Assurances from Ministers that plans for elected Police and Crime Commissioners would not interfere with the operational independence of the police have been ‘blown apart’ by comments from a senior figure that they would ‘wield the rod’ over Chief Constables.
Chair of Cleveland Police Authority, Councillor Dave McLuckie, has written to the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Sir Hugh Orde warning that the comments from the Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Kit Malthouse, were ‘deeply alarming’ and urging him to maintain opposition to the prospect of single person control.
In an interview with the Times Mr Malthouse described Chief Constables as ‘mini governors’ adding that they are ‘incredibly powerful individuals. Each one controls a standing army, they have extreme powers to incarcerate you and me and to use force against when they see fit.’
In his letter to Sir Hugh Councillor McLuckie says he believes ACPO will share the shock and alarm felt amongst police authorities at statements from someone with such apparent influence on the Government ‘which appear to totally undermine any previous assurances as to the operational independence of Chief Constables in the event of the introduction of directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners’
Said Councillor McLuckie “Sir Hugh Orde has been admirably robust in the past in expressing the concerns of Chief Officers as to the dangers of putting in the hands of a single individual control of priorities and budgets for police forces—not to mention the power to appoint...and remove...Chief Constables. Indeed he is on record as saying that it could lead to many Chief Constables resigning.
“I think that some Chief Constables may have been influenced by warm words from Ministers but Mr Malthouse has certainly let the cat out of the bag. It is clear, having previously caused consternation when he boasted that he had his ‘hand on the tiller’ of the Metropolitan police, he now visualises Commissioners being able to exercise enormous powers with Chief Constables knowing that, if they disagree with just a single individual, they can be sacked.
“When the Home Secretary Theresa May sought to defend the Commissioners plan to MPs the Chairman of the Liberal Democrat’s Home Affairs Parliamentary Committee warned that the proposals could run the risk of giving the ‘green light for the election of Judge Dredd characters more interested in populism than effective co-operative policing.’
“It would seem that is exactly what Mr Malthouse has in mind and I believe it should serve as a stark warning to Sir Hugh Orde, every Chief Constable—and indeed every police officer—and reinforce the determination throughout the police service to defend the principle of operational independence which is at the foundations of our policing system.”