6 June 2023

Processes which leave officers careers at the whim of Chief Constables should have no place in policing

Processes which leave officers careers at the whim of Chief Constables should have no place in policing according to Dorset Police Federation.

Chair James Dimmack was responding to proposed reforms to regulations governing police conduct and dismissal.

Those reforms have been proposed by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, and Harriet Harman KC, MP for Camberwell and Peckham, who say the current system is “not fit for purpose”.

They have written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, inviting her to bring their proposals to Parliament.

Among the changes they suggested are:

• Automatically dismiss a serving officer who is convicted of a serious criminal offence, or who fails vetting 
• Automatically suspend an officer charged with a serious criminal offence
• Give Chief Constables the power to reopen misconduct investigations
• Reduce the performance process to two stages, from the current three (plus appeals)

But Dorset Police Federation Chair James Dimmack said: “LQC’s were appointed to ensure that Police officers were afforded a fair and independent process through which discipline matters can be heard.

“This seems to be perfectly reasonable having a person independent with the associated legal qualifications to undertake a specific job. Outcomes from these hearings are by their very nature not palatable to all.

“That not withstanding does not mean that they are not correct or indeed just.

“To suggest this power be passed back to Chief officers who are by definition not independent or indeed legally qualified seems to be a hugely retrograde development. Police officers are rightly held to a higher standard of behaviour. This is only too apparent given recent events and media interest in this is area.

“Ultimately Police officers are people drawn from society who live within society. Under such scrutiny they deserve a fair hearing as does the public so any decisions can be properly held to account and stand up to rigor.

“The people of Dorset deserve the very best Police service and that requires the best people. If they have done wrong they will be identified and they will be dealt with. This is a system that is working and I see no need for any wholesale change.”

Other proposed reforms include a so-called ‘Duty of Candour’, which would require an officer to proactively report any wrongdoing (by themselves or others), and a ‘Duty to Handover’ to obtain relevant information from an officer’s personal phone during a misconduct investigation.

And Mr Khan and Ms Harman have also called for pension forfeiture rules to be changed so a criminal offence does not have to be committed ‘in connection’ with an officer’s service in order for them to lose their pension.

The Police Federation of England and Wales also criticised what it called “sweeping and uncontrolled powers” set out in the proposals.

A PFEW spokesperson said: “Policing in our country is in crisis and police officers desperately need cross-party support. The incredibly hard-working police work force need to set right their pay, working conditions and employment rights.

“Baroness Casey’s recent review of the Metropolitan Police Service highlights a possible way forward to deliver the changes needed to restore public confidence and deliver an improved service.

“Cultural reform and service-wide change cannot be undertaken by handing out sweeping, uncontrolled powers to police chiefs to dismiss officers without following due legal process. Systemic changes in police recruitment, vetting, training, standards, and leadership are needed, but any change must be fair, considered and backed by proper evidence and not conjecture.”