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Blair has bred a generation of career cops, says Ghaffur
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent08.12.08
SCOTLAND Yard's top echelons have come under fresh attack from the senior police officer at the centre of a race battle with former commissioner Sir Ian Blair.
Tarique Ghaffur accused "career policemen" of being "serial fraudsters" more interested in management than traditional policing.
The former assistant commissioner left the Met with a £280,000 pay-out in return for dropping a race and age discrimination claim he brought against Sir Ian.
But in an article in which Mr Ghaffur launched a savage attack on his former boss, he also claimed the top levels of Scotland Yard had been damaged by his regime.
Mr Ghaffur, who was the country's highest ranking Asian officer, accused his former boss of being a "terrifically arrogant man".
He said: "He has bred a generation of officers who, like him, are focused on fulfilling performance targets.
"This new breed of career cop secures one job and then immediately starts plotting their next promotion - they are nothing more than serial fraudsters.
"Sadly those who are simply too busy saving lives and solving crime are overlooked."
He claimed that under Sir Ian, Scotland Yard had become bogged down with systems, processes and procedures.
"Instead of being visible in our communities, we were all in meetings."
Mr Ghaffur said Sir Ian was guilty of two things: "First, that he transformed the Yard into a corporation, almost too busy running itself to fight crime; and second, he politicised the force, putting it in the pocket of New Labour."
He also warned that the security budget for the 2012 Olympics needs to be doubled if it is to be safe from terrorist attack. Mr Ghaffur said he was sidelined from the job after challenging the £600 million that was originally allocated for security, describing it as "patently plucked out of thin air". He said he believed the budget should actually be £1.2 billion.
Reader views (23)
The police forces of the UK have no system for identifying and then nurturing and training their future leaders (HM Inspectorate of Constabulary). The result is that their are being led by managers who mange to climb the greasy pole and real leaders only emerge by accident. They were warned about this by Trenchard in the 1920s but chose to follow the mangerial route where most people get promoted to a level one above that of their natural competence.
- Peter Haldane, London
"This new breed of career cop secures one job and then immediately starts plotting their next promotion - they are nothing more than serial fraudsters."
I cannot believe this is coming out of his own mouth. Someone who was fast tracked because of his colour and creed.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Entirely agree with Ranter - Ghaffur spent years, both in Lancashire and the Met, being a willing participant in doing whatever it took to climb the ladder as fast as possible. Not once have we heard him critcise the 'meetings culture' or the obsession with cosying up to the government of the day and their ridiculous targets. Now he has his dishonestly obtained payout instead of refusing it and insisting on his day in court. A man of true principal and concern for other minority officers would have refused the money and let justice run its course. Shame on the met / home office for paying him out.
- Donut, Lancs, UK
Wonderful, yet another washed up has-been, or rather never was, senior officer spouting drivel while forgetting that they whored themselves to the very system they now decry. Only this chap is even more contemptible because he’s biting the hand that paid him off.
He should take his money, keep his mouth shut and behave with more dignity in retirement that he did when in the service.
- Gary, london
Sadly, although Tarique Ghaffur's comments have a large strand of truth running through them, his personal credibility is virtually non-existent and very few people will take any notice. Interesting also that he expresses a view on the funding of Olympic 2012 Security - anyone that knows him will see this for what it is - a thinly veiled attempt to get himself a lucrative consultancy contract. Over promoted and under skilled, Tarique is no loss to policing.
- Exmetacpo, London, UK
Yes and Tarique Ghaffur is the biggest serial fraudster of them all.
- Dan, KENT
Ghaffur is the epitome of the career cop. He didnt get the top job so goes in a huff, throws a strop and accuses everyone of racism. To top it all off, he then moans about career cops. It is hypocrisy of the highest order.
To hell with you sir.
- Politico, Edinburgh, UK
What Ghaffur says is generally rot in my eye. He has milked the cow of the Metopolitan Police and as someone who has not milked a thing I feel that he has let the ethnic minority of the Force down by going on again and again like a scratched record. As for scheming and plotting the next rank, he should know a thing or two about that the cheeky so an so!
- Jonathan Clinch, enfield and wales
What the man says is true, without doubt, but his antics prior to being sidelined kinda dilute the message. This smacks of someone trying to belatedly mend an image rather than a concerned individual speaking out against a wrong.
- Rogan, Irving
Of course, Mr Ghaffur has not a trace of arrogance...presumably he will now be chosen to head some organisation that defends Asians against any kind criticism?
- Jonathan Montmorency, cooden, uk
Ghaffur is so funny he could do 'stand up'. So what a pity his main gripe was not given a chance to stand up in court!
- Stevew, Birmingham UK
Now that Tarique Ghaffur has lost his job is there any chance that he will lose his working visa and be deported? This happened to me and many other English people working in the Middle East. Oh yes, there was no charity to support us, either Islamic or Christian, as will keep a roof over poor Tariques head.
- Fred, Horsham
sour grapes anyone?
- Liberal Thinker, UK
Nsy and James - don't shoot the messenger. Ot at least not for the belated message, that he can only now deliver because he doesn't work for them any more. True, a man of greater principle would have resigned years ago, but he's hardly alone in preferring to keep his job and staying quiet.
- Nigel, London
Mr Ghaffur please go away. You are one of those people on the make and you certainly succeeded there. Enjoy your huge pay-out which we are paying for. The last thing we need from you is lecturing.
- Daniel, London
Crime fighters need not bother applying.
- Alastair J S Adams, Worcester Park, Surrey
As if we didn't know.
- Andrew, hampton, UK
Did Mr Ghaffur reach the rank of Assistant Commissioner by saving lives and solving crime?
- Peter Jones, London
Did he really say: "This new breed of career cop secures one job and then immediately starts plotting their next promotion - they are nothing more than serial fraudsters"? Isn't that what one normally finds at the top of every organisation? Not "fraudsters", just very ambitious and able people, just like Mr Ghaffur.
- Haskey, London SE1
Quite so Mr Gaffhur and I suspect you are one of those carreerists.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
Tarique was once head of the Mets Specialist Crime Directorate as an Assistant Commissioner he WAS one of those people he is referring to. As a member of Management Board he could have made a difference , but did not another butterfly flitting from post to post - only interested in himself - good bye Tarique - shut up and go away.
- Nsy, London, England
Tarique Ghaffur is absolutely correct that the police are "bogged down with systems, processes and procedures". But is not only the police where this is rife. This culture mirrors what is happening in the NHS, and all government functions. As long as the procedures are in place that is what matters, actually doing the job takes second place.
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston, London
What Mr Ghaffur says about Ian Blair is common knowledge. He says nothing new. His account published over the weekend in The Daily Mail was stilted and at times resembled a police National Competency Framework Application. No one actually speaks like that normally. His concerns were widely shared within the service and without and had he stood up he would have had a lot of support. He didn't, he took the easy route - alleging racism. Nice try Tariq, if you really had wanted to make a difference there would have been many there to support you and the end to your career could have been so different, but you simply came across as another litigious chancer especially as you allied yourself to the discredited Ali Dizaei. What you say here is absolutely spot on - but why didn't you say these things when you were in a position of power, you could have been a force for good and have brought unity among front line officers by engaging more with the Police Federation and not the divisive BPA. The police service wants chief officers with views like yours - but IN SERVICE not when they are made after retirement. Enjoy the pension, have a rest and please, shut up! You had your chance.
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
