Page 9 - Bedfed Conf2016 Flip Book

Q: Richie Jones, Welsh region representative and secretary of the conduct sub-committee at Leatherhead: “I asked you last year about re-thinking the legislation around officers being allowed to retire or resign when subject to an investigation for gross misconduct. We are grateful that you listened and hope that legislation will allow it to come back in. But there are concerns about the timeliness and quality of investigations by the IPCC and our own PSDs and the adverse effect it has on the mental well-being of officers and the effect on their families. Police officers aren’t allowed to make complaints about their own forces or IPCC so there is concern that there is no accountability. Some officers have been suspended for three years which can’t be in anyone’s interest.
How do you see officers being able to hold the IPCC and PSDs to account? And, when the IPCC is reformed, do you think for a core purpose, there should be the element of having confidence in the police service, not just members of the public?”
a: “I did listen and the change in legislation on officers retiring or resigning when subject to an investigation is ongoing. On the suspension of police officers – I know about the difficulties, concern and trauma that can cause because I’ve seen it in my own constituency. What I hope to see, from the changes to the complaints procedure, is a better structured IPCC and the IPCC better able to conduct investigations.
“Officers want to know a complaint is being dealt with properly and that the result will show that but still, particularly where the complaint is sensitive and serious, that the investigation is not done at police force level but at IPCC level because it’s crucial that the public feels that the body dealing with public complaints is ensuring they are taken seriously. We are changing the way complaints are dealt with, for instance PCCs have more power, because very often a small complaint could be dealt with efficiently and effectively at a local level but is allowed to become something bigger for the officer that sometimes isn’t necessary. I believe the changes will lead to a better way of dealing with complaints and that will mean investigations are more timely.”
Q: a Greater Manchester Police representative challenged the Home Secretary on the cuts to neighbourhood policing: “Last year I raised concerns about the threat of terrorism and the impact that the cuts had already had on neighbourhood policing. Since then we’ve had the horrific terrorist activity in Paris, Brussels and elsewhere. Subsequently, David Cameron has decided to increase the number of armed officers and that is a welcome u-turn. But I can’t help but think this was only prompted by those horrific scenes, even though we said previously it was on the horizon. But more armed officers only afford us more capability and capacity to react by which time it’s a disaster. I still see the critical part as
investment in neighbourhood policing. That intelligence feed from the street is critical but we need strong policing for that and the cuts mean we are not as effective there as we need to be. This also means organised crime is thriving. We need to invest in neighbourhood policing – the bedrock of British policing.
“Also, the CTu do fantastic work on terror activity so they need to be supported but if ever they drop the ball because of a missed bit of intelligence, the consequences will be horrific.”
a: “It isn’t a u-turn by the Government. We looked at armed policing response following the terrorist activity in Mumbai and uplifted armed policing response then. We continue to look at and talk to CT police about what is necessary. Having seen what happened in France last year, we looked at numbers again and the uplift took place. you are absolutely right about CTu. They have done a fantastic job; seven plots have been disrupted in the last 18 months.
“But people in communities need to always feel able to bring information forward because some people still don’t feel able to, even just to a neighbourhood police officer. Recent figures show front-line numbers have increased but we also recognise the role of a whole variety of people who provide information and that intelligence comes from a whole variety of sources. On organised crime, again, yes neighbourhood policing is playing its role but others at local level are as well.”
officer: “If you’ve been looking at this since 2011, it should be further along than it is. It’s a massive undertaking to try to get 1,500 more officers armed and trained so it will take time.”
a: “The Government is looking at arming and training 1,000 more officers and some forces have decided themselves to increase that by an additional 500.”
Q: an avon & Somerset representative: you have been the longest serving Home Secretary so have had plenty of time to see,
to the end, a number of policies and ideas relating to the police and protecting the public. What will your legacy be?
a: “There are bodies that now exist in policing that I think are important that didn’t exist before. PCCs have increased accountability and transparency. But I also hope we are able to see people who crimes are being committed against, who have felt they are not taken seriously, are able to come forward, that we are able to restore people’s confidence in coming forward. And that everybody is a custodian of justice. I hope that will be part of my legacy.”
Steve White: “It’s always interesting when talking about legacy, there’s a bit of an assumption. Are you going somewhere, Home Secretary?”
a: After shrugging her shoulders, Ms May said: “What I see day to day is the importance of the British model of policing. We have a way of policing in this country that is rightly the envy of others. I think we have the best police officers in the world but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to keep encouraging and seeing changes. Many of the foreign dignitaries attending the royal wedding commented on the police attending – on what a great job they were doing but that they were also entering into the spirit of it and weren’t just policing it as police in other countries would have done. The link with the public is absolutely crucial and underpins everything.”
OURREPssAY
“This session is always the highlight of conference and this year it was no different. But the session is never long enough. The most relevant questions were those about assaults on the police and reform. All the questions put to the Home Secretary were submitted in advance via the National Board of the PFEW so nothing was challenging or controversial and the session was a major disappointment to the members present.
“Ian Collins was new to conference and I felt this showed in his lack of subject knowledge. He was, however, an excellent, witty orator.”
Paul Galvin
“For me the whole conference seemed a bit flat as everyone knew this was the end of an era. It was as if everyone was there as a token gesture and to say goodbye rather than to keep on pushing forward, influencing, negotiating. There were some good speakers and topics but nothing that stood out like previous years.”
Stephen Bozward
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