Former Lincoln detective would have been dismissed over misconduct finding, hearing concludes

A police misconduct hearing has concluded that a former Lincoln-based detective would have been dismissed if he had still been serving with Lincolnshire Police. According to the published outcome, the hearing considered the conduct of former Detective Constable Scott Chapman after his retirement from the force. The outcome states that the case related to an allegation that he had been untruthful to a colleague, and the panel found that dismissal would have been the appropriate sanction had he remained in post. The Lincoln Post has not independently verified these claims. The finding means the panel considered the proven conduct serious enough that, had the officer still been employed, he would have lost his job. Because the officer had already retired, dismissal was not available as an actual sanction. Misconduct proceedings involving former officers can result in this type of conclusion. Where a person is no longer serving, a panel may record what outcome would have applied if they had still been a member of the force. In this case, the published decision says that outcome would have been dismissal. The hearing outcome, as published, is brief. It identifies the former officer, outlines the allegation considered and records the panel's conclusion on sanction. It does not, in the material reported here, set out wider detail about the evidence considered or any fuller explanation of the panel's reasoning. The Lincoln Post has not independently verified these claims. The case is likely to be of interest in Lincoln and across Lincolnshire because it concerns the conduct of a former officer who served in the area. It also highlights how misconduct proceedings can continue after an officer has left policing, with panels still able to make formal findings and publish outcomes. Under police misconduct procedures, hearings consider allegations about whether professional standards have been breached. If misconduct is proven, panels then decide what sanction would be appropriate. In cases involving retired officers, that can include a finding that the person would have been dismissed if still serving. In this matter, the reported conclusion was that dismissal would have been the appropriate outcome. The published hearing result therefore records a serious finding, even though the former officer was no longer employed by Lincolnshire Police at the time of the decision. No further detail is included here beyond the published outcome referred to above. The Lincoln Post has not independently verified these claims.