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Met chief vows to stop rogue officers, as one ‘boasts of violent G20’
Justin Davenport24.04.09
Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson today ordered a crackdown on wrong-doing in his force, announcing a regime of “intrusive supervision” to root out rogue officers.
In an exclusive article for the Evening Standard he declared: “I will not accept inappropriate conduct by officers. The public must trust us.”
But his comments came as it emerged that a Met officer is being investigated over comments on Facebook in which he allegedly said he “couldn't wait to bash some long-haired hippies” at the G20 demonstration.
Sir Paul spoke out today as his force faces a series of investigations into allegations that officers used excessive force to handle the G20 protests in the City on 1 and 2 April. There are also claims that some officers failed to wear identification numbers.
Newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson, 47, died after an officer pushed him to the ground. The policeman has been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter over his death.
Sir Paul would not accept accusations that the Territorial Support Group — two of whose officers have been suspended for their actions — was a unit out of control.
But he announced a system of “intrusive supervision” of officers of all ranks. He said: “There are, in any organisation, supervisors who sit back or remove themselves from the front line and do not confront or challenge poor performance. I want to see more active supervision — by sergeants of often young Pcs, by inspectors and superintendents of the officers they lead and by more senior officers.”
The Commissioner, who will appear before the Home Affairs select committee next week, said the public should remember the thousands of police who “do a first class job” for Londoners. Sir Paul has spoken personally to hundreds of TSG officers and admitted the controversy has hit morale.
The Met today confirmed that an Enfield police officer was being investigated over alleged Facebook comments.
Pc Rob Ward, 27, is claimed to have posted the comment an hour after Ian Tomlinson died following rioting in the City on 1 April. His message, left at 8.17 that night, referred to the world leaders' summit taking place the next day. Mr Tomlinson's death was not known publicly at the time.
Pc Ward faces possible disciplinary action but has not been suspended.
The message — spelled incorrectly — reads: “Can't wait to bash some long haired hippys up @ the G20.” Some 20 minutes after Pc Ward posted his comment he got a reply saying: “LMAO (Laughing my a**e off). Dats bad but good in da same way lol (laugh out loud).”
In other posts Pc Ward, a father of one, boasted about being near President Barack Obama's wife Michelle during the American first couple's visit to London.
Reader views (25)
"Where are these people being recruited from?
- Wa, Oxfordshire"
Not sure, Wa. Probably the same place where the Bolivian police hired Klaus Barbie from(!)
- Polly, Cardiff
Sky is reporting that this wonderful example of the Met has been given a warning letter.
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "A PC from Enfield was today given a written warning under public conduct regulations." She confirmed the officer would face no further disciplinary action.
This must have been the fastest disciplinary hearing on record. If this is true the only letter he should have had was one containing his P45.
What an open goal for any defence solicitor or counsel when cross examining him in the witness box in the future, particularly when defending anyone arrested by him for an assault.
Discipline, what disclipine. Its all become a very sad joke now in the police service. I feel really sorry for the good guys trying to do their best when you have idiots like this, let off with nothing more than a sheet of A4 to adorn the back of the toilet door. He will probably regard it as a badge of honour amongst his like minded mates - like an ASBO is now regarded by the yobs.
Glad my 30+ years finished in the police when it did!
- Brian Gare, Norfolk Gorleston
I blame their parents. They could have at least sent them all to school.
Studying the differences between a hippy and a copper seems to me to be a lack of education and life experiences.
I will elaborate more; when I finally find out the difference between both groups.
But in general; they are like twins under the skin really; both love attention.
- Mickyinlondon, london
Find me a member of the police who CAN spell and I'll tell you his name - Sting.
- Geoff, london, uk
I'm a PC with 18 years service in the Met Police working in a fairly rough inner London borough. I have to admit I'm stunned by this one, as are more than a few of my colleagues. I've found myself in the position recently of having to defend the service a little more than usual in the light of the G20 incidents - I generally find that the majority of the people I've spoken to are willing to accept that there are actually still a lot of good people in this line of work. Coupled with the recent trsgic deaths of two Met officers over the last few days, I can't say that this fella has done us any favours. I've found myself thinking "did we just drag this bloke off the street, give him a uniform and tell him to get on with it?". So cheers mate, you've just made the job that little bit more difficult for the rest of us.
