Senior policeman says officers should be able to duck out of jobs on 'ethical' grounds

A senior policeman has sparked controversy by claiming that officers should be allowed to duck out of jobs on 'ethical' grounds.

Adrian Lee, deputy chief constable of Staffordshire police, believes officers should be given 'more scope' to avoid operations that compromise their principles.

He wants the Association of Chief Police Officers to set up an ethics committee to rule on issues involving police employees.

It would be made up of senior officers, ethical experts, academics and medics would and offer support, guidance and mentoring to staff.

His comments follow a case 18 months ago where a Muslim Metropolitan police officer wanted to be exempt from standing guard outside the Israeli Embassy.

Pc Alexander Omar Basha asked for permission to be excused after apparently telling bosses he was opposed to the Israeli bombings of Lebanon.

Mr Lee said such a case would benefit from the scrutiny of an ethics committee.

Many rank and file officers feel Mr Lee's proposals would create a "pick and choose" culture.

Mr Lee told Police Review magazine: "If somebody's values mean they would prefer not to be involved in a particular operation, there should be some scope to allow them, as long as it does not affect operational efficiency and as long as their value is not contrary to the values of the organisation.

"Policing since the beginning of the 21st century has become a really complicated piece of business.

"Inevitably there are lots of ethical dilemmas. Policing has to walk a boundary between the legal and the moral."

Mr Lee, who has degrees in philosophy and police ethics and is the ACPO spokesman on ethics, added: "Prostitution is against the law, but the tragic circumstances of some of the people we deal with mean you come across people with whom you have a lot of moral sympathy."

But Alan Gordon, vice chairman of the Police Federation, said: "I think this is a slippery slope. When police officers join the job they know it is a diverse and complex profession that they're joining.

"Policing is a very difficult profession. There are many things that police officers have to come into contact with which are outside their own beliefs and opinions.

"Nevertheless police officers are there to uphold the law and as uncomfortable as that will be at time that comes with the job.

"If we started letting people distance themselves on the grounds of their beliefs whether it be religious or otherwise it will be cause immense difficulty for the service.

"Everyone thinks immediately of religious beliefs but what if you have to police animal rights demonstrators or provide protection for hauliers that are transporting live animals abroad for slaughter and don't agree with that."

Mr Lee has sent his proposals for an ethics committee to ACPO.

He said: "It would enable ACPO to provide real leadership in this area and to anticipate and respond to new ethical challenges.

"There is no doubt in my mind that such an initiative could make a real contribution to the development of policing in England and Wales."