Police mistakenly told social services a neighbour had complained about Kenneth Burgoyne screaming at his child, rather than with his child.
How could this happen?
The PCSO who made the report did not speak English as her first language, a lawyer for the police later told the father, offering this as a reason for “any slight indifference [sic] in the wording”.
/facepalm
Mr Burgoyne gained a legal studies certificate from the Open University to help his more than three-year fight with police over that mistake and other matters.
Making him (probably) more qualified than half the force
and their lawyer!
Nearly four years later, police have now apologised for the wording and any “inconvenience which it may have caused”.
A force spokesman told The Argus it was “unable to say whether the wording or indeed, the shouting issue itself, are likely to have been the cause of the visit from social services.”
He added: “We are satisfied that our procedures for dealing with MOGP1s [the type of report made to social services] are robust and were followed on this occasion.
“We do not believe that there is any significant issue raised in respect of officers for whom English is not their first language.”
Really?
The written apology followed years of legal wrangling after Mr Burgoyne filed a claim in county court against police for that and other matters including a harassment (PIN) notice.
Police have now settled that claim, saying the main reason for doing so was the harassment notice, which it accepted was “not correctly dealt with at the end of its duration.”
It's a wonder they can all find their way to the nick to clock on in the morning, isn't it?
9 comments:
I know PCSOs are a bit of a joke, but surely speaking and understanding English should be a basic requirement? Or perhaps she usually covers some ghetto?
Aaaaah the stench of diversity and equality policies and quota driven recruitment - The Job's Fucked!
Bunny
In France they have the rule that if you can't speak French they won't help you in the local council offices, let alone employ you in a job where you can cause a legal balls up. Which cretin thought that employing her would be a good idea.
Which cretin thought that employing her would be a good idea.
Well anyone in HR/recruitment in the public sector - and that's loads of the bastards!
XX screaming at his child, rather than with his child.XX
He WAS screaming at his "child."
The fact the wee bastard was screaming BACK does not change the logic of the initial report.
At the very most, the plastic plod is guilty of not recording evidence properly.
Once had a Councillor try it on with me, saying I was denying people from abroad their right to work, because I introduced an "english language" test for licences for taxi drivers! Got it in force, though! (Not Rotherham !!)
"Or perhaps she usually covers some ghetto?"
Well, can you narrow it down? That's most of London!
"In France they have the rule that if you can't speak French they won't help you in the local council offices, let alone employ you in a job where you can cause a legal balls up."
And it's about time we followed suit.
"Got it in force, though!"
That you needed to push it through at all, speaks volumes...
Hi and thank you for your recognition of my legal scrap. Something I would like to add to this mess is that having identified the neighbour who made the noise complaint(a child protection manager with West Sussex Council)I made a complaint to her regulating body then the GSCC now the HCPC that she had abused her position and this is why I was served with a Police Information Notice (PIN)advising me that my action could be viewed as harassment. So in fact and although I could not challenge it if Sussex Police had not sent the inaccurate MOGP1 I would never have complained to the GSCC and there would have been no need for the PIN served.
Furor Teutonicus.... My child and I where not screaming at each other. I was running up and down the garden pushing her in a little tykes car she was 2 yrs old and screaming with joy shouting "faster daddy faster" Ok sometimes it was 8am on a hot summers morning but that's kids they want to be outside. The Child Protection Manager neighbour complained to Sussex Police that we where disturbing her sleep.
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