- Steve, Essex
The trouble with leadership in Police services today, especially the Met, is they don't actually know what they are doing. Too much Bramshill b*ll*cks and not enough beat pounding. Before PACE ruined policing the Judges' Rules with our police, all ex National Service, actually rose through the ranks by hard work and good results. Now the only result you need for the fast track is a degree - anything will do, probably 2.2 is good or at a stretch a 3 (or an HNC) or perhaps an NVQ in bullsh*tt*ng. They don't inspire moral amongst decent officers and to be honest I'd sonner see Miner Strike type policing at demos rather than this mamby-pamby pc, knicker wetting, sandle wearing apology for public order nonsense we see today. Trouble is the officers aren't even supported from above like they used to be.
And who's in charge of this........that's right a load of graduates who don't know their ar*e from their elbow. Keep whacking chaps, proper public order means clean streets. Most respectable members of public support you even if your guv'nors are iffy.
- Paul, London
Perhaps raising the bar a bit might be a good idea for a 21st century police force. A minimum qualification of a University degree might be a good idea.
- Ola, London
- Graham, Fleet
"Respect is earned and not given"
Your right, and it is very difficult to respect somebody who shouting filthy abuse in your face ie: Madam Fisher from Brighton. Or indeed throwing a Molotov cocktail at you setting you on fire.
You don't demand respect through violence. Violence should be met with very firm preventative action.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
I thought lol meant ..lots of love, no wonder ive been getting it wrong for years.
- Rosie, watford
Brian, people who joined after WW2 would have left the service in 1975. Your argument doesn't stand up. Sir Paul has come out in support of his troops far too late. He has already lost it. He should resign.
- Malcolm, South London.
"The lack of repect by the general public is also appalling. " says Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kilburn, London UK.
Respect is earned and not given - like trust which is built up gradually but can be destroyed in a moment. The police had our trust but have repeatedly destroyed it and so have little respect in society. maybe they could stick to the law and respect society to whom they are servants and then maybe trust and respect will be rebuilt ?
- Graham, Fleet
Rob says "sack them all", what a great idea! So you sack them today, then you recruit some more, which will take 28 days notice from current job. Then 20 weeks training (by reading a book because you have sacked everyone), then 5-10 weeks of one to one tuition (but you can't because you have sacked them). So the country is without Police for over six months. Great idea Rob, got any more?
- Gary, London
To Nic Nac Paddy Mac, l feel you need to really open your eyes and look at how things really are, the people in america in some areas have got complete comtempt for their police ,they rant and rave when a crime is committed and ask why nothing is down, how can that happen when the police are doing the investigating are given no help by the very people who want the crime solved, with the old adage, L do not want to get involved, yet it has been proved that many a time these people have the answer to the said crime, meanwhile our police it seems from the recent debacle are now more like the cops were in usa some years back, brutal and bullies, l for one do not like what our boys in blue are now like, what happened to the standards that we used to have,now anyone can get in even people with dodgy backgrounds,are no checks ever carried out. l have a story l could tell about a spg policeman l knew during the printers strike,he was a nasty man,not police material at all. and he was a wife beater -thats how l came into contact with him.l believe he was kicked out eventually,all coppers who are like that should be sacked RIGHT NOW,all pensions rights gone,but l feel for their families,they are the ones who are really punished,some bad ones need a term in prison then they will hopefully reform,won't hold me breath though.
- Meg,Former Essex Girl, merthyr,south wales
Yes, Rob the right to protest is unalienable but there is no right to protest with violence or to protest and bring the middle of London to a standstill costing millions of pounds to businesses and the taxpayer. Nor is there an unalienable right to protest and cite that you will use violence not only against the police but against people who work in the City. I stayed at home that day out of fear of being attacked - what happened to my right to go about my daily life without fear of violence?
The protest on the weekend before April 1st is a clear example of the right enshrined in our democracy, the protest on April 1st was not.
- Mikkiduk, London, UK
Back in 1973 it would have been unheard of for any officer to act in such a childish and unprofessional manner. Over the years change in the police service has been necessary, to meet the needs of a changing society. Nevertheless, immature officers like PC Ward are in the minority. The days of Sgt. Dixon at Dock Green have long gone, but in order to re-establish the respect between police and public that we had in those days the misfits must be weeded out. Idiots like PC Ward tarnish what is still the best police service in the world.
