Photograph by Peter Troy, Whitehall, November 2005.With the findings of the Independant Police Complaints Commission's investigation into the shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes imminent and Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair's (or Plod Blair as we like to call him) recent call for debate on policing in Britain, we on this blog are keen to encourage discussion on police issues.
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Grouped below are all our recent related postings as evidence of our concern.
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Comments are both welcomed and positively encouraged - join the debate, make your voice heard. Though readers are cautioned that they do not have to comment but it may harm their basic freedoms if they do not do so!
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Much more to follow.
3 comments:
Dear Mr Troy,
As I meet people around the country, the topic which constantly crops up in conversation is crime and anti-social behaviour on their streets and in their communities. It has a huge impact on their quality of life which explains why tackling bad behaviour is such a priority for this Government.
I am always pleased to hear how the extra powers we have put in place - the anti-social behaviour orders, the fixed penalties and parenting contracts, for example - are making such a difference. And where they are being used most effectively by police and local councils, the impact has been dramatic.
But I also know that much more needs to be done. That's why on Tuesday I will be announcing a new series of proposals to extend and broaden our drive to tackle anti-social behaviour and restore respect in our communities. They build on what we know already works and on the experience of those in the front-line.
I recognise that some of these measures will be controversial but not, I believe, in the communities which face the biggest problems from the minority who blight the lives of so many people. They, like me, believe that if we are going to continue improving life for the decent majority of families, we have to make sure the civil liberties of people to live free from fear come first.
Over the next few months, we will be consulting widely on these proposals. Louise Casey, who heads the Respect Taskforce will, in particular, be speaking to people across the country to get their views. That's why I am pleased she has agreed to answer questions on this website on the new proposals, on how the measures already in place are working and might be improved and what more we can do to tilt the balance back in favour of the decent law-abiding majority.
Yours ever,
Tony Blair
The above was sent by email addressed to the editor's personel email address on 6 Dec 06.
My congratulations. It seems that your campaign to bring all the nasty police officers back under control is working - in Nottinghamshire at least.
The Sunday Times January 15, 2006
Police face sack for jibe over 'pondlife'
Daniel Foggo
A DETECTIVE is facing disciplinary action by his force for referring to a career criminal as "pondlife" in a private conversation with another officer.
The detective constable, who faces possible dismissal from his job, has been told that the criminal "might have been offended" had he heard the remark, although he was not present at the time.
The officer was informed that he will be subject to disciplinary action together with three colleagues - a detective sergeant, a uniformed sergeant and a constable - after covert video recordings were made of them at their police station in Nottingham. The other officers are accused of also using "inappropriate language" in private conversations.
All four have been taken off frontline duties that might bring them into contact with members of the public while they await formal decisions as to their futures.
The covert taping was being carried out by Nottinghamshire police to investigate alleged corruption by another member of staff. The officers facing disciplinary action are not suspected of any criminal activity and the fact that their comments were recorded was a coincidence.
However, the force's professional standards department decided last year to place all four officers on so-called "regulation nine" notices signalling disciplinary action even though no complaints had been received from other staff or members of the public.
After the corruption inquiry has been concluded, the deputy chief constable, Howard Roberts, will review the allegations and decide whether to carry out a full inquiry which could result in the officers' dismissal.
Critics have called the affair "ludicrous".
Mick Taylor, chairman of the Nottinghamshire branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: "There has been an accusation that some words have been said that may have caused offence to a career criminal if he had been present, even though he wasn't.
"This is a man of the criminal fraternity who has a number of convictions. So it does seem ludicrous that we have to go to these levels, but that is the way life is now.
"This was a private conversation between colleagues and surely people have got a right to that? A personal view is that if no members of the public or work colleagues have made complaints, then I question the need for disciplinary action."
The officer accused of corruption offences, PC Charles Fletcher, who faces a charge of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, is due to be tried later this year.
Taylor said: "Now the officers on the disciplinary notices will have to wait until after the corruption inquiry is finished and all trials conducted before the video-taped evidence can be examined and that may take a long time.
"Some of these officers have got 20 or more years of service and commendations to their name and they don't deserve to have this hanging over them for so long."
A source close to the four officers said: "It is difficult enough for officers to carry out their frontline duties without having to battle political correctness as well."
A Nottinghamshire police spokesman said: "We can confirm that four members of staff have been served with regulation nine notices, which informs (them) they are being investigated on internal professional misconduct matters."
Anonymous said: ''My congratulations. It seems that your campaign to bring all the nasty police officers back under control is working - in Nottinghamshire at least.'''
One does not have to be a CID Officer to detect some sarcasm from our prolific anonymous contributor.
Our series of comments posted on this blog (which is not a campaign-yet)are a small (but we hope serious)contribution to the debate on Policeing that Plod Blair (Sir Ian) so keenly recomended that we engaged in).
The Public accountability of Chief Constables - something that Plod Blair waxes lyrical about in East London Churches but in practice, as evidenced last summer is less keen on.
Make no mistake this blog fuly supports the need for effective law and order. Which is why, as Plod Blair him self stated, the issue must not be left to politicians and the police
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