n DEFENCEKeith Hellawell
FORMER West Yorkshire Chief Constable Keith Hellawell has defended beleaguered police chief David Westwood.
He believes the Humberside chief is likely to be suspended by his Police Authority later this week, in the wake of the highly-critical Bichard inquiry.
But he insists had police been able to use their judgement to assess information gathered on possible criminals, cases such as that of Ian Huntley may be prevented.
Mr Hellawell, an Examiner columnist, said restrictions now meant that police forces had to collaborate and justify every scrap of information on people.
"It is in stark contrast to the times when officers in the Huddersfield Borough Force were asked to vet people to work as postmen and window cleaners and could veto them if there were suspicions about their behaviour.
"Nowadays the best criminals would never be caught. If we have a system which relies solely on cautions and convictions, they will not be caught.
"We have to trust police judgement on information received. Years ago it used to be trusted and relied upon. Sadly now those days have gone."
