A POLICE Community Support Officer based in Redditch has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
The officer, who has not been named, was dismissed following a misconduct hearing at West Mercia Police headquarters in Hindlip yesterday, Thursday, June 27.
The hearing – conducted by Chief Superintendent Mark Travis – follows an investigation by the Professional Standards Department after the individual tested positive for cannabis following a ‘with cause drugs test’.
The member of staff, who had six months’ service, was immediately suspended from duty and has remained suspended until the outcome of the hearing.
They will also be placed on the College Of Policing Barred List and will not be employable within the UK Police Service.
Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Love, from the West Mercia Police Professional Standards Department, said: “We expect all our officers and staff to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and the member of staff in this case has failed to do this.
“We will not tolerate substance abuse within West Mercia Police and take reports of this nature extremely seriously.
“The chair found that this member of staff’s actions fell well below what we expect from our officers and staff which is why it amounted to gross misconduct and breached our Code of Ethics.
“It is for this reason they were dismissed.”
The outcome of the misconduct hearing is subject to the normal appeals process.
