Can you really trust them?

basil

Distinguished Member
Pcs charged in 'gun sale' probe
Two Durham police officers have been charged following an investigation into the alleged sale of guns which had been handed in for disposal.

Pcs Maurice Allen, 47, and Damien Cobain, 41, are charged with misconduct in public office. Pc Allen is also charged with 16 counts of theft.

The investigation into the officers began in February following a firearms theft at a farmhouse in north Durham.

The pair are due to appear before magistrates in Newcastle on Friday.

Criminal activity

The owner of the stolen weapon told officers he had bought the gun from the police, which led to inquiries being conducted by Durham Police's professional standards department, under the supervision of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The two officers were suspended as a result, arrested and interviewed concerning the allegations.

Pc Allen has nearly 29 years' police service, while Pc Cobain has been with the force for eight years.

Det Ch Insp Mick Nail, of the force's professional standards department, said: "All the weapons are accounted for and were bought by registered shotgun or firearms certificate holders who had been previously vetted by police.

"There is nothing to suggest that any of the firearms concerned have been used in any criminal activity."


basil.
 
Gentlemen please,

let us not display the sort of mentality that is well used amongst the anti brigade. If somebody was a stalker and also accused of poaching, would we think all stalkers are poachers? No of course not, do we as responsible motorists get full of drink and then drive, no of course not, even though drinking and driving is a common crime. The thing is most people are above this sort of thing, can be trusted and and act and think in a fair way, but there will always be a few that spoil it for the rest.

So please do not demean yourselves and fall into the trap of stereotyping, otherwise you start to sound like one of those, lentil eating, bunny hugging, bath dodging, anti field sport, dole claiming world savers :eek:

Now that would never do for participants in such a noble sport as ours :D :D Anyway make no mistake they will not get an easy ride.

John
 
You got any recipes Finnbear :lol:

It is very easy to slate an organisation or body because of the actions of a couple of idiots, but in my own experiences the big problem is that the old denial of responsibility & close ranks is still employed.
This no longer washes with the public, if someone says yep there was a screw up it's going to be sorted openly and honestly we can respect that, but you only have to look at the duplicity around Dunblane & the Menezes shootings.
We have a very good Police service when compared to many others I have encountered in my travels, its a shame when a few bad apples are able to spoil the barrel
 
Also naughties in the Borders area 4 or 5 years ago. The civilian firearms officer ended up serving a prison sentence - he kept back some pistols and other stuff.
 
Wasn't it a "few" bad apples that lost us law abiding people automatic weapons and pistols and wasn't it us, the law abiding majority that will pay the ultimate price for eternity?

If we also go back a few months didn't Cheshire police nick one of their own for pretty similar offences? And didn't they use the old chestnut of the firearms didn't get into the hands of crims?

Sounds to me like we might have a trend going on here.

Being soft on these idiots won't win you any grace or favour with the Police, they will just twist it and use it as further evidence why there should not be firearms in the community.

After all it is our fault, if we [the public] had not surrendered these firearms to the Police then they would not have been tempted to sell them for percuniary gain now would they????

Rant over

P.s. The effectiveness of the police force is inextricably linked to the support they receive off the public and it is erroding albeit slowly.

Definately rant over now.

Hugs

RF
 
So, reading through this thread, that would indicate that the same basic offence was committed in the following Police regions:

Durham

North Wales

Borders

Cheshire

Oh - and recently an FLO was charged with illegally holding a pistol in Devon & Cornwall!

Just how many Police regions are there? :(

Rgds

Ian
 
They are no different from anyone else
some you can trust , some you can't
just like mates
let not tarnish them all with the same brush, if those that gave all and you could trust to the hilt were given the same recognition and news space
think we might need a few more medals
but bad eggs should be named and shamed before being put up infont of the judicial system that they want us to face
not every copper is a bad one :confused:
 
IanF said:
Just how many Police regions are there? :(

There are 43 Constabularies in England & Wales, one in Northern Ireland and eight in Scotland, plus the Atomic Energy Authority Police, British Transport Police and the Ministry of Defence Police - total of 55, unless I have missed any. Apart from the last three, each one will have a firearms licensing team all busily interpreting ACPO and HO Guidance to their hearts content :eek:

Time for a lie down I think!
 
