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Metropolitan Police commissioner keeps his distance from the press Metropolitan Police commissioner keeps his distance from the press
(4 months later)
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is not an inspiring orator. He is also clearly cautious to a catatonic fault. The London Press Club – hundreds of Fleet Street's finest – invited him to address its annual award ceremony last week: a prime opportunity to talk about the deep freeze in police-press relations and the vexing problem of arrests that apparently can't be reported until charges follow. Since five different journalists got prizes for work on the Savile saga, rape, paedophilia, blind eyes and silence were naturally on the agenda.Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is not an inspiring orator. He is also clearly cautious to a catatonic fault. The London Press Club – hundreds of Fleet Street's finest – invited him to address its annual award ceremony last week: a prime opportunity to talk about the deep freeze in police-press relations and the vexing problem of arrests that apparently can't be reported until charges follow. Since five different journalists got prizes for work on the Savile saga, rape, paedophilia, blind eyes and silence were naturally on the agenda.
The Metropolitan Police commissioner began by talking tactfully about the immediacy and power of journalism, the need of the public to be better informed. But then? Only a statistical ethnic log – Wikipedia-plus – of how difficult London is to police. Nothing whatsoever about the agenda. And the message, alas, was clear. Not only do nervous police, at the lowest level, not want to engage with journalists: that's the situation at the highest level, too. You in your small, information-denuded corner, I in mine. What a shame that nobody mentions the needs of the public.The Metropolitan Police commissioner began by talking tactfully about the immediacy and power of journalism, the need of the public to be better informed. But then? Only a statistical ethnic log – Wikipedia-plus – of how difficult London is to police. Nothing whatsoever about the agenda. And the message, alas, was clear. Not only do nervous police, at the lowest level, not want to engage with journalists: that's the situation at the highest level, too. You in your small, information-denuded corner, I in mine. What a shame that nobody mentions the needs of the public.
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