Perhaps it’s time to ring the changes

Aug 7 2007 by Keith Hellawell, Huddersfield Examiner

LAST week’s Independent Complaints Commission (IPCC) report into the unlawful shooting of Charles de Menezes on the streets of London is extremely important to us all because it exposes flaws in the command structure of the police service in that city.

You may ask why this should be of any interest to us as the south of England is a long way away from Yorkshire and what goes on down there is of little concern – but you would be wrong.

Policing in this country is based on consent. Consent of the public.

Without it the police could not operate in the way they do. They would increase in numbers; carry weapons and become more military in style. I for one would not like this to happen and that is why I write about some of the changes which concern me. The IPCC report highlights a new area which worries me, the experience and attitude of the senior echelons within the service.

I am the first to recognise that change in any organisation is essential if it is to survive and the police service is no exception. However, not all change is for the good. When I joined it in the early 60s there were two types of chief constable in place. Those in the borough and city forces who had come up through the ranks, and those in county forces who were direct entrants into the police at that rank after holding senior rank in the military.

Of course there were exceptions but this was the norm.

Politicians of the day decided the background of these officers was not conducive to good policing. I suspect part of their reason being they had little control over them but that is not what they put forward. They suggested that borough chiefs were too close to the local authorities and there was a danger of nepotism occurring. Their criticism of county chief was different. In their case they alleged they used the officers under their command like a private army thus abusing their authority. It is true to say there were individual chief constables who acted in this way but to my knowledge they were few and far between.

The legislation introduced by the government forced forces to amalgamate and imposed more stringent conditions on those who were appointed to the most senior posts.

This ruled out most of the incumbents who left the service within a relatively short time. Unlike them, very few of the new crop of chief constables who they were replaced by had any affinity with the area they had to police. In fact one of the new rules precluded locals assuming such a command.

In my view this contributed to undermining the public’s confidence in the police service. If you don’t know an individual how can you have any confidence in him? Over the intervening years many police chiefs have become unknown, unseen; inaccessible bureaucrats. I am not suggesting this is the case in West Yorkshire as the most recent holders of that office have tried their best to gain some rapport with the public. In my case being born and bred here was a distinct advantage.

However, even if they have this inclination, and some do not, the nature of their job makes it difficult to get out and about as much as they would like. They are now more akin to chief executive officers of large companies than police officers. Their focus has to be on the performance of the thousands of police officers and civilians who work for them and their millions of pounds budgets they control. They have to answer to politicians for their performance and are bound by more rules than you care to imagine. Day to day policing and the views of individual members of the public are, I am afraid, very low down on their agenda.

Moreover, they are no longer chosen because of their police background and experience. Academic achievement; ability to manage complex organisations and willingness to work to a political agenda are now the main criterion of appointment. Local police authority members also regard themselves as the liaison point with the public – this is why you see and hear so many of them talking about policing issues. A candidate for chief constable who has the potential to undermine this may not be selected for that reason.

Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Commissioner is a product of the new system and the IPCC report of last week outlines the problems this causes within and without his force.

Perhaps it is time for yet another change.