Shola Balogun, a Nigerian-British police officer, was fired from the Metropolitan Police Service on April 22, 2022, for biting a coworker at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent. Something bad happened at Goals Sports Bar, where about 70 people were enjoying a 40th birthday.
Both Balogun and the victim were friends at work, and they had joked around with each other before. But things went badly when Balogun grabbed the victim’s glasses and bit him in the face after a heated argument.
From October 21st to October 23rd, 2024, there was a hearing. It was led by senior officer Christopher McKay and had IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead on the panel. At the hearing, Balogun denied biting the victim and said that taking off the glasses was a mistake.
Even though Balogun denied it, medical records showed that the victim had been bitten. The group decided that Balogun’s actions were against police standards. Specifically, they broke the College of Policing Code of Ethics’ Discreditable Conduct section, which stresses keeping the public’s trust.
Balogun was fired without notice because he had a past of getting in trouble before and the incident was very bad. Even though Balogun had good character references from coworkers, including his inspector, the panel decided that his actions were an intentional attack on a coworker with no reason or justification.
The panel brought up the case of Salter v. Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047, which shows how important it is for people to trust police officers. Balogun was fired from the Metropolitan Police Service because the organization is committed to following high standards of behavior and keeping the public’s trust.
This event makes it clear how important it is for police officers to keep professional boundaries and act in a way that shows what their group stands for. The College of Policing keeps a list of cops who have been fired that can’t be searched by the public. This is done to make sure that everything is open and honest.
Balogun’s firing could hurt his chances of getting a job as a police officer in the future. Maintaining professional relationships and following codes of behavior should be top priorities for police officers. Visit the College of Policing website to learn more about how cops should act and who is responsible for them.
What is the Code of Ethics for the College of Policing? This is a list of rules that police officers must follow. What is behavior that hurts your credibility? It includes things that make people not trust the cops. How can police cops stay within the bounds of their job? By following rules of behavior and putting work relationships first.
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