Police Sergeant Dismissed for Using Picture Frame to Fake Work Activity
A police sergeant described as deceitful and dishonest has been dismissed without notice after propping down keys on her laptop with a picture frame to create the false impression she was working from home. The officer, stationed at Avon and Somerset Police headquarters in Portishead, carried out this deliberate act across 25 separate shifts in April and May 2024, totalling 41.5 hours and costing the taxpayer-funded force in excess of £1,000 in wages she had not legitimately earned.
Gross Misconduct Finding and Barred List Placement
A police misconduct panel found the officer, Sgt X, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of gross misconduct at a hearing at HQ on February 25. She will now be placed on a barred list, prohibiting her from ever working in policing or law enforcement again. The sergeant admitted to using the corner of a picture frame to hold down the keys so her computer would not enter sleep mode, enabling her to monitor calls on a separate screen during a period in which she faced difficulties in her personal life.
She maintained that her actions stemmed from a fear for her position, accusing a supervisor of attempting to remove her from the department through threats and intimidation and a campaign of bullying and harassment. However, barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, representing the constabulary, stated there was no evidence to support this claim.
Investigation Reveals Long-Term Deception
Mr Ley-Morgan told the panel: "If, as she claims, she was at all times working, she would have had no need to place a picture frame on the keyboard. All she needed to do was occasionally tap any key on her keyboard in order to prevent it from going into sleep mode. The raw data shows she was not doing anything in the periods she was key-jamming."
He revealed that further enquiries throughout the investigation uncovered that Sgt X had been weighing down keys as far back as November 2022 and throughout 2023. He stated that the officer offered varying explanations over time as to her reasons for doing so, but that none of these cast doubt on the fact she was key-jamming to create a false impression she was working.
Officer's Defence and Panel's Decision
Sgt X told the hearing: "I ask the panel to look at the wider circumstances in which this occurred. This was not an act motivated by personal gain, corruption or an intention to undermine the organisation or the public." The officer said she had endeavoured at the time to escalate her concerns about a supervisor to a more senior manager, but that it became apparent the complaint would not be upheld.
She added: "I feel deep sorrow and genuine remorse for the position I have placed the organisation, my colleagues and myself in. I understand it could have been seen as dishonest but I did not act in a dishonest way." Her barrister Chris Hopkins argued that a final written warning would be appropriate, stating she had been forthcoming about her actions from the start.
Dismissal Ruling and Police Response
However, panel chair Craig Holden agreed with Mr Ley-Morgan that the only viable outcome was dismissal without notice. Mr Holden ruled that she breached the standards of professional behaviour in terms of honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities; and discreditable conduct. He stated all alleged facts and breaches of the standards were proven and that this amounted to gross misconduct.
Mr Holden said: "An officer behaving in a deceitful and dishonest manner, which is proven, would undermine public confidence in the police service." However, he stated he did not believe she had done it for financial gain.
Avon and Somerset Police head of professional standards department Det Supt Larisa Hunt said afterwards: "It is extremely disappointing an officer has behaved in a way which could not only discredit the police force but also undermine the public confidence in respect of our duties and responsibilities. We know officers and staff deal with immense pressure and high workloads, and whilst Sgt X had some mitigating circumstances, it's unacceptable for an officer to act in this deliberate and deceitful way by abusing the trust placed in her, by making it appear she was working when she was not. We recognise the overwhelming majority of our officers and staff work hard to protect the public."
Bristol Live contested reporting restrictions granting the officer anonymity but these were rejected by the chair.
