Ex-police trainee quit after smoking cannabis

The former trainee officer quit after admitting smoking cannabis

A former trainee police officer who said he accidentally smoked cannabis at a party weeks into his new job would have been sacked had he not quit.

Former PC Jason Cron started work at Thames Valley Police’s training centre in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in December 2023 but quit on 19 February.

He told a supervisor he attended a party on 27 December where people he did not know offered him a cigarette and, after a couple of drags, he realised he had smoked cannabis.

Chief Constable Jason Hogg found his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.

Mick Taylor, from the force’s professional standards department, said Mr Cron told his supervisor about smoking the cannabis on 4 January.

But Mr Hogg said Mr Cron would have had chances to admit smoking the class B drug before he did.

He said Mr Cron's actions were incompatible with him remaining a police officer.

Mr Cron did not attend Friday’s online accelerated misconduct hearing.

He will be placed on the College of Policing's barred list.