Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Volume 1, Issue 10
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The officer leading the Operation Douglas inquiry into the corruption was DCS Peter McKay, at the time Head of CID at neighbouring North Yorkshire Police. He said some of the officers were not very concerned with procedures. He added: With regards to senior officers, it is clear that there could be more professional auditing, tasking and checking but there wasnt. That culture seemed to permeate throughout Asked why criminal prosecutions or disciplinary proceedings were not brought against some officers, Mr McKay said: Neil Wilby I completed files for the CPS and met Fraser Sampson in I am somewhat surprised none September 2011 of the police officers were prosecuted. He concluded: We were persona non grata - officers coming in from a foreign force. People were not making themselves available. We were also having problems with the hierarchy of West Yorkshire Police. A leading member of the hierarchy at the time of the supergrass criminality was none other than Norman Bettison, then an Assistant Chief Constable. That Patrick OConnor QC hierarchy signed off Leading Barrister significant sums of money that were, in effect, to fund criminal enterprise. He also returned as Chief Constable in 2007, whilst Operation Douglas was ongoing, having been brought out of retirement to do so. A rising star in West Yorkshire CID at the time of the criminal activities of the police and present in the Force throughout the Douglas inquiry was the now Deputy Neil Wilby Chief Constable, John Parkinson. That and the Bettison factor may well offer an explanation, in full or part, as to why DCS Peter McKays inquiry was thwarted at every turn and no prosecutions of police officers ever resulted. In September 2011 the Police Authority Chairman announced that the matters raised by the Supreme Court, most notably the remarks of Lord Justice Brown This was prosecutorial misconduct of the gravest kind, had been referred to the IPCC. A WYPA Scrutiny Committee was then formed in the wake of regional and national press claims that the Force had kept the Authority in the dark. It concluded that despite there being virtually no discernible paper trail that the Force had kept them informed with verbal updates. It crucially failed to explain why Sir Norman Bettison had never even bothered to provide WYPA with a copy of the final and very Cloud of corruption hangs damning Operation Douglas report. over WYPA HQ
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First Force Solicitor provided with war chest by the Police Authority he is suing
A WYPA source has confirmed that the Forces former Director of Legal Services has served Employment Tribunal proceedings on the Authority, alleging constructive dismissal.
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Former ACPO ranked Ajaz Hussain, left in March of this year in an acrimonious split. He had been invited to apply for a lesser role in the Force and that post was ultimately given to his subordinate, Mike Percival, with the new title of Legal Services Manager. Mr Hussain was subsequently made redundant. It is understood that the Tribunal claims are to be vigorously defended by WYPA and that the legal costs for both sides will be borne by the taxpayer. This derives from the Authoritys much criticised decision to fund a Chief Officers insurance scheme that effectively provides a war chest to take on WYPA in disciplinary or tribunal matters. The same scheme will allow disgraced Chief Constable Bettison to hire top lawyers to defend Hillsborough misconduct allegations currently being examined by the IPCC, at the taxpayers expense. Mr Hussain joined the Force in 1996 when invited by Chief Constable, Keith Hellawell, to set up an in-house force solicitors office. From an original staff of 6, that same office had a peak staffing level of 21 and provides a civil legal service to both the Chief Constable and the Police Authority. In terms of the scope of its activities, West Yorkshires Legal Services Department claims to be the leading provider of its type in the country, after the Metropolitan Police. It is, very arguably, also one of the worst run in the country with persistent and flagrant breaches of Court Orders, Directions and CPR rules, particularly concerning compliance with disclosure requirements and filing/serving deadlines. Across a significant number of civil, tribunal and judicial review case files examined by uPSD the results are quite shocking. It is understood that Solicitors Regulatory Mr Percival faces a Complaint pending against Force Solicitor formal Solicitors Regulatory Authority complaint at the outcome of ongoing civil claims against the police. In addition to the CPR issues, allegations of the procurement and exhibiting of evidence known to be false, or criminally obtained, will form part of the submissions to the SRA. Notable recent civil court reversals for WYP Legal Services have been the hugely expensive Court of Appeal/High Court cases against retired DCI and former civilian PNLD legal officer Terence Homer; the match-day policing at Leeds Utd and the software misappropriation case against FTS. The cost to the public purse is understood to have been in excess of 2 million. Both Mr Percival, via the Force press office, and WYPAs External Relations Director, Karen Grey, declined to comment.
