Tag Archives: Professional Standards

Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll

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cunninghamA missive from a new candidate for the Talking Bollocks Trophy is the Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Mike Cunningham. His emanation has been reported most prominently in the Daily Bog Roll Mail and outlines his belief that there will be an increase in officers taking steroids which they purchase from criminals when they go to the gym. Just in case you did not know what Mike Cunningham looks like here is his picture.

This top cop is the lead on Police professional standards and was addressing other Association of Chief Police Officer wallers in respect of risks and threats for the future in respect of corruption. As I have outlined consistently on this blog the main issue is, as always, curbing the amorous advances of the male officer. Any officer who should meet someone on duty, arrange to meet them after work and then have any subsequent form of relationship with them is, by ACPO definition, corrupt. Despite this, remember there was a Chief Constable of a major force who subsequently committed suicide, when it became common knowledge he was just as much a shagger when a Chief Constable as he was when he was an Assistant Commissioner (and throughout his service and ranks) he was not corrupt. Wasn’t he just a bit of a lad?

You are only corrupt if you have sex with someone when you are below the rank of Chief Inspector if you have told them you are a cop to impress them. Unfortunately ACPO are obsessed with this subject.

ACPO BETRAYALGetting back to the drug riddled steroidal officers coursing through our forces. Perhaps Mr Cunningham could outline why there has not been a consequential upsurge in the number of drug test failures of officers despite there being random drug testing for well over four years now. In fact, there is also a “with cause drugs test” which his officers and other buffoonery ranks could impose on any officer they wish, the parameters of which are so wide that anybody is open to a “with cause” test. What we actually have is a non-problem invented by ACPO as a precursor to something else which they need to impose on our police.

As a sport loving person, I regularly trained and visited gyms and other sporting establishments and drugs flowed freely in the form of Bitter, Lager and Guinness. Yet I was still able to achieve Adonis stature through hard graft and exercise. Cunningham does look a bit of a lardy so maybe he and his ACPO colleagues are just jealous of the honed officer. ACPO were convinced when they brought in drug testing that they would be able to reduce their workforces considerably in these times of lower budgets and reductions in funding. Perhaps, they could sack officers now for looking like they train in a gym

I once worked with someone called Cunningham but he was a bit of a prat. I wonder if they are related.

Bloody Ridiculous!!

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I have been extremely busy over the past couple of days which has meant that I have had my thunder stolen in respect to the latest plebgate events. Having said that, the Chair of the Metropolitan Police federation is only saying what I was going to say. What a complete and utter waste of everyone’s time the investigation into the incident involving Andrew Mitchell on Downing Street whereby 30 officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Professional Standards Department are to interview 800 Diplomatic Protection Officers. In case you missed it, Andrew Mitchell was reported by Police Officers as having sworn at them when they refused to open a gate on Downing Street asking him to use the pedestrian access. His response in swearing was the old I pay your wages type comment and also that the officers were plebs.

Andrew Mitchell pictured on CCTV leaving Downing StreetIn fairness to him, he denied it. There is no independent recording of the actual conversation so you made your own mind up. It intrigues me that Mitchell did not deny the abusive language but seriously denied the use of the word pleb. I often apply the missive, having been accused of making up stories in my own career, that if the officers on the gate really wanted to stitch him up would they use an innocuous word such as pleb? Of course not, so my opinion of the incident for what its worth sides with the officers at the gate.

Then came the cctv footage which showed that Mitchell was forced to use the pedestrian gate. Somehow, even experienced journalists managed to infer that from a silent video the words attributed to Mitchell could not have been used! However, it did call into question the evidence of one person who happened to be an off duty cop posing as a member of the public and present at the scene. Unfortunately for him, the cctv does not appear to show him there. Of course, the utter b*llocks being spouted now is that because he is accused of lying it must be the case that all the cops are lying. The reality of it is that the behaviour which Mitchell admitted should have led to his resignation not just the use of the word pleb.

mitchellIf it is true that now 800 officers are to be interviewed in this case then it is an expensive joke. However, we know that this witch hunt fishing for information over a poxy dispute instigated by a pompous MP will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and will demoralise all those involved. Why doesn’t Andrew Mitchell do the decent thing and insist to Hogan-Howe that the Met Police Professional Standards Department should wind their necks in and get on with law enforcement. That way he gets a bit of credibility back – far more than a pathetically posed snog of an Inspector in his local constituency

Saint Peter of No.1 Region

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A little birdy has told yours truly of an outrageous costly exercise of sycophancy by none other than our old favourite Sir Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and ACPO mouthpiece. As most police officers know and, now soon many members of the public, the current ACPO fad of having visions in the workplace is the “in thing” whereby the Chief can outline his latest, often hare-brained scheme to rid the world of crime. Gone are the days where officers were required to protect life and property, prevent and detect crime in that order (Minute 1 of hour 1 of day 1 at the Police Training centre), a missive so ingrained in police officers that it is something they never forget.

