A high-flying police sergeant quit his job after a three-year “campaign of harassment and crime” by his fellow officers.
Callum Peoples, who had 14 years service, claims he was bullied out the force following a series of incidents, including:
•His personal details shared illegally with a member of the public
•His locker at the station broken into and his police radio smashed
•His car wrecked outside his home by an unknown assailant
•Human waste smeared over his front door at his home
•False allegations of drug and alcohol being taken while he was on duty
The 32-year-old, who was based in the Scottish Borders division, quit in March.
He claims his life was “destroyed” by a gang of seven police officers who at various points during targeted him for “abuse, humiliation and harassment”.
Peoples, who had earned the rank temporary inspector and was invited to apply for an accelerated promotion course, said his work life started to go horribly wrong following a professional disagreement with a senior officer in May 2016.
He said: “In May 2016 I was promoted to detective sergeant within the CID leading a team of detectives. It was during this time that a disagreement happened between myself and a detective chief inspector.
“I received a few commendations for my work. The problems began when I took a uniformed sergeant role in Galashiels.”
Callum claims he was banned from entering the top floor of a police station, forbidden from using computers and was mocked daily.
He said: “At one point they passed round a pic of a human having sex with an animal and claimed it was me.
“I was repeatedly told my legs were getting done if I so much as looked the wrong way at certain cops. They tried to get me removed from a development post but this was denied.”
He added: “In October last year, my car was trashed outside my house.
“The tyres were slashed, the bodywork scratched and dented. I reported it. In the same month, human excrement was smeared over the front door.
“I didn’t find out until March this year that a female police officer was suspected of accessing the police computer and passed my details on to a member of the public.
“Also, in October my locker was broken into and my police radio smashed.”
Callum said he was signed off sick by his doctor for two months due to the stress. He added: “This behaviour had a massive impact on my mental health. I wasn’t sleeping, I was drinking heavily and I was in a really dark place. On my return things were just the same.
“Things then went from bad to worse and the same pattern of behaviour began to happen.
"I was criticised for any decision I made and being spoken to like absolute rubbish.
“Also during this time, a sergeant began to spread rumours regarding me to officers within the Borders that I was regularly turning up to work under the influence of alcohol.
“I was later moved to Hawick police station where I still was having issues.
"A week after this move, someone told professional standards that I was in a club in Galashiels that weekend and had been taking cocaine. I had to provide a hair sample, which came back negative.”
Callum was then moved to East Lothian, where he said he “sat in a cupboard paper shuffling for a year”.
He added: “I now know I was moved because there were ongoing investigations regarding complaints against me stating I was grooming young female officers, I was not storing my CS spray appropriately, I was taking cocaine, drinking whilst at work, I was not sending officers to jobs appropriately.
“All of them were found to be malicious and they told me I had done nothing wrong. I was then told I was not allowed to be promoted, no development opportunities and submit to drug testing.
“They said they had concerns over my conduct but I disputed that and refused to sign their action plan.
“In my resignation letter, I cited institutionalised bullying but nobody contacted me. An unblemished 14-year career was gone just like that.
“As far as the complaints I made, they said they had investigated them and found nothing wrong other than one officer passing my details on. Nobody has been disciplined.”
Callum is seeking legal advice. The Record has seen a report by the Scottish Police Federation, which supported Callum.
It described the “lack of care and attention with regards to PS Peoples welfare and his status as a repeat victim of crime”.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Full inquiries were carried out and it was established the concerns raised were unfounded. The individual was satisfied with the outcome."
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