National Federation reacts to Met axing Chief Inspectors

OFFICERS across England and Wales have been left “discernibly concerned” for the future following the Metropolitan Police Service’s decision to axe the rank of chief inspector, the Police Federation has said.

The force has announced that it will phase out the ranks of commander and chief inspector by summer 2018. A chief superintendent will therefore be promoted straight to deputy assistant commissioner, and there will be a single inspecting rank.

The Met says the move will reduce the “layers of hierarchy”, giving officers more freedom to make decisions by themselves with less time spent on upwards briefing.

However, Andy Fittes, General Secretary for the Police Federation of England and Wales, warned that “removing ranks does not remove workload”.

Tasks and responsibilities will need to be shared across the other ranks, he said, including inspectors, adding additional work to an “often already unmanageable” amount.

“The Metropolitan Police Service decision to remove the federated rank of chief inspector leaves our members in all forces across England and Wales discernibly concerned about what the future holds,” said Mr Fittes.

“The decision leaves many questions unanswered, including whether proper process has been followed, something we are looking into closely. We need to fully understand the implications and how this will impact on our members in all forces.”

The Met says a pilot, which has been running in Westminster, has “already shown that streamlining leadership can lead to more effective decision-making”.

Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey said: “The Met has always adapted to the challenges of making London the safest global city. This change will allow more agile decision-making and better communication as we transform ourselves for the challenges of policing in a digital age.”

He added that he was “hugely grateful” to all the officers at commander and chief inspector rank and said the force would “continue to value their commitment to the organisation while we introduce a new structure that is right for the changing demands on policing”.