Can I ask a couple of questions.
@4NSIC your post was really excellent but also depressing when it came to the frequency and quality of the psychological testing for firearms officers. How easy would it be to ascertain the best answers and fake them? I'm guessing quite easy if he managed to get that job and remain in it.
Are they just forms to fill in or face to face with a psychologist? Sadly I'm guessing from your post that it's the former.
More generally - I was under the impression that all LE had to provide DNA samples to preclude them from crime scenes. Wouldn't these also flag up as matches when the database is searched with DNA taken from any seemingly unrelated crime scene?
If yes any previous public defency or sexual offences may not have been investigated for DNA, or been reported or he didn't leave any.
I'm confused by his wife's arrest. Would a spouse just lying about his whereabouts be an arrestable offence? Isn't there some protection / expectation that spouses might lie?
the self report assessments for PaDP and similar armed groups are easily passed
occupational health tends to insist on a face to face if you experience a death in the family, divorce, severe depression, or an “accidental discharge” of your weapon
lots of armed officers fail to disclose the first three
I have personal experience of one officer in what was then SO19 starting an extramarital affair with another, both marriages breaking down, resulting in one having a major depressive episode, and the other party engaging in crimes against the wronged spouse. Both officers failed to disclose any of their circumstances to seniors. Formal complaints from the spouse who was the victim of crime led to firearms permits being withdrawn, mandatory time off and occupational health involvement.
Sargeant & Inspector above them were dismayed. They try very hard to avoid such situations. But ultimately some individuals are simply not trustworthy.
arresting spouse is a clever tactic for a number of reasons I can’t explicitly describe.
apologies for poor punctuation + grammar was in a hurry writing this!