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| Police royal commission needed to rejuvenate confidence, says Keith Vaz | Police royal commission needed to rejuvenate confidence, says Keith Vaz |
| (8 days later) | |
| A series of police scandals and failures have caused such damage to the profession that a royal commission is needed to establish wide-ranging reforms, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee said on Sunday. | A series of police scandals and failures have caused such damage to the profession that a royal commission is needed to establish wide-ranging reforms, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee said on Sunday. |
| Keith Vaz said revelations over the way senior officers responded to the Hillsborough football stadium disaster as well as the ongoing controversy surrounding former chief whip Andrew Mitchell has left public confidence in the police at a nadir. | Keith Vaz said revelations over the way senior officers responded to the Hillsborough football stadium disaster as well as the ongoing controversy surrounding former chief whip Andrew Mitchell has left public confidence in the police at a nadir. |
| Vaz said the committee would begin an inquiry next month into police accountability, integrity, internal corruption and malpractice. | Vaz said the committee would begin an inquiry next month into police accountability, integrity, internal corruption and malpractice. |
| The Labour MP said a "new Magna Carta" was necessary to clarify the powers and responsibilities of the police. He called on David Cameron to host annual summits with senior officers. | The Labour MP said a "new Magna Carta" was necessary to clarify the powers and responsibilities of the police. He called on David Cameron to host annual summits with senior officers. |
| "What we do need is a royal commission, where the police service can tell us what they are doing and the public can explain what they want to do," he told LBC radio. This would provide "a firm set of ideas as to how we want to police", he said. | "What we do need is a royal commission, where the police service can tell us what they are doing and the public can explain what they want to do," he told LBC radio. This would provide "a firm set of ideas as to how we want to police", he said. |
| Writing in the Sunday Express, Vaz said the alleged altercation between Mitchell and police officers at the gates of Downing Street "could well have been a Christmas special script". | Writing in the Sunday Express, Vaz said the alleged altercation between Mitchell and police officers at the gates of Downing Street "could well have been a Christmas special script". |
| "The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street," he said. "Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential log book finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail." | "The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street," he said. "Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential log book finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail." |
| Vaz criticised the home secretary, Theresa May, for forcing through radical changes on the police force without engaging in proper dialogue with officers. Despite acknowledging the police forces needed to be reformed, Vaz said May's changes were "too rapid and too far-reaching". He blamed May for the low morale of the police, claiming officers feel they lack government support. | Vaz criticised the home secretary, Theresa May, for forcing through radical changes on the police force without engaging in proper dialogue with officers. Despite acknowledging the police forces needed to be reformed, Vaz said May's changes were "too rapid and too far-reaching". He blamed May for the low morale of the police, claiming officers feel they lack government support. |
| Vaz criticised the government for altering police officers' pay and conditions at the same time that they sought to implement reforms. "One of the first rules of management is to ensure that during a period of radical change you carry your workforce with you. Unfortunately this has not happened," he wrote. | Vaz criticised the government for altering police officers' pay and conditions at the same time that they sought to implement reforms. "One of the first rules of management is to ensure that during a period of radical change you carry your workforce with you. Unfortunately this has not happened," he wrote. |
| The inquiry by Vaz's committee will look into issues of police training, accountability and integrity and into the effectiveness of the processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice. | The inquiry by Vaz's committee will look into issues of police training, accountability and integrity and into the effectiveness of the processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice. |
| His comments came as a Mail on Sunday investigation found more than 23,000 police officers and staff were "moonlighting" in second jobs – a rise of almost 20% in a year. Provisional figures released to the Sunday Times by the Home Office, show crime fell 10% in 19 out of 43 force areas in England and Wales between June 2010 and June 2012 despite budget cuts of nearly 10%. | His comments came as a Mail on Sunday investigation found more than 23,000 police officers and staff were "moonlighting" in second jobs – a rise of almost 20% in a year. Provisional figures released to the Sunday Times by the Home Office, show crime fell 10% in 19 out of 43 force areas in England and Wales between June 2010 and June 2012 despite budget cuts of nearly 10%. |
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