County police chief speaks to the Examiner

Jan 8 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

After 37 years in the force Sir Norman says his happiest days were as a beat bobby. “You get a sense of being connected with the community; that’s what I miss the most,” he said.

He continues to patrol, recently spending two days on the beat in Batley, Heckmondwike, Hebden Bridge, Bingley and Ilkley.

But he defends the level of bureaucracy that officers face, saying it is needed due to the scrutiny the police are under.

“There is still a bureaucracy that goes with policing that is difficult to change. It’s not something that we are impotent to change, but there is a lot more scrutiny of the police than when I joined.

“For example, when I was on patrol and I saw someone looking a bit shady, looking away and putting something in their pocket I would stop them, be polite and courteous and ask them what they put in their pocket.

“That would be an end to it if there was nothing there.

“In 2009 there is a requirement that officers fill in a form, triplicate it, keep the member of the public there, ask them questions about ethnicity, give them a form to keep, file one and then one would be computerised by admin.

“That level of scrutiny is what it is and quite proper too.

“The only way the public can have that reassurance is by carrying out that bureaucratic process.”