Camden New Journal - by PAUL KEILTHY Published: 12 July 2007
Crooked cops sentenced for DVD theft
TWO Camden police constables were given community service orders and suspended jail sentences on Tuesday following their arrests for stealing DVDs in an internal police sting last year.
Neil Cranwell, 31, and Alastair Stewart, 26, who both resigned from the Met after court proceedings started in February, were each given two month prison sentences and 40 hours’ community service at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges of misconduct in a public office.
The men, who both worked as uniformed PCs on the Borough Support Unit in Holborn, were arrested after an intelligence operation by the Directorate of Professional Standards – the Met’s ethics watchdog – on suspicion of theft of DVDs in October last year.
Camden’s acting borough commander, Superintendent Martin Richards said: “It is disappointing that two police officers, held in positions of trust would risk their careers in such a way. “It took a sophisticated intelligence-led operation to obtain the evidence that has led to the guilty pleas. “This case shows that where we suspect police officers of having been involved in criminal behaviour, we will not hesitate to act. The vast majority of officers and staff within the Metropolitan Police work to the highest professional standards. “However, anyone who does not, anyone who lets both the public and their colleagues down, can expect to be dealt with robustly.”