Years ago, people who had visions were sent to the loony bin or just generally besmirched in society but not our great British Police leaders. The cost of this pointless exercise could be justified if it was a video to be watched on the internal computerised system or even an email to all officers followed by a poster campaign. I tell you now, if you put important posters on the back of bog doors they would be read and digested over and over again. However, Sir Pete has decided to go one costly step further.

He has ordered every officer in GMP to attend a seminar where His Vision will be passed on. Then the officers will face workshops to ensure that they understand the Vision. It appears that swathes of officers are being bussed around the force to central locations for this process which is a 3 hour session plus the travel time. The conservative estimate for the cost of this debacle must be in the region of £1/2 million. Any rumours that, to offset the cost, there are deific offerings of Sir Pete available or lifelike Toby Jugs with a reminder of the Vision on are purely speculation. Surely in these austere days, stunts like this one should be consigned to the bin in favour of spending the money on real policing.

I mean, isn’t he famous enough? Why does he need to have these Visions and then send his apostles out to spread the word like some latter day messiah? Could he have rigged up one the paintings at his brand new HQ to start weeping or alternatively have a loyal Chief Superintendent cut into an orange and find an image of Sir Pete inside? That way they could display it and have all come and pay homage to something tangible and realistic! Perhaps, he has finally succumbed to the jolly-boys roistering that takes place when he meets his immediate underlings when they gather to laud over him – or at least I think that’s what they do!!

Perhaps the honour Sir Pete got was the wrong honour and it should have been a sainthood.

BBC – v – Police. A Little storm Brewing!

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I love to watch how high ranking officials in any organisation round upon each other at a moment’s notice in their attempts to deflect blame elsewhere particularly when it is their rank that should be blamed. The already well documented scandal involving Jimmy Savile is exactly like many scenes witnessed within the hierarchy of some of our major police forces in recent years. The only voices louder than those complaining about the tawdry behaviour are those in the highest authority denying knowledge of actions they appeared to dismiss many years ago.

The difference nowadays is that many senior officers and officials in senior positions don’t possess the wherewithal to handle the pressure nor can they actually understand that the truth is often the best form of attack. However, truth and many senior police officers of ACPO rank don’t go hand in hand.

The blame game is seen as the way to deal with scandal by many in high authority. In reality I am not sure why people are asking questions of George Entwhistle, I mean, would you really expect a Chief Constable to know what his uPSD are doing? Of course they don’t otherwise a significant number of the unProfessional Standards Staff would get locked up for criminal offences.

Eyes Peeled

Well, it appears that the worm may be turning. I know I have been quiet for a few weeks but it has been because of a recent court case which had to be seen to be believed. As it now happens keep your eyes looking north as a little birdie has told me of a storm of hurricane proportions coming the way of a north west force. This force has only recently concluded a Crown Court Trial in which an officer accused of corruption with an investigation costing hundreds of thousands of pounds has been told by a Judge that his case should never have come before a court and, at worst, is a minor disciplinary matter. The case should have been dealt with in-house. The corruption investigation carried out by the force’s “elite” anti-corruption unit was riddled with lies and inconsistencies that the judge paraded the uPSD Chief Inspector in charge of the investigation in the witness box and had him give evidence about the methods of evidence gathering and obtaining of Authorities. Other than a minor breach of the Data Protection Act for which the accused officer received a conditional discharge, there was simply no evidence of corruption other than the evidence fabricated by the uPSD. A request for costs by the force was dismissed with contempt by the Judge.

Who has been a naughty Police Force then?

The upshot is that the Anti-Corruption unit of this force is going to be investigated by another force for……..well corruption! No longer can these uPSD officers hide behind their Noble Cause Corruption mask as we know they are coming unstuck. They will now attempt to shift blame sideways, downwards, in fact anywhere but their own backs. Already I have heard that senior officers in this force are distancing themselves from even the remotest connection to this matter. A far cry from the postulating and self-righteousness when they actually manage to get one of these evidential cock-ups through the courts when they queue up to lambast the poor unfortunate on the receiving end of their criminality.

They should face the same consequences that a number of officers in the same force have faced only the evidence against them will come form resolute and unbiased investigation by real investigators not some arbitrary decision at first report and then a biased presentation of the evidence. I only feel sorry that it has taken this long to come out into the open.

The Powers that be

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So another Chief Constable bites the dust. Chief Constable Sean Price, sorry Mr Price, has been found guilty of the misconduct offences relating to honesty and integrity. In a remarkable turn of events, he was sacked rather than being allowed to retire or just brush the allegation under the carpet and fade away. Apparently, he is still under investigation for another matter so I had better wind my neck in about that. This comes on the back of Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison, soon to be just Sir Norman who also has a size 11 in his gob after his diatribe about Hillsborough.

