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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Norfolk police officer accused of unfairly issuing cautions to teenagers David Bale Eastern Daily Press Monday 07 Jun 2010 Former Metropolitan Police constable Dominic de Souza, 31, from Attleborough, whose trial started at Norwich Crown Court yesterday, has denied 12 counts of wilful misconduct in public office between October 2007 and August 2008. William Carter, prosecuting, said de Souza incorrectly issued cannabis warnings and cautions for possession of offensive weapons to teenagers under the age of 18 mainly in the Wymondham area. De Souza then altered the teenagers' dates of birth to make them 18 - as the warnings can only be issued to people over that age - and each detected crime was then recorded against de Souza's name in the crime statistics. On one occasion in Attleborough de Souza issued a reprimand to a 17-year-old in the absence of his parents and then instructed the teenager to sign his father's name on the document. Mr Carter said that another time he issued a caution for possession of an offensive weapon to a teenager, falsely representing to him that by signing a certificate of caution he was authorising the destruction of the item, which was a motorcycle part found in his car that belonged to a friend. Mr Carter said: "It was an abuse of the trust the public and individuals should have been able to have in him. "As a result of his behaviour, he became regarded as a proactive officer and one of the best performers in detecting crime in Norfolk. "He received a letter from a senior officer congratulating him on his achievement." Mr Carter said de Souza's actions meant some people had offences recorded against them which they had not committed or admitted to. He added: "Some youngsters under the age of 17 were deprived of the protection they were entitled to, as parents would have been aware of what was happening if the correct procedures were followed. "The integrity of the information held on police systems was also undermined with the deliberate misreporting of ages, names and addresses. "Cannabis warnings are also not recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC), but on the criminal and intelligence system, which is checked when enhanced CRB checks are carried out. So, if an individual wants to work with children, these matters could be brought up. "Many of these individuals should have been reprimanded and their offences recorded on the PNC. But, as they were not dealt with the right way, they will not show up on the system to potential employers." Mr Carter said in interview that de Souza had claimed any inaccurate information entered on the police system had been provided incorrectly by the individuals involved. The court heard that de Souza was originally from Norfolk and was brought up in Norwich and Wymondham. He became a special constable in 2002 based in Norfolk, and joined the Metropolitan Police in June 2003. He returned to Norfolk Constabulary in October 2007, based in Wymondham. A Norfolk police spokesman said de Souza has been suspended from duty since the investigation began in October 2008 and will remain suspended until the conclusion of these proceedings. The trial is expected to last at least two weeks. http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=NewsSplash&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED07%20Jun%202010%2018%3A46%3A01%3A760
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