A police officer who took wooden posts from a shooting range and used them to build furniture for his garden has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Former Dorset Police firearms officer PC Jonathan Bell removed four or five stakes to construct a table.
PC Bell, who no longer works for the force, took the posts from the firing range’s store without permission between July and August 2019.
A police misconduct hearing was told PC Bell’s supervisor learnt from another officer that the stakes were missing, and that Pc Bell was suspected of taking them.
PC Bell then lied to his supervisors and told them the posts were at his home, and he would return them the next day, knowing that he had already used them to make furniture.
A colleague of PC Bell, known as Sergeant V, told the hearing: “He was flustered and said he had taken some wooden posts to prop up a lean-to.
“He stated he had taken the posts and said that he was aware that professional standards were investigating the taking of the property.
“He said the posts would be on his driveway, which was at odds with the previous account he had given and it made me think the previous account was not a truthful account.
“He then said a friend had the posts and he would arrange for the posts to be returned.”
Following a two-day hearing, the panel found that PC Bell had breached the standards of professional behaviour and was guilty of gross misconduct.
It was found that, had he still been employed by Dorset Police, he would have been dismissed.
PC Bell did not attend the hearing and did not call any evidence.
Following the hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya said: “Police officers in Dorset Police are expected to operate with honesty and integrity in their professional and personal lives.
“It is unacceptable for any member of the force to take property that does not belong to them, treat it as their own and then act dishonestly.
“The public quite rightly expect the highest standards of behaviour from serving police officers and staff as this is a core component of maintaining the trust of our communities.
“I am disappointed this individual has failed to adhere to the high standards set by the force, and we have acted robustly to investigate the matter and deal with the misconduct.
“This behaviour is not indicative of the overwhelming majority of our staff and teams out delivering quality policing day to day, and there is no place in Dorset Police for this dishonest behaviour.”
The matter was the subject of a criminal investigation, but it was determined that no further action would be taken.
PC Bell has been placed on the barred list administered by the College of Policing, which means he cannot be re-employed or reappointed into policing.
