Cleveland Police Chief Resigns

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-46946040

[Inspector Knacker]

'Kleveland Keystone Konstabulary'. I feel sorry for the ordinary coppers.

[Land Phil]

'Kleveland Keystone Konstabulary'. I feel sorry for the ordinary coppers.

If you can find one.

[Inspector Knacker]

P.C. Pimpernel.

They seek him  here,
they seek him  there.
They seek policemen everywhere.
Are they up the Manor or Seaton Carew,
You'd best let us know, cos we ain't got a clue.

[fred c]

Coppinger was being quizzed on the resignation on Look North, he was asked if he would resign.... "I have no intention of resigning".....Ben Houchem has called for him to resign, but i suppose the salary would be a difficult one to match.

[Inspector Knacker]

I have yet to understand why we need a Police Commisioner.
What is his experience of policing and why bring a politician in to oversee the organisation?
To me it's like the Healthwatch job, how can a politician have the experience to oversee such an organisation when surely someone with a medical background would be necessary?

[jeffh]

I have yet to understand why we need a Police Commisioner.
What is his experience of policing and why bring a politician in to oversee the organisation?
To me it's like the Healthwatch job, how can a politician have the experience to oversee such an organisation when surely someone with a medical background would be necessary?

By the turn out at the PC elections most of the electorate agree with you

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Coppinger must be an easy target for replacement.
Houchen has been very outspoken, I wouldn't be surprised to see a strong challenge from somebody associated with him.

[Inspector Knacker]

Dear Mr Coppinger,
                            What exactly do you actually do?
                   
                                                  Yours sincerely. 
                                                             Inspector Knacker

[Bluenose]

it shows the quality of the recruitment and interview process . have to agree  what does a pcc actually do

[diSme]

Finding out what the 'job' actually entails is a really valid question.
It would appear to be a figurehead type position on the surface, to me at least.

I'd be very interested to hear further information regarding what functions the person in this position actually performs...

[DRiddle]

You can read up on what they actually do here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_and_crime_commissioner

It pretty much works like this:

- Get elected.
- Produce a policing and crime plan for their area (outline targets, resources, staffing, performance measures etc.)
- Control the purse strings on the money allocated for your force from Whitehall and set the precept in the council tax bill
- Report on how things are going to a local panel
- Swear an oath of political impartiality (even though you've been put forward as a candidate for the job by a political party).

In reality of course, it's turned out more like this locally:

- Get elected.
- Produce the plan.
- Appoint a Chief constable under investigation for serious allegations.
- Reduce boots on the ground police offers in Hartlepool to 10.
- Essentially close Hartlepool police station.
- Make the national headlines as local residents patrol their own streets in the early hours of the morning.
- Accept the resignation of said Chief constable under investigation for serious allegations (the one you appointed).
- Refuse to resign yourself when recommended to do so by the authorities Mayor citing ""I think we have made quite a bit of progress in recent years in terms of taking the force forward".

In fairness, it's an impossible job in light of cuts of 21,000 officers nationally and major budget cuts from the government.

My view is, this was basically a Tory policy which means in all likelihood it's a long game wrapped up in neo-liberalism. It's an early step in a long road marketization and potentially even full privatization in all but name. The police and crime commissioner is basically playing at the CEO role albeit on much lower wages than a proper CEO. In putting the person in post you've created accountability, taken the direct responsibility for any failure to manage crime statistics away from the government (remember a PCC cannot 'blame the government' as he or she is politically impartial) and set up a system which lends itself to 'efficiencies' (cuts).

Classic Tory policy.

Even more depressingly, Hartlepool has a Labour PCC in a Labour Heartland . . .  under a Tory government.

The situation will get a lot worse before it gets better.

[mk1]

It appears he was a bit of a loony who believes in SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse) and is a danger to mobile phones. The dirty details are here:

https://hoaxteadresearch.wordpress.com/2019/01/22/mike-veale-resigns-following-allegations-of-serious-misconduct/comment-page-1/#comment-129673

[Hartlepudlion]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/1b842ef8-1e94-11e9-bcfa-eb6ef536f22f

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/1b842ef8-1e94-11e9-bcfa-eb6ef536f22f

How very strange.