Sunday, March 22, 2009

Another cop gets away with it

A cop drinks three 15 oz. glasses of beer in an hour -- which would put him well over the .05 limit -- and it is the guy who told of that who gets punished! The fact that the cop's friends in the force declared him under the limit would convince no-one. In Queensland, a "schooner" is three quarters of a pint



A QUEENSLAND barman has lost his job after he dobbed in a police officer for downing three heavy beers in an hour then driving home with his three children in the car. Craig Tomsett of Gladstone was sacked by his boss at the Gladstone Golf Club when the police officer in question made a written complaint about his behaviour on February 13.

In the letter, the police officer admitted to drinking three schooners of Toohey's Extra Dry in an hour then driving home with his children. He said when he was breath-tested at home by police he was "well under 0.05" despite having consumed the equivalent of 4.5 standard drinks.

"If Tomsett alleges I was intoxicated to such an extent that he was concerned about me driving a motor vehicle, the question begs asking as to why he continued serving me alcohol which is in clear breach of the Liquor Act 1992 and Liquor Regulations 2002," the officer wrote in the letter sent from Gladstone Police Station. "An offence which, if proved to be accurate, would lead to a substantial monetary fine for the Gladstone Golf Club."

He also claimed Mr Tomsett, 39, had a personal vendetta against him as a police officer and suggested the single father would be "well advised to look after his own back yard".

Mr Tomsett was sacked the day after his employer received the letter, which he has passed on to the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Police this week confirmed the Ethical Standards Command was investigating Mr Tomsett's complaint with the CMC overviewing.

Mr Tomsett admitted he and the police officer were former neighbours who had a falling out last year over the officer's dogs but he denied the drink-driving allegation was a payback. "I have an obligation of care to notify police. His statement in itself is evident that he was drink-driving," Mr Tomsett said.

Since making the complaint to the CMC, Mr Tomsett said he had been followed by the police officer in question and on Thursday his house was raided by police and the dog squad. Gladstone police said the raid was related to a separate matter but Mr Tomsett claimed he was the victim of intimidation. "I had an officer intimidate me and threaten to put my four-year-old son into child services. It just beggars belief. They found nothing," Mr Tomsett, who has previously been fined for possessing a small amount of marijuana, said.

Gladstone Golf Club manager Ivan Carr said Mr Tomsett was sacked because of his "inappropriate behaviour" towards the police officer but declined to comment further.

SOURCE

2 comments:

The surfs flat said...

I have read all your blogs in regards to the police, particularly that of your car and I can say I empathise with you. But are you aware of the fine members who do amazing work within the police force? Admittedly, there are some(and few at that!)bad seeds, but 'tarring with one brush' the ones that strive to deliver excellence in their policing is not a way to get your point across in my eyes.

Do you know any fine stories of police doing a great job?

Mrs Accountable said...

The bar man being sacked for reporting a policeman for drink driving is police culture - called "pay back" "bricking" or "stitching up" an officer. Police culture is that no matter what another police officer/ Commissioned officer does, all is ok. Don't send an email supporting other officers when policy and procedure is not followed: don't support other officers at a meeting about the same matter. Pretend you know nothing when an officer threatens to shoot his supervisor and her dog. Ignore the same officer when he walks entirely naked the whole length of the motel complex. Forget he tried to buy drugs for his own use. Even tho there are several other police officers from Brisbane on a work trip. Even when the same officer is not disciplined, but rewarded by the transfer he demanded. Rewarded for threatening to shoot several by training in weapons to ensure he is a crack shot. Ignore all police wrongdoing, for you never know when that officer is a friend of a Member of Parliament (LNP in fact) and a friend of your assistant commissioner. Like the bar man, we are taught that police officers never do wrong, and if you imagine you saw something that was against the law, you will be the one who pays the price. The three blind monkeys when it comes to police--see no wrong. Hear no wrong. Repeat no wrong and you will live a long stress free life.