Investigating the investigators

Chuck Unsworth

This is theMet getting its defences in before they are subjected to real scrutiny. Why? And why is a senior member of ACPO investigating the actions of another?

Independent scrutiny?

Nicholas

ACPO statement as reported by the BBC:

"ACPO has shared the concerns of the Permanent Secretary (of the Home Office) regarding leaks from his department. The Metropolitan Police Service was properly asked to assist... The independence of UK law enforcement from undue influence and pressure is the jewel in the crown in our system of criminal justice. We should protect that principle, even when inconvenient, as it occasionally is. If an investigation reveals that any person may be involved in wrongdoing then they have the right to expect that we will investigate the matter in ways which seek to get at the truth and either sustain the allegation or exonerate them. No one can be above the law."

All well and good, but it appears to be a politically motivated statement or at least a statement that implies political partisanship bearing in mind the difficult question of whistleblowing. It also implies a much too cosy relationship with the Home Office and its New Labour political masters.

Now will ACPO reciprocate those values and confirm that our criminal justice system should also be free from the undue influence and pressure of ACPO?

ACPO's Statement of Purpose sets out that:

“The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is an independent, professionally led strategic body. In the public interest and, in equal and active partnership with Government and the Association of Police Authorities, ACPO leads and coordinates the direction and development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national need ACPO, on behalf of all chief officers, coordinates the strategic policing response.”

It is challenging to see a remit there for entering the political arena, for lobbying about the criminal justice system and for making public statements about leaks from the Home Office.

Another example of mission creep?

Craig

I suspect the phrase "lessons will be learned" will feature. It always does...

Mike, Brighton

A large tub of white paint and a large paintbrush....
Hey presto!
No minister knew beforehand and it was down to the operational judgement of the junior sub-assistant junior assistant to the Assistant Met Chief Constable who has been disciplined with a suspension for one day on full pay.

Trumpeter Lanfried

Standard procedure nowadays, in case of trouble:

a) Set up an enquiry so you can say, in good time for the evening news bulletins, 'We have set up an enquiry.'

b) Give it a very narrow remit.

c) Insist that Government spin doctors see the enquiry report three or four days ahead of anyone else.

d) Release the report to the opposition (if at all) 30 minutes before a spin-doctor- orchestrated press conference.

e) Use the press conference to explain that all the problems thrown up by the report have already been remedied.

f) Pour scorn on the opposition for their 'knee-jerk' response and negative reaction.

mac

Peter,

It won't answer any of the "more pertinent questions" because the real intention is to put a lid on them. Were the full details t emerge then the justified disquiet over the ACPO's mission creep which Nicholas refers to will provoke demands for a tighter political accountability which ACPO doesn't want.

The cosiness between Sir Ian Blair and a government whose intentions he espoused rather too openly seems to extend further than the Met.

A professional association which coordinates policing's administrative and logistical issues amongst the 40+ constabularies nationally is laudable in the interests of fostering best practice nationwide, and standardisation where it can save taxpayers money, but any idea that this body should be some sort of embryonic (military) Chiefs of Staff committee for strategic planning and operations needs to be regarded with suspicion.

Robert Williams

Well at least Stephenson & Quick can repent at leisure, having blown their chance of becoming Commissioner.

Ivy Eileen

Thank you, Nicholas, for the ACPO statement.

The sentiments and tone expressed in this ACPO statement are what one would expect to read in a Judge's report following that Judge's investigation.

Coming from ACPO itself it sounds mightily holier-than-thou ..... and tendentious.

Chuck Unsworth

Why is it necesary for an unaccountable (to the public) organisation to coordinate "policing's administrative and logistical issues amongst the 40+ constabularies nationally"? What's wrong with this being a Ministerial responsibility - accountable to Parliament?

RH

Where are the Independent Police Complaints Commission in all this? Unusually quiet for them.

Bexleyite

The police are out of control. There is a direct link between what happened to Damian Green at Westminster and what happened to the soldier in Wigan. The police feel they can do what they want when they want and over-react as they want. They only stop when they check to look, like that special constable in Wigan, to see if anybody is watching.

mac

Chuck,

My point is merely that it seems preferable to have decisions on procuring a common fit of radios, buttons, boots, stationery, canteen cutlery and a plentiful arsenal of tasers in part to produce economies of scale advantageous to council taxpayers, as individual Chief Constables still need to be mindful of this element of their annual budgets.

Having everything controlled by the centralising whizz-kids in Whitehall means wastefulness on the scale of the MOD or NHS.

RobbiePeel

The police, particularly the Met, have been disfunctional for years. They much prefer persecuting ordinary law-abiding citizens to chasing the criminal class. As a result, their reputation stinks with most citizens. Any Cameron Government must reform them. As a minimum, Chief Constables must be elected and all assistant chief constable posts abolished. The latter are filled with office politicians and useless apparatchicks. ACPO should also be abolished, since it is a very dangerous organisation. Also, the remaining police ranks could easily be reduced by half. The money saved should be shared between the taxpayer and the police.

Chuck Unsworth

@ Mac

And the central purchasing experience of ACPO is what exactly? Is ACPO responsible to the taxpayer in any way whatsoever? Why should ACPO make such decisions? I'd accept recommendations - but decisions? Who the hell are ACPO anyway, apart from a self-interested, self-serving and largely secretive group?

Let's be clear, the police are now a politicised body, police unions (and I include ACPO) are closed shop single interest groups. Be under no illusion, none of these bodies is in the slightest interested in the public good - except and solely when it suits the personal interests of their memberships.

I am relatively content with that position, just as long as all parties recognise exactly what it is.

Andy Leeds

RobbiePeel is right: the Police are arrogant, lazy, usually stupid and damned insolent. Having been stopped by them earlier this year, going about my lawful business, the officers tone was less than it ought to have been - I was 'mate' and it took me all my time not to turn round and say 'I am not your f****** mate. I am a Sir'. He had no right to stop me in the first place. Be that as it may.

As to this business the Police know perfectly well that they had no business arresting an MP nor searching his Parliamentary office. And I want to know when they will investigate the leaks to Gordon Brown when an opposition MP. After all he has confessed to a crime on film !!

Mac

Chuck,

'Recommendations' is fine!
And I agree with your sentiments and summation.

TGF UKIP

Thanks you again Nicholas. I find the ACPO Statement of Purpose entirely sinister, particularly those phrases "strategic body" and "in equal(?!) and active parnership with government."

Over recent years ACPO has seemed to see its existence solely to echo this governments mnove towards the exercise of complete control over HM subjects usually via the voice on the Today Programme (where else!) of "Sir" Ken Jones who is I believe Chief Constable of Kent.

How often have we heard Labour Home Secretarys say in justification of their latest encroachment on our freedoms "And ACPO have indicated their wish for these measures."

Be interesting to know how much ACPO costs us and if the Cameron Tories plan to, at least, clip its wings and preferably abolish it, reminding these overmighty coppers that they are local forces and their duty is to local taxpayers.

In eleven years I have gone from being an admirer and supporter of the police to loathing the evil and corrupt sods.