After a public campaign demanding justice, the police have finally moved to sack acquitted rapist Clint Rickards, charging him with ten disiplinary offences under under police disciplinary provisions. And its about bloody time too. Rickards is a disgrace to the police force, whose continued presence undermines its credibility and reputation. The sooner we are rid of him, the better.
Unfortunately, it won't be easy. The police disciplinary procedure is more akin to a court-martial than an employment process, and so Rickards will enjoy a considerable advantage. OTOH, the case that his post-trial comments and defence of his convicted rapist mates Shipton and Schollum brought the police into disrepute and made it impossible for him to continue in a supervisory role should be open and shut. And on the third hand, this is the same police force that recently left a body to rot for two days right under their noses, so I'm sure they'll find some way of screwing it up.
If this fails, I'm perfectly happy to pay whatever it takes for Rickards to go away. But I'd rather he left the police in disgrace rather than with a golden handshake.