October 2012
Volume 1, Issue 10
Another week, and another series of half-truths and deafening silences are the key features of uPSDs interface with West Yorkshire Police Authority: The latest farrago concerns the offensive comments made by disgraced former Police Authority Member, Roger Taylor. uPSDs issue 9 was the first to out Taylors campaign of harassment against Bradford civil liberties group, JUST, and judicious placing of the story, with politicians and media outlets, has led to widespread exposure and condemnation of Taylors conduct. In response to a follow-up press enquiry by uPSDs Felicity Stewart-Smith, concerning the date Taylor ceased to be a WYPA Member, it was stated that Taylor had left WYPA in April 2011. Omitted was the crucial fact that Taylor had to be removed from his role as Calderdale Councils representative on the Authority, due to previous offensive remarks concerning the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and other, more generally derogatory, comments about the police. In an earlier statement by WYPA External Relations Director, Karen Grey, it was made clear that they didnt want to comment at all. Now we see why. More tellingly Ms Grey, the Authoritys Chair, Mark Burns-Williamson, and Cllr David Kirton failed to respond at all when asked to explain the latest revelations concerning Taylors misdemeanours as a serving WYPA Member. In welcome contrast, PCC Candidate Geraldine Carter told uPSD: Roger Taylor has been suspended from the Conservative Party with immediate effect. I do not agree with WYPA Member Cllr David Kirton declined his comments and to comment find them wholly unacceptable. As a Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate for West Yorkshire it will not be appropriate for me to comment on the internal workings of the Authority or its members. In addition to Mrs Carters prepared statement, uPSD were also contacted by the Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr John Hardy who conferred with Mrs Carter, the Council Leader, Cllr Tim Swift, and the LibDem Leader, Cllr Janet Battye, who both roundly condemned Taylor. Calderdale Council emerge from this disturbing affair with considerable credit:
Not only by following due process and protocol but by the old fashioned virtue of speaking out for the values that underpin what is left of decency in our society, regardless of political colour. It is a great pity that the same cannot be said for this weak and invisible Police Authority that West Yorkshire is burdened with. Thankfully, not for much longer.
uPSDs Felicity There is a very simple rule of thumb now Stewart Smith applied when dealing with the police, the Attitude hardening to IPCC Police Authority or the IPCC, as a public complainant. Generally referred to as the uPSD Inverse Rule of Truth, it translates into The longer it takes to answer a simple query the less likely that response is to be truthful. It rarely fails as a working hypothesis. Four very simple questions, concerning the decision by the police not to investigate the anonymous email farrago, have been asked by uPSDs Felicity Stewart Smith. Applying the Inverse rule, she has been forced to conclude that when the response from the IPCC does arrive it will have to be treated with great suspicion. The questions Felicity asked are short and uncomplicated: They would take less than five minutes to answer: When was the application to dispense received? Was that by letter or email? Which public body made the application? Who was named as the person complained against? Pretty simple stuff except that we have two versions of the same story already from the police and the police authority and the IPCC are, no doubt, walking on eggshells not Geraldine Carter wanting to expose one, or both, as dishonest. PCC Candidate These are the daily dilemmas faced by an allegedly independent organisation. The complaint crystallises into, firstly, a right to free expression in exposing police misconduct/criminality and, secondly, the removal of the right of a police officer to use the cloak of anonymity to make inappropriate threats to members of the public. Both are matters that crucially impact on the reputation of the police and the publics confidence in them and should be dealt with swiftly by the IPCC to quell any further conspiracy theories.. Not so, seemingly, as the IPCCs normally helpful Press Officer declined to comment when the matter was put to him.
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