These are busy times for the police watchdog. It’s just started an investigation into serious allegations of misconduct against Devon and Cornwall’s Chief Constable, Will Kerr, who’s been suspended. An inquiry has been announced into missed opportunities to root out the serial rapist, former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick. And this week came an investigation into the police handling of an incident in which a woman was accused (wrongly) of dodging a bus fare.
It might seem odd for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to be examining a case of alleged fare evasion when there are so many other priorities, including fatal police shootings and deaths in custody. But after a social media clip of what happened sparked controversy, an inquiry became inevitable. The IOPC Director, Steve Noonan, said it had caused ‘significant community concern, with questions raised about the actions of the police officers involved’.
The footage, which lasts two minutes and 20 seconds, is disturbing.
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