Traffic police officer dismissed for serious drink-driving – blood alcohol level 2.2 per mille
A Tampere police officer drove with a blood alcohol level of 2.2 per mille on his day off. The Pirkanmaa District Court convicted him, and the Central Finland Police Department terminated his employment.
Traffic officer caught for serious drink-driving in Tampere
The Central Finland Police Department has terminated the employment of a 41-year-old senior constable following a conviction for serious drink-driving, according to Yle Uutiset. The man worked in traffic police, and his duties included traffic surveillance and preventative work against drink-driving.
The incident occurred in January, when a police patrol stopped the man one Saturday evening on Aitoniementie in Tampere. The man was not on duty. The alcohol content measured after driving was 2.2 per mille – the threshold for serious drink-driving is 1.2 per mille.
The Pirkanmaa District Court convicted the man in early June to 60 days' conditional imprisonment and a supplementary fine. The man admitted his guilt both during the preliminary investigation and in court.
In his explanation to the court, he provided an account stating that a three-week low-calorie diet and a one-day fast had weakened his body's ability to process alcohol. The man also cited fluid loss and asked the court to consider the condition caused by the diet as a mitigating factor. Additionally, he reported that he had voluntarily sought substance abuse rehabilitation.
The court did not dispute the diet's effect on alcohol absorption, but stated that the man must have been aware of this connection. According to the court, it is common knowledge that consuming alcohol on an empty stomach intensifies intoxication.
The man was suspended from duty in February during the investigation. In late June, the Central Finland Police Department terminated his employment. The department regarded as an aggravating factor the fact that the convicted police officer worked in traffic police – dismissal was justified on the grounds of loss of credibility in traffic law enforcement work.
Police conduct is subject to stricter requirements than those set by the civil service act, which also apply during off-duty time. According to the department, the man's previous career was long and unblemished. The case was first reported by Helsingin Sanomat.
Source: Yle Uutiset