A police officer has been sacked after colleagues noticed a ‘smell of intoxicants’ when she arrived for work.
Greater Manchester Police constable Amanda Cocks failed an alcohol breath test while on duty as a radio dispatcher in the force control room and was later convicted of drink driving. When she arrived for work at GMP headquarters, her colleagues had raised concerns about her “appearance and the smell of intoxicants”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
She was removed from her desk, a misconduct hearing was told. It was stated that she had “consumed a significant quantity of alcohol” and “presented herself as fit to conduct her duties, which have a direct relevance to the safety of both the public and police officers“.
Her role included deploying officers and resources to scenes after 999 calls, providing updates to and liaising with other emergency services, and carrying out background checks on people to inform officers. Ms Cocks has now been sacked.
Following a trial held at Sefton magistrates court in July, PC Cocks was found guilty of ‘driving with excess alcohol in her system’. She was fined £500 and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Ms Cocks drove into force HQ and started work as a radio dispatcher in the Force Control Room when colleagues noticed the smell of alcohol, reported the Manchester Evening News. The official report stated: “On the information of colleagues and supervisors within the Force Control Room as to the officer’s appearance and the smell of intoxicants, arrangements were made for the officer to be breathalysed. Following a positive result, the officer was arrested and removed from the workplace where she was later charged with the offence of drink driving.”
GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “The officer, having consumed a significant quantity of alcohol, entered into the workplace and presented herself as fit to conduct her duties which have a direct relevance to the safety of both the public and police officers.”
“In addition, she stands convicted of a criminal offence. Her actions, in respect of the offence of driving with excess alcohol, were deliberate and carried out in the full knowledge that her conduct was both patently unlawful and entirely incompatible with the standards of behaviour required of a police officer.”
He noted ‘the risk of injury or worse’ to other road users and towards ‘the public and her fellow officers in the imperfect discharge of her core role as a dispatcher in the Force Control Room’. “Her misconduct similarly brings harm to the reputation and standing of the service,” added the chief. According to the ruling, Ms Cocks admitted her misconduct and offered an apology described as ‘genuine and heartfelt’.
The hearing was told of ‘some very difficult times in her life’ and of personal mitigation, but Chief Constable Watson said her ‘offending behaviour’ was ‘clearly unlawful, unwise and contrary to the clearest of instructions’. He said he found the ‘level of seriousness’ to be ‘very high’.
The Chief Constable added: “It is with some regret that I have concluded that PC Cocks being permitted to remain in service is incompatible with public confidence in the police”. Her name will now be added to the College of Policing’s ‘Barred List’, preventing her from serving as a police officer again. No further details were given.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond.Sign up to our daily newsletter.