Police officer sacked and banned from profession for using WFH trick

A police sergeant has been sacked for using a picture frame to weigh down her laptop keys and give the false impression she was working from home.

Avon and Somerset Police said the officer, referred to as Sergeant X, used the trick on the majority of shifts she worked in April and May last year.

The officer admitted using a corner of a frame to weigh down the keys so her laptop would not go into “sleep mode” during a period of challenges in her personal life.

An investigation was opened after data used by the force’s professional standards department showed the officer’s keystrokes were significantly high.

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Further evidence found the number of keystrokes were between three and eight times higher than colleagues in a similar role.

Sergeant X was dismissed without notice and barred from police and other law enforcement agencies after a hearing found her behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.

Detective superintendent Larisa Hunt of Avon and Somerset Police said: “It is extremely disappointing an officer has behaved in a way which could not only discredit the police force, but also undermine the public confidence in respect of our duties and responsibilities.

“We know officers and staff deal with immense pressure and high workloads, and while Sergeant X had some mitigating circumstances, it’s unacceptable for an officer to act in this deliberate and deceitful way by abusing the trust placed in her, by making it appear she was working when she was not.”