Monthly Archives: March 2012

Criminal Case Review

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John is a male victim of domestic violence. He was mentioned on this blog back in June 2011 to attempt to highlight the issues faced by officers who may be the subject of violence against them. John is still fighting to get justice and is awaiting his latest submission to the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) to see whether they will agree that the case should go back to the appeal court.

www.abusedtotheaccused.co.uk

I now know John through a friend of a friend. He has decided to try and publicise his plight through the medium of the internet and has built a new website called www.abusedtotheaccused.co.uk. In time he will populate it with updates not only about the criminal court process but also about the consequences of the conviction namely his loss of house, his loss of job and the lack of access to his children. His case is a tragedy. Not only was he abused by his wife but he was prosecuted rather than investigated. Had he been investigated then evidence would have been presented to the court which would have shown him to be a victim trying to defend himself rather than an aggressor. That evidence has now been made available to the CCRC.

I know how much effort has been put into his appeal by John and a former Federation Representative and I wish him luck in his venture. It just goes to show just how precarious your position as a police officer is. John relied upon a number of factors which he thought would protect him should an unwarranted and malicious allegation be made against him. How wrong he was…….. but that is his story to tell!

The Consequence of Privatisation

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The privatisation of the police has to stop. If it doesn’t then there will be more examples of outright criminal incompetence by these private consortiums without the safeguards that are in place when the task remains with the police. Last week Peter Fahy provided an ACPO press release attempting to justify the tendering of police duties out to private industry. For those of you who are unaware, ACPO is actually a misrepresentation as they recruit non police officers into their ranks. The stupidity of the task is that it involves spending billions of pounds on policing the public without police officers! And that, somehow, makes the service better.

ACPO President

However, Peter Fahy has been strangely quiet following an example of what the public can expect when we outsource policing duties and ancillary functions namely the total and utter failure of the service. Take a look at the Manchester Evening News report into Adam Scott, 19 years, who was falsely accused of rape following the contamination of a DNA sample by LGC Forensics who just happen to be a privately run forensic service. Not content with cocking up the DNA sample, they are unable to immediately identify where the contamination has occurred. How does that fit in with disclosure and continuity of exhibits?

Setting Standards? Just don't step in it!

Adam Scott from Cornwall somehow gets charged with a rape in a park in Manchester despite him never having been there and then gets remanded in Strangeways Prison for 4 months before the incompetent buffoons actually realise they’ve ballsed it up. The whole integrity of DNA as an investigative tool is now being called into question. That’s privatisation for you. If this is not resisted now then more and more unaccountable firms will enter the fray and the whole integrity of the criminal justice system will cease to exist, being replaced by profit margins and the wishes of shareholders.

Ever since 1829, the police have been a great success justified by showing that policing by consent still exists as we remain one of the few unarmed police services in the world. What we don’t need are university academics and butterfly senior police officers creating a private security industry that they could then retire to an executive position. Now there’s a thought…. but, of course, I’m a cynic!

You Learn Something New Every Day.

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In view of the fact the ACPO are currently selling out police services in a back door conspiracy with Police Authorities I am resurrecting this post which I had abandoned not so long ago. In this post I have to thank Mr Derek Smith, formerly of the West Midlands Police, for not being able to keep it in his trousers, allegedly, for providing me with today’s new “learn something new every day” fact. In fact Mr Smith’s alleged indiscretion has meant that I have learned 2 things.

The first thing I have learned is that if a cop is caught shagging on duty then he is invariably charged with the criminal offence of misconduct in a public office. You don’t realise just how many times I check that I have put an ‘L’ in public. Yet when a civilian finance director for West Midlands Police is caught with his pants down, so to speak, he is allowed to retire from a job paying £121,000. Surely, if a civilian member of staff is doing a police job then they are in a public office.

Secondly, despite never having ever been a police officer, he was a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers, that well known business organisation which represents their own interests and not any of the general public. On their website they have the following headline:

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) brings together the expertise and experience of chief police officers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing a professional forum to share ideas and best practice, co-ordinate resources and help deliver effective policing which keeps the public safe.

Their membership page states further:

There are presently 334 members of ACPO. Collectively, the 334 leading police executives provide a critical and an informed understanding of the complexity of policing at local, regional and national levels. Chief officers’ work through ACPO is ‘on top of the day job’ and attracts no additional remuneration.

The question I ask is whether ACPO policy is affected or influenced by persons who are not police officers? Mr Smith may be the best counter of cash in the world but what does he know about policing? It appears that his best efforts have been to resist the payment of legitimately incurred expenses, so it seems only natural that he should be able to advise on ACPO policy. Are there others like him similarly providing an “informed” understanding by sub contracting police duties to the highest bidder?

These people are running the police forces of this country. Take a look at the official press release from ACPO. Should we be worried? Dead right we should!

Get A Grip!?!

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Has anyone been shocked by the level of collusion between some senior officers in the Metropolitan Police and journalists from the News of the World? I have been astounded by the double dealing in the application of standards throughout my police service never more highlighted than when senior officers get in the mire. Only on this occasion, they have no-one else to blame other than themselves.

However, the difficulty I have with the scenarios that I have seen throughout the press and media relating to our old favourites Andy Hayman and John Yates is how a Federated Rank would be dealt with in a similar situation. I am certain that there would have been criminal enquiries into the conduct of an officer facing such allegations but, it seems that officers of this rank simply cast it aside with a flippant flick of their wrist or phrase.

The evidence against John Yates includes the press seemingly wishing to call in favours or bottles of champagne as they call them. The evidence that meals and drinks were paid for on Police credit cards is offensive to my integrity and when I feel that something is wrong, it normally is. Even if he paid the money back. The fact that he wined and dined journalists at super expensive restaurants is highly unprofessional.

The public need to know that the police is at serious risk of being fatally undermined by managers like these. In the latest news it seems that at least 2 police forces are seeking to outsource crime investigation and street patrols in a multi-billion pound package. Money which would be better spent by ACPO Ltd and the Police Authorities on real police. Otherwise, make sure you have your credit card handy when you want to report a crime!!!

Is it any wonder when the calibre of Senior ACPO rank feel that it is in order to consort with the press? The mere fact that they chose to do so, should be investigated in the same way I would be. When will someone get a grip?