“Elected police and crime commissioners are described as “bleeding hopeless”, “not that bright”, abusive and politically driven in a report that exposes the crisis at the top of policing.

Retired chief constables claim that they were forced to do “dreadful things” by PCCs looking for votes, while senior officers say that they have been put off going for the top jobs because there is a risk of being “thrown under a bus for political expediency”.

The report on police leadership, commissioned by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), reveals that applications for chief constable vacancies in the 43 forces in England and Wales are at the lowest level on record, while tenure in the post has fallen to an average of less than four years.

The report, seen by The Times, points to a range of factors including the troubled relationship between some chief constables and PCCs, who replaced police authorities when they were introduced in 2012 by Theresa May, when she was home secretary. They have the power to hire and fire chief constables and set budgets.

PCCs’ ability to “seemingly arbitrarily” sack police chiefs is cited as a factor in the lack of applications for the top posts. Senior officers are also reluctant to apply for jobs outside their force area because of a perceived chumminess between incumbent deputies and their PCC. One officer claimed that the system was being “fiddled”. More than half of chief constables appointed in 2015 were the only candidate for the job.

Sara Thornton, chairwoman of the NPCC, ‘said that the report “is a warning to us that we need to deal with these problems”. She added that the majority of PCCs and chief constables worked well together and that both parties wanted to resolve the leadership issues and had the same goal of getting the best people into the top jobs. Chief constables and PCCs will hold a discussion on the issues next month.

‘Six PCCs are good, 22 are hopeless’

The comments by anonymous chief constables were negative enough but it was the assessment from within the ranks of police and crime commissioners that landed a killer blow.

Speaking about their colleagues in 2015, one anonymous PCC told researchers: “You must not assume that being eccentric and having lousy judgment are prerequisites for the job, even though some of my PCC colleagues exhibit these characteristics in spades. There are six or seven really good PCCs… and about 22 who are absolutely bleeding hopeless.”

The damning quote was contained in the report commissioned by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to highlight concerns about the “vulnerabilities” of the elected PCC system and the absence of checks on their behaviour.

The superintendent who compiled the report — with input from 13 retired chiefs, one incumbent chief, and 70 assistant chief constables and deputy chief constables — said that in most cases chiefs worked effectively with PCCs. However, retired chiefs said it was a matter of luck depending on the PCC they got and that some were “difficult, unhelpful and unprofessional”. One said: “Why would any sane person place their operational independence and financial security at the whim of a politician? I have worked too long to place my personal reputation on the line, to place it at risk of being thrown under a bus for political expediency.” Another claimed that “power and ego” went to the PCC’s head.

The report highlighted an “unprecedented” average period of chief constable tenure of under four years, a higher turnover of female chief constables compared with their male counterparts since the introduction of PCCs, and low numbers of applications for the top job.

The report highlighted other significant problems including heavy handed investigations of chiefs by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Retired chiefs reported feeling beleaguered, under pressure, undervalued and “subject to no leadership from the Home Office”.

The report’s findings will be considered next month at a roundtable of chief constables, PCCs and other interested parties such as the College of Policing, the standards body.

Sara Thornton, the NPCC chairwoman, said that there were clearly retired chief constables who had been “damaged” by their experiences and she wanted to prevent that happening again.

Small changes such as encouraging mediation when a relationship between chief and PCC broke down, and requiring PCCs to put their reasons for suspending a chief into writing, could help to fix the problems. Mark Burns-Williamson, chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said that the NPCC report was based on research with a small sample size that had “no formal status”. He said he did not agree with the negative descriptions of PCCs.

Behind the story

Police and crime commissioners were introduced in 2012 to scrutinise chief constables, replacing police authorities.

David Cameron, prime minister at the time, was impressed by the US system of vesting broad police oversight powers in a single elected figure. So it is not surprising that the relationship between chief constables and PCCs can be a testing one.

The leadership report underlines entrenched problems that are unlikely to be resolved without significant changes to the system.

One chief constable said yesterday: “A number of people have left because their positions have been made intolerable.” While PCCs have the power to hire and fire chief constables, and set budgets, they are not supposed to encroach on operational policing.

However, it is widely accepted that some have, and that some chief constables have let them. There is also a perception among chief constables that they can be discarded by PCCs without proper checks and balances.”

Owl says: the trenchant article suggests reform of the PCC role – but oversight by committee (the former arrangement), although it had its flaws, worked better. What the article does not say is that inadequate PCCs fall back on anonymous paid staff (such as their next-in-command highly paid Career CEOs)to do their work for them, then falling happily themselves into a mostly ceremonial role while trousering the substantial salaries.

