New watchdog must speed up investigations

THE new policing watchdog established in January must make sure investigations take place quickly, Essex Police Federation has said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission was disbanded at the beginning of the year and replaced with the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Many of the staff remain the same, but a new leadership has been established under director general Michael Lockwood. 

Steve Taylor, Essex Police Federation Chairman, said: “The decisions in this new body need to be made quickly. In the past they have taken far too long investigating matters that do not warrant investigations. And to do so is not in the interests of justice. I would urge them to nail their colours to the mast, make their decisions, get them out there, and get them done promptly.

“I would also urge them to take on more ex-police sergeant detectives, of whatever description, because they know what they’re talking about and they’ve got a body of evidence with which to inform decisions that need to be taken’.”

He added that he was not convinced by change of name, and that the old limitations of the IPCC are likely to transfer to the new body.

He said: “They’ve just changed the façade on the front of the shop. The majority of the staff are the same. The working practices, we fear, are going to remain the same. The end result is going to be the same – namely damaging and undermining public confidence in the police at the expense of an apparently independent investigation to our alleged misdemeanours.”

Investigations in the past have taken years, Steve said, adding: “I firmly believe that they sacrifice competence and capability in an attempt to be seen to be independent, and at the end of the day the only people who suffer from that are the very communities they’re trying to reassure. The best people at investigating the police are the police. Sometimes you need a wolf to catch a wolf.

“I believe that to have a comprehensive and detailed and thorough investigation you need to understand the subject matter and, I’m sorry, you don’t get that with a background in being a store detective, thrown into dealing with experienced, career detectives. So is it any wonder they consistently get it wrong? It takes them far too long to reach the wrong conclusion.”

Steve added that their claim to independence meant they are too far removed from policing to properly understand what it is the police do.