Police disciplinary hearings could be held in public, says Theresa May

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/22/police-disciplinary-hearings-public-theresa-may

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A major shakeup of the police complaints and disciplinary system, including proposals to hold police disciplinary hearings in public, has been announced by the home secretary, Theresa May.

Major General Clive "Chip" Chapman will conduct a short review of the police disciplinary system to make it clearer, more independent and "public-focused", May said.

May told MPs that she wanted to introduce a range of new measures to protect police "whistleblowers" who identify corruption in the ranks and a new annual inspection regime that looks at the "legitimacy of a force in the eyes of the public" as well as its effectiveness.

Detailing the package the home secretary told MPs that she believed the "vast majority of police officers in this country do their job honestly and with integrity".

But she said that this "good work" was in danger of being damaged by the continuing revelations of police misconduct including on stop and search, on the poor response to domestic violence and on the need for "top to bottom" reform of the Police Federation itself.

The home secretary also said she wanted to continue the introduction of "direct entry" to the police, which already applies at the inspector and superintendent levels, by undertaking a review of whether the most senior ranks can also be opened up to candidates from different backgrounds.

She said that in London there had already been 595 applications for between five and 10 direct entry superintendent posts, with 26% of the applicants from a black or minority ethnic background compared to only 8.6% of traditional recruits.

But she said she also wanted more fundamental reforms of the police disciplinary system and the police complaints system and new protections for whistleblowers.

They include:

• The Chapman review of police discipline, to be followed by a public consultation later in the year – the home secretary said she wanted to hold disciplinary hearings in public to improve transparency and justice.

• A review of the entire police complaints system, which will look at making the system more independent and more focused on local resolution of complaints, and plan to introduce a simpler appeals system.

• New proposals to protect police whistleblowers including introducing "sealed investigations", which prevent both force and suspects from knowing they are under investigation.

• Annual inspections of forces to include a measure of "legitimacy of each force in the eyes of the public" as well as its effectiveness.

May told MPs: "Together these measures represent a substantial overhaul of the systems that hold police officers to account. They will build on our radical programme of police reform. And they will help ensure that police honesty and integrity are protected, and corruption and misconduct rooted out."

But the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said May had announced three reviews and a consultation rather than strong reforms. "The home secretary's reviews are too little too late. She needs to get on with reforms that work," she said.