Tag Archives: senior management

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.

Three Comments of Shame

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Three comments sum up my difficulty with many un-informed commentators on the subject of arming the police. News reporting media should stop using people who really have not got a clue passing comment when they have no qualification or experience to do so.

The first comment was on Sky News at about 11pm Tuesday 18th September 2012. I wasn’t really paying much attention to the balding male who was giving his opinion to the question about arming the police. Until, that is, he said comments similar to the fact that he did not see that the police needed to be armed because the numbers of police being killed in recent years was reducing.

Think about this. His argument effectively suggests that whilst some police are killed but not many, then the basic protection a firearm may offer should not be afforded to the police. He was advocating an acceptable loss attitude!!! The Sky News presenter did not pick up on this, neither did the other guest on the programme at this point and it matters not to me whether the comment was intended to be made and accepted as it has been. Where do we get these people from who have the power to make such inane comment? Unfortunately, it is comment that people listen to from those who often have no experience or right to say what they are saying. If someone knows his name, please tell me in an email or a comment on the site. I need to send him and Sky News a complaint.

The second and third comment came from Sky News this morning. The lady who assists Eamonn Holmes to present the news decided to offer a couple of tweets in respect of opinion about arming the police. Once again, there were people there to object or comment but no-one did, including Jackie Hames who is now a TV presenter and a former detective. Therefore the tweets/comments have remained unchallenged.

The first tweet, second comment, stated that the opinion of the tweeter was that it would not have made a difference if the police were armed. How can he or she say that? Could it be that the offender knowing that armed police were likely to have a gun he might not have actually fired at them. Even if he had, could one of the officers have shot him in response before he fired any fatal shot, thereby saving both their lives? Should that decision actually be given to the women and men who put their lives on the line rather than the observations of a moron whose biggest life problem is whether his internet connection is working?

The second tweet, third comment, stated that the response by criminals to the routine arming by police would be that they would progress to bigger and bigger guns to fight back. This is absolute bollocks, pure and simple. Currently the British Police are unarmed except for a few specialists. In recent years since the mid 1980’s where the police have NOT had guns, the criminal element have progressed from knives, pick axe handles, baseball bats, handguns and shotguns to semi-automatic and automatic pistols and rifles. They have progressed to self loading handguns which can carry magazines up to 15 rounds and now, in Manchester, they have progressed to hand grenades. Listen so you understand. F*CKING EXPLOSIVES. Indiscriminate and substantial in their application against the person.

The second tweet buffoon needs to realise that the kudos of the average armed criminal is his ability to get a bigger gun than his rival. If he can afford a high calibre automatic weapon with a thousand rounds, he will buy it. He won’t refuse it because the police don’t carry guns. 

A criminal prepared to possess and use guns needs to know that his use will be met with a similar response. It is time to arm the police. Instead of viewing America as the typical arming scenario, we should look at Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, et al. Arming the police is called self defence. At the moment we are just experiencing slaughter.

Rely on ACPO

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In a remarkable display of no support to the ordinary rank and file officer, ACPO decided to release a press statement in respect of the current disquiet about changes to Police pensions. I produce it below in full or it can be read here:

ACPO lead for reward and recognition responds to the Government’s announcement on long-term reform of police pensions

ACPO lead for reward and recognition Chief Constable Simon Ash said:

“The changes to the Police Pension Regulations by the Home Office are broadly supported by ACPO, who have worked constructively with other stakeholders since March to ensure that the best possible balance is achieved for longer term reform whilst providing sufficient transitional arrangements. We will continue to support the process going forward, and continue to highlight key areas for the service.”

Work longer for less

For any officer who does not know what Simon Ash looks like I suggest you take a long look at him. This is an officer who is a classic example of what the public should fear about senior officer.

ACPO lay their cards firmly on the table. They do not give a toss about the officer on the front line. In fact they want those officers to work longer for less and they disguise it in the name of “reform.”  We all know that ACPO is not about improvement, it is about profit. The true colours of the ACPO rank have been laid bare over the Hillsborough tragedy and should now alert people to the real meaning of an unelected and unaccountable organisation who change the way your local police deal with your complaint and there is nothing you can do about it.

All cops know that ACPO and the senior officer rank is not to be trusted. A story in the Sun newspaper (for what it is worth) outlines an officer who is now retired and was present at Hillsborough and who has found out that his witness statement has been changed and submitted as evidence without his knowledge. I suspect there will be a number of other officers in a similar position. I reported a similar incident on this very site in March 2011 by my very own uPSD. Take a look here. This is the mentality of ACPO who see the front line as simple “cannon fodder” by serving a purpose and then to be thrown to the wolves. The ordinary copper is a honourable person. I wish I could say the same about senior officers, without morals altering reality to save their own skin and sod anyone who gets in the way.

Inspector Gadget

On a congratulatory note, one of the reasons I got into this was because I read the Inspector Gadget Blog. He pretty well sums up the problems faced by most cops but would never be told to the public by senior ranks. In fact, he tells it as it is. My congratulations go to him though because he has just passed the 11 million hits barrier whereas I am just below the 100,000 mark. I will keep trying to emulate my hero!!

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!!

The Daily Wail Motto:

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Earlier today I was thinking about what I was going to blog about. I do most of my thinking in the bog because I am too bloody busy to do any thinking anywhere else, being run around like a blue a*se fly. I suppose that it is the same for most of us. There was a momentary panic when I thought the bog roll had run out but then I saw a Daily Wail Mail on the floor and knew that I was safe. Wiping my a*se on it would be symbolic of a newspaper who support the unfounded criticisms of the police simply to get a story . They are the hatchet wing of a government hell bent on running down the great tradition that is the police. On this occasion the reporters were James Slack and Jack Doyle, a dynamic duo who, in emulating the Sun, use a pair of tits in their attempt to sell the paper.

Their scoop was to reveal that nearly 200 police officers are full time Federation officials representing over 134,000 Federated members. A quick analysis reveals that nearly 200 actually means 176!! I suggest their superiors check their expense claims just in case they round up their beer and fags bill, oh, and their informant payment account! Wow! How many years does it take at journo school, guys, to come up with that piece of detective work? By the way, whilst we are on the maths issue the true representation of 176 for 134,000 officers comes back as 1 paid officer for 761 police members or 1 in nearly a thousand using the Daily Wail Mail mathematical formula. Then, to reinforce their newspaper story, they quote their old friend Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton who declares that, “The hard-pressed taxpayer will  be gob-smacked that millions of pounds of their money is being squandered subsidising the  activities of the histrionic Police Federation, rather than mitigating pressure on local force budgets.” A little over 12 months ago Raab was subject to scurrilous accusations by the same paper he uses to attack the Police Federation.

Future Home Secretary????

Nice to know that the Tories believe that workplace representation of Crown Servants with no right to strike, who cannot be unfairly dismissed, can be imprisoned simply for trying to do the job to the best of their ability, have spineless ACPO idiots changing policy dependent upon which way the wind blows and are often killed or seriously injured in the course of their work protecting the rights of idiots like Raab, is considered money that has been “squandered.” Just goes to show that we must be winning the argument when they cannot come up with balanced and evidenced views in support of their attitude.

Keep trying guys. You are beginning to give me great heart. Then I wiped my bottom with you and flushed you down the pan!!!!!