public office), not just sacked.

If it was a crime then that should obviously be the case but if it was simply a violation of internal policy then being sacked is the appropriate response. I'm not sure that the threshold has been met for Misconduct In Public Office and it would be for the CPS to determine whether to pursue such a case.

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But the officers had been found to have ordered cars they wanted for themselves to be used as covert vehicles, knowing they would soon be available to buy at a reduced cost.

 

Just plain wrong and probably illegal too.

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I don't see the problem to be honest, some 'covert' operations can require in the vehicle getting damaged or destroyed, depending on the situation, at least this way they were keeping the cost down

 

on a side note Ex undercover motorway patrol cars are awesome, I love mine :P

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I don't see the problem to be honest, some 'covert' operations can require in the vehicle getting damaged or destroyed, depending on the situation, at least this way they were keeping the cost down

 

Yes, but they pick out their favorite car in the hope that it won't be damaged or destroyed and that they can buy it cheap when it's time to roll out new cars.

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Yes, but they pick out their favorite car in the hope that it won't be damaged or destroyed and that they can buy it cheap when it's time to roll out new cars.

I think there's been a misunderstanding.. I meant the officer could buy the car, use it in whatever 'covert' operation the car was suited for, and if it got destroyed, oh well, at least the force didn't have to shell out another ?11-?30+k to replace it

better than seeing some very good cars, with lots of life and service left in them be used like this and not potentially go to scrap, because no one bought them

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