A female police officer has been banned from law enforcement duties for making inappropriate advances towards a colleague, including touching his leg, attempting to kiss him, and asking if he found her attractive.
Brogan Canning targeted a more senior officer during a night out, which left him feeling upset and ashamed. Despite his rejection of her advances, she persisted by questioning him about her physical appearance.
North Yorkshire Police confirmed that Canning would have been fired if she had not resigned. Following a misconduct hearing, she has been prohibited from working in policing ever again.
The hearing panel reviewed four allegations against Canning, including her trying to kiss the senior officer and forcibly pulling him towards her. Witnesses described her behavior as odd and witnessed her inappropriately touching the male officer.
Canning admitted that her actions were out of character and attributed them to excessive alcohol consumption impairing her judgment and memory. She expressed remorse for her behavior and apologized to the officer.
Although Canning highlighted potential inconsistencies in witness statements, the panel found the accounts of the male officer and other colleagues to be credible. They concluded that her actions constituted gross misconduct due to her unwelcome sexual advances towards the colleague.
Assistant Chief Officer Sarah Jackson, who presided over the hearing, emphasized the impact of Canning’s behavior on public confidence in the police. The panel determined that dismissal would have been the appropriate outcome if she had still been a member of the police force, given the seriousness of the misconduct.
Despite acknowledging Canning’s previous good character and remorse, the panel deemed the offense severe enough to warrant the imposed sanction.