Channel 4 - To Catch A Copper

[NameChangeAsICouldBeOverReacting]

Thoughts?

I was luckily able to watch this during work due to my job and it absolutely SHOCKED me to my core and really affected me.

I think you are right.

@AuContraire she just said exactly that: she needed to shine a light on it. She made a point that she doesn't have control over a lot of it and needs help to change it

It is. I was a civilian admin person in a big force. Officers would get very frustrated in this sort of case. I can see both sides, it is awful that people get away with it, it feels like such a waste of time when someone makes the complaint and you do all the work but then can't finish the job but it is awful for the person making the complaint. Court can be brutal and I've seen experienced officers who have dealt with all sorts being torn apart in court and being really traumatised by it.

It is also hard when there has been lots of work done and a jury finds them guilty and they get given a very short sentence or even no prison time. I remember one case that had involved months and months of work, I'd typed volumes of stuff for court, the two men involved were awful and were found guilty. Can't remember the exact length of the sentence but it was something like 2 years but the slap in the face was it was suspended. The girls who were the victims, their families, the police officers and me were all absolutely gutted. I assume the CPS were as well.

@Iwasafool I think I'd want to give evidence to make sure he couldn't do it to anyone else.

I think that is courageous but we have to understand that not everyone will feel able to do it. I would commend your bravery but I wouldn't condemn anyone who didn't feel they could do it. I honestly don't know if I could and I'm pretty sure my DH (retired police officer) would want me to and would support me.

The young trainee PCSO was so brave to speak up. She is stronger than she knows.

I have nothing but respect for CC Crew. She's trying to highlight the problems. The programme hasn't exactly warmed me to the police in general but I don't think that was the purpose.

The IOPC is a joke.

I think CC Crew is as disgusted by these outcomes as we all are.

Shocking what goes on in the force.

I don’t understand why he couldn’t be criminally prosecuted without trial / needing the victims, when he ADMITTED the charges to them for the tribunal?

I episode 2 the young man who was in a coma from the bleed on the brain, did he survive, I think I might have missed something.

Yes he did. He's speaks at the end.

I wondered that same.

Because there is no will to prosecute them. The police prosecute DV victims all the time

Oh ok thanks, I wasn't sure of his name so didn't know if that was him or the stop and search kid. .

Honestly astounds me. To think they also went to prosecute Lee Cocking’s VICTIM. Police are untouchable. That junior doctor in the news is suspended for using his wife’s Oyster card yet you can send your cock to a colleague or a child, post revenge porn, and you can get a warning… until it keeps happening for 17 years and something is finally done. But not criminally.

Revenge porn is classed as a communications offence, not a sexual offence. This means there is no automatic right to anonymity in a trial like there would be in a sexual offence case. The victims in the revenge porn case would therefore have been named, against their express wishes. That' why they didn't proceed with an evidence-led prosecution. There are plans to change this so that victims are given those right, but I don't think they're in place yet and certainly weren't at the time this all took place.

Doesn't change how awful it is, but thought it might help to understand.

The revenge porn, Lovell case, made me wonder. If you were his wife would you stay with him or divorce him?

I'd leave, I'd have thought most would. What I wondered was is he going to lose his pension? When I worked for the police the idea that they could lose their pension was something that would make a lot of officers consider their behaviour. The thing I never found out was if they lost their pension did they get their contributions back.

I believe that one officer I worked with went to prison and was only a couple of years of a full pension and he lost it but I have no idea about the contributions.

Been meaning to watch this, and started it last night, so obv I've only skimmed the thread. But bloody hell, that first episode! They just don't give a shit, do they?

Just watching the 3rd episode

I thought they had put all the shocking stuff in the 1st episode but it appears there is no shortage of incredibly shocking cases to fill a whole series and this is just from one force

Lovell is another calculated sexual predator in the police who have turned a blind eye to him for 17 years and yet again no prosecution. Thank God Sarah could at least dismiss this one. Genuinely sorry my arse. Genuinely sorry he got caught more likely. I bet he does get to keep his pension.

Join the police where you can groom and grope vulnerable traumatised teenage cadets with impunity! What woman would want to work in that organisation?

5178 complaints
4175 No further action (so far)
43 dismissals
3 convictions

Less than 1% of complaints resulted in any serious action being taken then. You might spin that as being a good thing that there are very few offenders who deserve punishment but after watching this it appears they are all getting off with a pat on the back 'feedback' , the laughable 'reflective chats' or a warning that expires after 2 years.

I applaud all those women who came forward and Sarah Crew for trying to make a change and let in the light on this festering horror

And of course the Yapp guy sticks around on full pay for the duration of his suspension (15 months!) and oh, what a surprise, resigns on the day of his hearing. I mean, why not, right?

What is also worrying is that they must have consented to be shown on camera - the arrogance. Maybe they got a thrill out of it? Revolting.

Edited to add - I think he resigned shortly before his hearing. So knew he was bang to rights obvs.