3 years in federal prison for drug-dealing cop police, former, public, charge

Lik

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/ ... BritishColumbiaHome

3 years in federal prison for drug-dealing cop
By: ctvbc.ca
Date: Thursday Sep. 22, 2011 11:42 AM PT

Peter Hodson, the disgraced former Vancouver police officer caught dealing drugs on the job, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Hodson, 32, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of breach of trust by a public officer and one charge of trafficking in a controlled substance.

During sentencing, Provincial Court Justice Greg Rideout ruled that Hodson knowingly committed criminal acts on the job and used his access to police cars and insider information in his crimes.

Rideout also said the officer used his badge and uniform to avoid detection.

Hodson, a father-of-four who played university basketball and founded an African literacy charity, was arrested and  fired from the Vancouver Police Department in April 2010 after a two-month investigation by his own force.

His offences date back to December 2009, when he employed Tyson Pappas as a street-level drug dealer to push marijuana in the Downtown Eastside. Some of the deals were done while Hodson was driving a police vehicle.

Pappas later worked as a police informant during the investigation, saying he made the decision after the officer allegedly broke into his rooming house and threatened him.

At his sentencing hearing a psychologist testified that Hodson is a narcissist who put his needs ahead of others' and whose need for excitement drove him to commit crime.

Dr. Michael Elterman said the former basketball star was bored by policing -- a job that he had expected would be much more adventurous -- and decided to push the boundaries to see if he would get caught.

During court proceedings, Hodson admitted to selling marijuana, getting drunk and cheating on his wife.

While defence lawyer Vince Michaels asked for Hodson to serve his time under house arrest, so he could be close to his wife and children, Rideout said a conditional sentence was too lenient for the seriousness of the crime.

Rideout said a message must be sent that police will face severe penalties for such behaviour.

Vancouver Police Department Chief Jim Chu has called the case "shocking and disturbing."

Lik

For an officier to abuse his status as a trusted public figure, and to have the judge openly condemn him for his abuse of his badge and uniform, the guy still only gets 3 years?

The sentencing is just too light...

-Lik

Ovaltine

I think the breach of trust is the main reason behind the sentence, police rarely enforce marijuana related business due to it's help to the BC economy.