SHARE
COPY LINK

DRUNK

Inquiry over French cops’ ‘apéritifs on the job’

Police in the town of Cogolin in south-eastern France are being investigated over claims they regularly enjoy sinking a few apéritifs whilst working. The cops' drinking habits only emerged after their chief was caught drunk-driving in his patrol car without a license earlier this summer.

Inquiry over French cops' 'apéritifs on the job'
Drinking on the job? Cops in the south-eastern French town of Cogolin stand accused of "losing control" and having too many aperatifs while at work. File photo: Rolye/Flickr

The Inspection Générale de la police nationale (IGPN), France’s internal police investigation unit, has opened an inquiry into alleged widespread drinking on the job by cops in the town of Cogolin, in the department of Var, it was reported this week.

Several within the force have been accused of indulging too enthusiastically in that great French tradition – the 'apéritif', or 'apero' as it is called.

The officers' reported love of a drink only emerged when the department’s chief was pulled over in mid-June during a routine traffic stop, According to the local police officers’ union, SNPM-FO.

He was found to be driving his patrol car without proper identification, and when tested, had a blood-alcohol beyond the legal limit.

This revelation, however, has proven only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the misdeeds of municipal police in the town of Cogolin.

“Everything seems to be an excuse for organising a drink; the swearing in of a new officer, local festivals, and so on,” a representative from the local SNPM-FO union told regional daily Var Matin.

“They have an apéritif on Tuesday, then on Friday, and then on Saturday morning,” the union rep said, adding his voice to widespread claims that the police department in the town is out of control and has lost the respect of the people of Cogolin.

The local cops, however, appear not to be entirely unified in their alleged proclivity for partying.

The officer in charge of the department’s night-time division is also being investigated by the IGPN for allegedly engaging in secret video surveillance of his underlings within the forces of law and order in Cogolin.

Both he, and the chief of police, are out on sick leave, though neither has been suspended during the internal investigation, according to Var Matin.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

OFFBEAT

Passenger quaffs fine wine blocked by Frankfurt airport security, lands huge fine

A pensioner’s trip to Thailand was ruined last week when he decided to drink two bottles of wine which didn’t get through a security check at Frankfurt Airport.

Passenger quaffs fine wine blocked by Frankfurt airport security, lands huge fine
An empty wine bottle. Photo: Deposit Photos

The 67-year-old German citizen was not allowed to board his flight last Thursday due to excessive alcohol consumption, the federal police announced on Monday.

The fine wines were intended to be given as gifts to the man’s hosts in Thailand. But since the pensioner had stored the bottles in his hand luggage, he wasn’t able to get them through security check as they violated air safety regulations.

According to the passenger’s statements, the precious liquid was expensive so he was not prepared to let it go to waste. And so he decided to drink the wine before passing through security.

He didn’t get much farther than that though; his inebriated state meant that the airline would not let him board the plane.

Probably in a search of a toilet, the wine lover then opened a locked door via an emergency button and airport officials had to prevent him from walking out onto the tarmac, the police report states, adding that the unauthorized entry constituted an administrative offence.

At this point the federal police arrived at the scene as the man appeared uncooperative.

He was given a breathalyzer test and it revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.96 per mille.

After the pensioner had sobered up about three hours later, the officials who accompanied him to the airport’s exit pointed out that a taxi ride to his home town in Baden-Württemberg would cost about €150 and suggested he take public transport instead.

“I have already mucked up so much money today that taxi fares no longer play a role,” he told the officials. According to police, the man faces a fine of up to €10,000.