Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

Officer hurt knee following workplace 'banter' from sergeant.

A detective who claims her career was ruined when she was injured in a prank is suing the force for £500,000 in compensation. 

Rebecca Jenkins, fell and hurt her left knee as she retrieved her phone, which had been hidden by her sergeant in the ceiling of Grays police station, in Essex.

There is a “culture of pranking” at the station and as a trainee detective and new arrival, she was the butt of practical jokes, Ms Jenkins claims.

The 33-year-old said she joined in the “banter” and would “give as good as she got”, but her detective career was sabotaged when the prank by Sergeant Alan Blakesley ended in disaster.

Ms Jenkins discovered her phone was hidden in the void above the ceiling after hearing it ring.

She then climbed onto a desk to retrieve it but slipped and hit her knee. 

Ms Jenkins suffered depression, acute pain and an “adjustment disorder” after the incident in July 2012, her barrister said.

She had to quit frontline work and eventually lost her job with Essex Police in October last year after eight years with the force.

Ms Jenkins, from Wickford, Essex, conceded that Sgt Blakesley had played the joke to “raise the spirits of the team”, telling the court the office pranks were “good-humoured”. 

However, her barrister argued Ms Jenkins was “under pressure to conform” by joining in the “culture of practical joking” because she was a junior member of the team. 

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh is contesting the compensation claim, disputing the extent of Ms Jenkins’s injuries and arguing the sergeant carried out nothing more than a “good-hearted workplace prank”.

His barrister, Laura Johnson, claimed Sgt Blakesley told her not to climb onto her desk and offered to retrieve the phone himself.

The hearing continues at Central London County Court.

View On Police Oracle

[HazRat 762]

You'd expect Police Oracle to know the difference between Essex Police and MPS.

 

Anyway £500k for a hurty knee?

[MerseyLLB 8,426]

Sigh....

Frankly ridiculous.

Why did she lose her job from hurting her knee?

[Indiana Jones + 1,082]

49 minutes ago, MerseyLLB said:

Why did she lose her job from hurting her knee?

UPP re not being able to pass the JRFT?

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

It would not be the first time for someone to play on and work an injury, and probably not the last. £500,000 beats working for a living, after all.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

It would not be the first time for someone to play on and work an injury, and probably not the last. £500,000 beats working for a living, after all.

Who says that she is making a play on an injury? I would have that you, of anyone, would be supportive unless and until it is proved that she is fit and well.
From your previous posts you say you were a Fed Rep so should have supported officers through injury on duty claims. And I believe you said you were medically retired, but I may have confused you with someone else on that.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Why do you always try and turn things round and quote was has not been said. I said "It would not be the first time" I did not say "It is not the first time" which is what you implied.

Yes I have supported officers through Injury Claims most of which have been completely genuine, but occasionally there were cases to the contrary where the evidence has pointed tom the contrary. In those cases after legal opinion the officers have been advised and had the weaknesses in their cases pointed out to them. The Federation find it hard to support cases where the legal opinion does not support. Many Forces Insurers have paid out compensation because it is a lot cheaper to make a payment, without prejudice  than to pay heavy court and legal expenses.

In the case in question I have little doubt that the actions by the D/S may have been childish and foolish. It is a little indicative that the Chief Constable is contesting the case, and the Sergeant had allegedly told her not to climb on the desk that he would get it for her.

I have no problem at all with any genuine case of injury suffered on duty as long as the officer is not milking it. In this case we do not know enough of the case or the injuries to reach a conclusion, that is up to the hearing.

[MerseyLLB 8,426]

UPP took 5 years to kick In?

 

[CountyCop + 178]

On 25/01/2018 at 22:53, MerseyLLB said:

UPP took 5 years to kick In?

 

3-5 year average where I am, easier to Gross Misconduct someone out than go through the mess that is UPP.

[David + 4,981]

Figures and reasons aside the sergeant had no business to be playing pranks in the first place, particularly not putting possessions in a ceiling.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

I would agree but, it might be that she was one of those who was per me entry on her phone instead of getting stuck. He may have been making a point, rather badly.

[David + 4,981]

I don't understand what it is you're trying to say there Zulu 22 sorry?

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Should read permanently. Was she a person who was always on her mobile phone instead of getting on with her work. Just asking as we had one who was always on her phone and another officer confiscated it and the rest of the team backed him.

[David + 4,981]

Well, three stripes outrank any amount of numbers so if it needed dealing with, that's how it should have been dealt with. If the stripes are too heavy for his shoulders to bear, he can always take them off.

Not that it makes any difference in the end: prank, or prank substituted for a disciplinary matter, nobody should be hiding possessions in a ceiling. Nobody should be playing them at all.

[Member of Public + 206]

I'm sure the sergeant wasn't being malicious or bullying, there is certainly no indication that he was, and it was just workplace banter which on a personal level I have no issue with. However, nonetheless it did ultimately lead to the injury of this officer and, the end of her career. Its a tragic shame, but the situation is what it is now and so I disagree with the Chief Constable's decision to contest the compensation award, unless it can be proven that she is being economical with the truth about her injuries (that's IF she actually is, of course) - which, without being a medical expert, I'm guessing it can't be proven either way. If that's the case, the officer's word should be accepted.