Two female cops rapped for uploading TikTok videos of them singing and dancing while on duty
TWO female cops have been rapped for uploading TikTok dancing videos – while on DUTY.
PCs Amy Taylor and April Cooper made clips of them singing and dancing in fire tabards and running up and down the steps of a police station.
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The also posted video of them “shouting offensive language” while they were supposed to be fighting crime for Cambridgeshire Police.
A misconduct panel heard PC Cooper made an ‘insensitive’ video about the pandemic, shouting “coronavirus” down a phone – with the caption: ‘When calling in sick at work and they ask what’s up’.
The pair have now been hit with final written warnings over the string of “’inappropriate” clips bosses said “damaged the reputation of the constabulary”.
The clips were spotted on the Chinese-owned social networking site in April by a member of the public who had been a victim of crime, and subsequently reported to the force.
An investigation was launched by the force’s Professional Standards department, and the PCs were hauled before a misconduct hearing.
They claimed the videos were designed to ‘boost morale’ – but were found to have committed gross misconduct by Chief Constable Nick Dean, and given a final written warning.
In his ruling, Chief Constable Dean said the officers’ behaviour “undermined the public’s confidence in policing”.
‘A LACK OF RESPECT AND A LACK OF SELF-CONTROL’
He added: “The respect shown to your colleagues in behaving this way demonstrates a lack of respect for them and a lack of self-control by you both.
“It cannot be said that this was a momentary lapse of concentration.
“The public expect police officers to act with diligence and responsibility whilst on duty and these clips demonstrate the opposite and breach the standards expected.”
CC Dean described the coronavirus clip at the height of the pandemic as showing “a lack of respect and sensitivity to those that were suffering”.
Referring to a clip of the pair ‘inappropriately’ dancing in uniform in fire tabards while in a police station, CC Dean said: “Is this the behaviour the public expect?
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“You are on duty, you are clearly in uniform and you are not showing how to act with any of the responsibility expected of a police officer.”
The videos, made using the officers’ personal TikTok accounts, have since been removed.
In November last year, PC Taylor was given a commendation by Chief Constable Dean at an awards ceremony after she and a fellow officer helped save the life of a woman who was threatening to kill herself.
