Crossword Genius

Bad cop's diet is oppressive (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

despotic

'oppressive' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'bad cop's diet' is the wordplay.
'bad' indicates an anagram.
'cops'+'diet'='copsdiet'
'copsdiet' with letters rearranged gives 'DESPOTIC'.

'is' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for despotic that I've seen before include "Like the Czar" , "Cruelly oppressive" , "Referring to absolute power" , "Like a cruel ruler" , "Authoritarian" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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