You are right Stone not all coppers are bad

but a speeding copper is just that,... a speeding copper! no one cares cos its more acceptable.

A bent copper or ex copper dealing in firearms taints us all and is more ammo to those wanting no firearms [no pun intended]

Had you or I been caught carrying out this crime, they would throw the book at us, we would loose our licences, do jail time and be lauded by the police as an exemplar as to why there should not be ANY legal firearms in circulation AT ALL.

A bit like the idiot of a ART person who whilst training newly recruited civies what his work involves with firearms discharges a loaded weapon in a classroom into one of the newbies and damn near kills him. Whatever happened to him????

Rest asured had you or I done it the outcome would have been different.

I am definately going to stop ranting now its getting my blood pressure up :p :p
 
There are 43 Constabularies in England & Wales, one in Northern Ireland and eight in Scotland, plus the Atomic Energy Authority Police, British Transport Police and the Ministry of Defence Police - total of 55, unless I have missed any.

Yes! Royal Parks Constabulary! And the various small "Ports Police" Forces.
 
There are 43 Constabularies in England & Wales, one in Northern Ireland and eight in Scotland, plus the Atomic Energy Authority Police, British Transport Police and the Ministry of Defence Police - total of 55, unless I have missed any.

Yes! Royal Parks Constabulary! And the various small "Ports Police" Forces.
 
enfieldspares said:
There are 43 Constabularies in England & Wales, one in Northern Ireland and eight in Scotland, plus the Atomic Energy Authority Police, British Transport Police and the Ministry of Defence Police - total of 55, unless I have missed any.

Yes! Royal Parks Constabulary! And the various small "Ports Police" Forces.

And there's still never one about when you need 'em! :lol:
 
There are the market police at Smithfield meat market in London :)

I was telling the story yesterday to a forum member of when I was awaiting to be retired fromt he police through an injury.

I was put in charge of the property office and also had to sort out a room full of confiscated firearms.

One guy had all his rifles and shotguns taken from him as when it came time for the handgun ban he could not account for one of his handguns.

I called him and asked him if he was going to get anyone to put them on their ticket or get an RFD in to get them and sell them on his behalf.

He had obviously been delaying the who thing not wnating to part with his guns.

I had a good chat with him and really felt for him even though he had lost a handgun.

He asked me if I wanted to buy his 2 Browning shotguns at around £200 each.

Bargain me thinks. But I realised that I would need to ask permission to do something like this, it was frought with danger. Eventually I declined there were too many negatives and I just got the feeling that if the crap hit the fan he might say that I had proffited from his misfortune.

Anyway, I carried on sorting out this cupboard getting people to put shotguns on mates tickets, having some chopped up and some sent to dealers.

When I got to the bottom of this huge pile of firemarms I found a plastic evidence bag with a handgun in it.

I looked at the ref number and traced it back, we had had it in our possession about 4 years.

It turns out it was held at our station whilst the aformentioned man had sorted out his security after moving house.

So the guy who was losing his guns was doing so because the police had not given him his gun back in order to hand it back to the police!

Needless to say I was very pleased to give him the news and eventually his licences were reinstated and he got all his guns back.

But either way this story turned out, if I had bought those guns I could have been in deep KAK.

Ian
 
The guy who shot his colleague was in the paper this morning. Apparently he put his hands up to breach of Health and Safety rules, and will be sentenced next week. Report mentions he carried his ammunition in a Quality Street tin, and mistook the live round he loaded for a blank, he then pointed the gun at the guy and pulled the trigger.

I'm thinking reckless endangerment, if not attempted manslaughter. If ever I have the misfortune of shooting someone I am definitely going for the breach of Health and Safety option :rolleyes:
 
Hi,
I worked with a guy in London on the Firearms unit who was shot twice by his own colleagues 1 year apart :)

He transferred to Northern Ireland, it was safer for him :)

Ian
 
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