When the Crown Prosecution Service demanded a witness statement in the name of a police force dog, officers
realised that it would be taking their canine skills a step too far. They wrote back explaining that PC Peach was in fact PD Peach, stressing that
PD stood for police dog but to no avail. Eventually, the exasperated handler completed a form as if it had been
written by the Alsatian, signing it with a paw print.
The statement read: “I chase him. I bite him. Bad man. He tasty. Good boy.
Good boy Peach.” It stated that the age of the witness was “four” and that his number was
PD4341. The document was pinned to the wall at West Midlands Police Station, much to
the amusement of colleagues. One officer took a photograph of the statement and it soon appeared on
Facebook and on several police Twitter accounts.
The CPS, however, failed to see the funny side and complained to the police
that their mistake had been turned into a very public joke. PC Mark Tissington, of West Midlands Police, who is believed to have shared
the original picture of the witness form, has referred himself to the internal
discipline unit although sources suggested he was unlikely to be reprimanded.
Ian Edwards, chairman of the West Midlands branch of the Police Federation,
said: “It's a difficult time for police and sometimes humour is a way of venting
frustrations. I would urge our Professional Standards Department to be even-handed in the
way they deal with it.” The CPS declined to comment.
1 comment:
Perhaps the Can't Prosecute Service should get a sense of humour, and maybe they could actually do some prosecuting at somepoint.
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