Are the general public beginning to see through the ACPO facade which designates the two rules of the police service:

  1. ACPO are never wrong
  2. When ACPO are found to be lying, cheating and conniving, close ranks and refer to rule 1

Of course, there are many good ACPO officers working hard to get the job done efficiently and properly without treading all over the backs of honest, hard working officers who risk their lives on a daily basis. If only we could get back to the times where the support of the front line officer from those on high was a genuine sentiment rather than a passing fad. The Chief officer commanding his force and ensuring proper discipline rather than looking for people to blame and persecute when things go wrong. Apparently, subject to any appeal process, Mr Price is a liar. The simple truth is he probably got sacked because he couldn’t find anyone else to blame.

Noble Cause Corruption

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Glad to be back. Duty called and I had to respond.

Unfortunately it does not amaze me when I read the story of Hillsborough and the blatant attempts by a Police Force and the Senior management to change statements and evidence to alter where the true blame lies. They take out evidence which criticises their own force and then pass off the resulting statement as the truth. I do not know what the full story of Hillsborough is. I was influenced to an extent at the time by certain rags or newspapers which apportioned blame where it should not have done. I was also suspicious of the inquest verdict based on the, now, flawed evidence obviously put before it but in essence I had a little doubt. Not of those who died but of others present at the scene and I now admit that it is to my shame that I know I was wrong.

Why do so many of you who email me not believe that any corruption which may exist in the police in this country only does so in the higher echelons of the service at the most senior ranks? Yet it is the rank and file officer who faces the brunt of the public attack and anxiety. From my extensive experience, the cops on the front line, do so for a reason. They do so to make things better. They make mistakes and often those mistakes lead to sackings and even loss of liberty but I can assure you that they do not go on duty with the intention of finishing it with a potential criminal conviction and loss of livelihood.

Some senior officers, however, adopt a wild west attitude to their domain. They are judge, jury and hangman in their decision making process and they are inconsistent and even corrupt in their application of the regulations that they should adhere to. They pull the wool over the eyes of the general public who do not believe they can be wrong or corrupt or choose not to consider the possibility. This has been going on for years and years yet we hear the complaints and ignore them. Perhaps the issue stems from the inability of the IPCC to accept complaints from serving officers due to the Police Reform Act. Instead they refer the complaint back to the same officers from the same force that the complaint is being made about leaving people like me with nowhere else to go except blogging about it.

There has to be a change. If we have to have an IPCC then that organisation should be compelled to treat allegations from serving officers about a police force with the same gusto that they treat a complaint from the public. I know of many officers who have been shafted from a great height. They would welcome the opportunity to provide evidence of the shortcomings in their own matters and I know they will be watching to see if the subsequent treatment of the senior ranks mirrors their own experiences. Don’t say that you have not been told.

A Bare Faced Rumour

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A former police officer who was required to resign following a mistake he made whilst on duty has reported to me that he is now the subject of a number of possible Police Disciplinary procedures in spite of the fact that he left the police over 2 years ago. This former officer was a Greater Manchester Police officer. He went on duty one day, performed to the best of his ability but made a mistake. His mistake was that a third party decided that he was guilty of the misconduct offence of using excessive force on a prisoner. This result was arrived at even though their was no complaint from the person who he was supposed to have used excessive force on!

The incident was captured on CCTV which meant that the senior officers of Greater Manchester Police were able to put any spin they wished upon what they saw. They were able to ignore the reality of the situation as described by the three other officers present at the scene and effectively dismiss the former officer based on a two dimensional CCTV view without sound of an incident which was enacted in three dimensions with the screams of abuse from the prisoner and surrounding community morons intent on releasing him from his arrest for violent crime. At one stage during the incident the offender was being investiagted for attempted murder of a police officer!

The former officer thought it was all over. He failed to win his job back through the Chief Constable and also failed at his Police Appeals Tribunal so he got on with the rest of his life. This life now involves a senior security position within a multi-national company. I suspect he would dearly love to be back in the job but, in essence, he is earning as much now as he did as a cop with a company car, no shifts and no weekends unless he fancies doing them himself. He is loved by his bosses and, since being given the push, he has arrested burglars on two separate occasions in the vicinity of his own home.

So what has got his gander up? It is this! His mates who are still in the cops have been told that because the former officer has been removed from the police in these circumstances they must now report every time they associate with him. In fact, any officer who has left Greater Manchester Police under circumstances which are less than amicable are now subject to suspicion and social exclusion because any contact must be reported to senior command. The former officer is a well respected member of the community, he has no criminal convictions because the CPS decided he was not guilty of any offences and he is still a law abiding citizen assisting the community to keep it safe.

What is the world coming to when law abiding citizens are treated as if they are suspected criminals? What have Sir Pete’s senior command got up their sleeve? Shouldn’t they be concentrating on harassing the bad guys? Someone please tell me my information is wrong!!