“The post of police and crime commissioner is six years old and wearing its age poorly. As few as one in ten voters can name their commissioners. An innovation that was supposed to revive local democracy and strengthen police accountability has not achieved either goal. Instead, too often, commissioners have repaid low turnout at the polls with low-calibre performances in office.

The 2013 Stevens report on policing recommended abolishing commissioners, but its proposed replacement was too complex and costly. Local democratic police oversight is as vital as ever. Elected commissioners can provide it, but a new balance of power is needed between the public and police. This can be achieved by giving voters the option of recall elections to remove commissioners who are manifestly failing; and by requiring commissioners to follow a clear written process when exercising their power to fire a chief constable. When that power is misused it should be the commissioner who pays, not the public.”

Source: The Times (pay wall)

“Making a child watch a sex act, perverting the course of justice and possessing indecent images of children are among the crimes committed by police officers in Devon and Cornwall in recent years.

A total of 19 members of staff – officers and civilians – employed by Devon and Cornwall Police have been convicted of criminal offences or received cautions in the last five years, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

During that time period, a total of 45 police officers, nine police community support officers (PCSOs) and 12 members of staff were suspended by the force.

Of those, 38 were either dismissed or resigned.

In total, 10 civilian members of staff were convicted of criminal offences or received cautions between 2013 and 2017.

One staff member, who was suspended in 2013, received a caution for possession of indecent photos of children.

Another, who was suspended in 2014, was given a caution for indecent exposure.

Two other staff members were given cautions for misconduct in a public place and a data protection offence.

In addition, one staff member received a conditional discharge for theft.

Another was fined and banned from getting behind the wheel after being convicted of drink-driving.

Other offences convicted by civilian staff included shoplifting, battery and assault.

66 people suspended over five years

Over the five-year period, a total of 66 police officers and civilian staff members were suspended by Devon and Cornwall Police.

Of those, 19 were dismissed and a further 19 resigned.

No action was taken against 10.

The information supplied by the force lists 12 cases as either pending or not decided at the time of publication.

The remaining cases were resolved with a final written warning, management action or management advice.

The force stated that all those that did not resign or were dismissed returned to work.

Of all those suspended, 37 were the subject of a criminal investigation.

At total of 28 police officers and staff members were charged.

The force is yet to decide if a further six, who were all suspended in 2017, will be investigated for any potential crimes.

Full pay for suspended officers

All officers and staff members suspended from the force receive full pay while the matter is investigated.

The force states: “Officers and staff are always suspended on full pay until the misconduct is concluded; this can be for an extensive period.

“This is set within national regulations and is not at force discretion.”

Of those suspended during the five years, 40 were constables earning between £19,971 and £38,382.

Five were sergeants earning between £39,693 and £43,134.

The highest earning staff member, who was suspended in 2013, was earning between £40,755 and £45,507.

Suspended for 900 days

One individual who was suspended in 2013, remained on suspension for more than 900 days.

At least 16 were suspended for more than a year.

The data shows that 10 staff members remained on suspension at the time the information was supplied.

Of those, one was suspended in 2015, three in 2016 and six in 2017.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/local-news/shocking-crimes-committed-police-officers-1918306

Given that our Police and Crime Commissioner’s official calendar looks a bit thin:

http://www.devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk/meetings-and-events/calendar/

Ms Hernandez might like to think about earning some of her £85,000 plus expenses salary on dealing with some new statistics, published in today’s Sunday Times, about how many police suspects actually end up in court, and how the pitiful figures can be improved.

Figures for the south-west show that the number of people charged with offences had fallen dramatically.

In 2010-2011 84% of people charged with homicide offences went to court. That fell in 2016-2017 to 52%.

In 2010-2011 72% of people charged with possession of firearms went to court. That fell to 43% in 2016-2017.

In 2010-2011 93% of people charged with robbery went to court. That fell to 15% in 2016-2017.

Owl is sure Tory Police and [Increasing] Crime Commissioner Hernandez will have an interesting theory!

“Police chiefs have hit back at claims a massive 90% rise in violent crime across Cornwall and Devon in the last nine years might be linked to ever decreasing officer numbers.

However, over the same period the full-time equivalent number of police officers at the force has fallen by 18%, from 3,562 in September 2009 to 2,921 in September 2017, a loss of 641 officers.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-43641547

“Devon and Cornwall Police needs to improve at keeping people safe and reducing crime, an official watchdog has ruled.

Performance is still below standard in nearly half of all forces. …”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devons-police-told-require-improvement-1369188