Dozens of police officers declare second jobs at Kent Police
00:01, 09 June 2013
More than 180 Kent police officers have second jobs, including a Shiatsu therapist, tree surgeon, masseur, golf caddy, singer and distributor of Christian literature.
Information published by the force shows that one of its PCs runs a mobile disco called Mammoth Disco while a detective constable has a company called Oasis Disco.
A superintendent is among more than 10 officers who let property while an inspector operates a personal image consultancy and a sergeant describes his second job as “master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming”, a method of improving people’s communication skills.
Other second jobs listed include scuba diving instructor, embalmer, candle-maker and personalised pencil salesman.
Kent Police records and publishes all the 182 second jobs held by its 3,363 officers. The latest list is dated August last year, but the force is preparing to release a new list this summer.
Its policy on second jobs states officers should not develop second full-time or competing careers, but that they can pursue extra work provided they first disclose it to the Chief Constable for approval. The work must also not interfere with the “impartial discharge of their duties”.
The policy goes on: “The force recognises that although it is important that certain restrictions are imposed on the private lives of police officers and police staff, they must be applied sensibly and flexibly in all cases.
“It is the force’s intention to encourage an open culture where people are not apprehensive about disclosing their business interests and/or secondary employment and where officers and police staff are protected by having reasonable interests approved.”
In some cases the secondjobs of officers are unpaid, such as fundraising for charities or coaching junior sports teams. Others are volunteer lifeboatmen, first aiders or carers.
The full list of secondjobs held by officers and police station employees can be found on the Kent Police website.
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