Minutes:
Further to Minute 625, the Vice-Chair confirmed that he had allowed the urgent item as he believed it was in the public interest for the panel to discuss the matter. However, the Vice-Char stressed that the Panel could not discuss the minutiae of any complaint or referral made to either the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) or the Panel.
The Vice-Chair invited the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to clarify the exact timeline of events that led to the retirement of the previous Chief Constable and the subsequent referral to the IOPC.
The Chief Executive Officer informed the Panel that it was not until 19 June 2024 that the Commissioner received sufficient detail to make a referral to the IOPC for misconduct. The referral was made on Monday 24 June. Two working days were used to process the referral. To assist everyone’s understanding of the timeline, the OPCC published on its website a full account of the timeline of events leading up to the retirement of previous Chief Constable, Paul Anderson. This was published on Friday 29 November 2024.
Members were informed that the referral was originally assessed by the IOPC as misconduct. Having received further statements through the course of the investigation this had now been re-assessed as potential for gross misconduct. The investigation continued.
The Commissioner then read a statement prepared for the Panel -
“This apparent ‘delay’ that has been the focus of some isolated media attention is extremely misleading. There were just two full working days between receiving the full details and making the formal referral. During that time my office, quite rightly, accessed the proper and appropriate legal advice, filled out the considerable paperwork necessary and organised the supporting documentation. Referring a complaint to the IOPC is not a simple process and nor should it be. To do so is a serious matter and demands a level of detail and professionalism that cannot be rushed. People’s livelihoods and careers are at stake here. I make no apologies for ensuring my office dotted the Is and crossed the Ts. It has not escaped my attention that in a neighbouring authority area a poorly thought through disciplinary process some years ago resulted in an expensive judicial review that cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. The unfair criticism we have received here appears to suggest we should have rushed this through quickly – which is, of course, nonsense.”
The Vice-Chair requested that the Secretary to the Panel read to the Panel an extract from correspondence received by the Panel shortly before the meeting from the Police Superintendents’ Association.
The Vice-Chair invited the OPCC to comment. The Chief Executive Officer again reiterated that the timeline published on the OPCC website accurately reflected the timeline of events.
The Vice-Chair then invited Panel Members to comment on the timeline of events, allowing the OPCC to respond in turn.
Following the conclusion of the discussion on the timeline of events, the Commissioner was questioned following the airing of a recent BBC television interview.
Panel members raised questions on the following –
· Reputation of the Police and Crime Commissioner following the interview and the perceived impact it had on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
· Support for the White Ribbon campaign
· Discussion with the BBC following the interview
The Commissioner read a statement on the BBC interview –
“While I accept that the clip used on the BBC could be viewed in a poor light I think it is important to place it in some context. Firstly, the clip shown was less than 60 seconds of an interview carried out by a male cameraman and a female reporter that took several minutes – with the majority of the recording devoted to the very positive event I had attended. I am deeply disappointed that the very important issue of protecting lives on our roads I had hoped to highlight was totally ignored and cut by the BBC. After talking to the BBC for several minutes about handing out bike lights on dark nights they started to ask, once again, questions I have already answered. It became clear they would continue to press despite my repeated attempts to say I would not expand on previous answers and it was time to take my leave. In order to do so I stepped away from the male cameraman in order to move myself out of shot. I am disappointed the clip used can be interpreted differently. It is not the first time the BBC has used information and edited clips to try and discredit me. It also comes as no surprise that they enlisted the support of political opponents to try and give their story some semblance of credibility. I will stop short of making any comment about political bias and allow others to arrive at their own judgement.”
The Vice-Chair then facilitated a discussion between the Panel and Police and Crime Commissioner on the BBC interview.
Resolved - (a) That the position be noted, and (b) that the Secretary to the Panel write to the Police Superintendents’ Association following the receipt and subsequent discussion of their correspondence.