3 days ago
Top police officer facing possible sack retires before misconduct hearing
UTV can reveal a senior police officer at the centre of a controversary over the disappearance of a vacuum cleaner from a police station and claims the tried to blame the alleged theft on subordinates has been able to retire before facing any disciplinary action.
The new twist in this four-and-half-year-old saga came as we revealed back in June that the top officer would be facing a gross misconduct hearing – meaning he could face the sack.
That is no longer going to happen because he has already hung up his uniform and retired.
Former senior officer turned Ulster Unionist assembly member Jon Burrows – who used to be in charge of police discipline – has blasted how police have handled the whole affair.
"It's so late in the day, the officer has been able to avoid accountability and retire," said Mr Burrows.
The so-called Hoovergate scandal erupted in January 2021 when there were tensions within the PSNI over an alleged two-tier approach to discipline within the service.
It's claimed the disappearance of the vacuum cleaner which was later returned was not properly investigated first time round to protect the top officer.
A second investigation was initiated, this time by senior personnel at PSNI headquarters. A file was sent to the PPS for alleged theft – a decision was reached just a few months ago not to prosecute.
We tried to contact the recently retired officer for comment but got no response.
Our latest Hoovergate revelation comes ahead of proposed changes by the Department of Justice to police conduct regulations.
No interview from the PSNI, but instead this statement.
''The Department of Justice has recently launched a stakeholder consultation process regarding proposed changes to the Police Conduct regulations," said the PSNI.
"One proposed change relates to former officer misconduct processes where individuals who have chosen to resign or been granted permission to retire whilst suspended and subject of a misconduct process, can either return to conclude the process or it can be concluded in their absence."