- John E., Northants UK
I agree with Rob. I also feel the police have their hands bound by political correctness eg. Work a demonstration where people will be attacking and provoking the police, however, use force to contain them and you will be treated like an outcast and investigated to be fired: Policde can carry guns yet if they use one in a situation of life or death; the officer will be investigated to be fired and treated like an outcast, not just by the police but by the media too. The police do not give its officers the support or tools to police in the 21st century and why anyone would join them is beyond me. The lack of repect by the general public is also appalling. When visiting America I was amazed by the respect police officers have from the public and the support they have from their police force, its a shame we can not replicate this in the UK.
- Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kilburn, London UK
Given the economic hardship and swinging cuts in public expenditure joe public is likely to face in the near to mid term future, there will undoubtedly be room for massive social unrest. The police need to recognise their role is to protect the public and not just the ruling elite: they are a force of and for democracy. The right to protest is unalienable and the police must uphold it or face the dire consequences of loss of public support for them.
- Rob, London
@Wa
Where do you _think_ they're being recruited from? Answer: from the same places as every other organisation in the country recruits from - the people of GB. Or is it your view that nobody from some god-forsaken estate in (eg) Peckham should ever be allowed to join the police? The problem lies not with the place from which they are recruited, but in the internal culture of _some_ areas of the Met
- Robert, Chiswick, UK
Unfortunately, on both sides of the "pond", police work does attract a minority of tough-guy types who take perverse pleasure in pushing others around. That comment acknowledged, I certainly wouldn't want to be without the police in our drug-infested, crime-ridden society. I firmly support the decent, respectable officers who strive to perform their difficult jobs well. As another poster (Brian) stated, a close examination of the selection process is requisite. Too many storm-trooper types are getting in.
I visited in London for two weeks in March. One afternoon (March 25, I believe) I planned to attend an afternoon service at St. Paul's Cathedral. For some reason, the cathedral had been closed, and a bevy of police officers surrounded the church. Ignorant tourist that I was, I didn't know what was transpiring, and I started to ascend the cathedral steps--the better to attend a Christian worship service. Suddenly a police officer yelled at me viciously, with a facial expression that showed abject hatred. I would willingly have left the steps with a polite, respectful comment, such as "Sir, will you please come down off the steps? The cathedral is presented closed."
Except for hardened criminal types, I think that most of us would respond positively to polite, restrained correction. Police on both sides of the Atlantic should invariably attempt a courteous approach first--then utilise a much firmer yet fair approach if truly required.
- Steve, Kansas, USA
Clearly PC Ward is an immature idiot, and most definitely not someone I would have any confidence in to protect society. Whether or not this man has what has been described by a correspondent as a "bundle" of educational certificates, it seems that he has a very poor grasp of written Engish grammar. What is he doing in the Police Force, after all there is a requirement to compile accurate and understandable reports?
- Neil45, Gloucestershire, England.
Where are these people being recruited from?
- Wa, Oxfordshire
Sack the lot of them - from the top down - and start again.
I think it will be an uphill struggle indeed for any reformation of the Metropolitan Police.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe/Lancaster
Brian is so right. We recruit police officers into and organisation based on 19th century principles and ask them to police a 21st century society. The force is out of touch with its citizens and in lag of its needs. We need a new broom, and Sir Paul is proving to be an old brush.
- Rob, London
He says: " There are, in any organisation, supervisors who sit back or remove themselves from the front line and do not confront or challenge poor performance." No, Sir Paul, in some organisations there are not. In the armed forces those in the chain of command cannot remove themselves, they are responsible for the conduct and actions of those they command and they maintain standards through leadership not solely 'management' which is the technique on which police forces have come to rely. Promoting managers effective at one level does not make them leaders or even good managers at the next level up.
- Peter Haldane, London
Says it all really doesn`t it. The police service takes anyone nowadays providing they are breathing. Ours used to be the envey of the world. The real problem is we have supervisors with bundles of A levels and degrees who lack basic commonsense and back bone. They want to be everyones mate; but that is not what a supervisor is all about. The service has long lost those who joined after being demobbed at the end of WW2 - who were used to discipline and handling men. They trained their officers in their like; but now unfortunately we have the results of our current education system. People who have been constantly told they are better than they are and where self discipline and responsibity is a totally foreign concept. Sir Paul needs to take a hard look at his selection process. You do not need bundles of certificates to be a good police officer. You need commonsense and a desire to treat the job as wanting to do good and serving the community you police in the way you would want to be treated. Not acting like yobs and letting down the many good officers. Sir Paul has an uphill struggle to root out these people; but sacking them is his only option.
- Brian Gare, Norfolk Gorleston
