Dismore speaks out over senior police staff replacements
PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE: 5/7/12
Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member for Camden and Barnet spoke against the Mayor’s proposal to replace the two most senior members of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime with the head of the London Assembly staff, during the debate after Mayor’s Question time on 4th July.
The proposal, which arose out of the sudden and precipitous departure of the Chief and deputy Chief Executive of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime last week, was defeated in the Assembly.
Mr Dismore said:
“This was an outrageous suggestion. We have had no explanation from the Mayor or anyone else as to why these two senior officers both left at once, and so soon after the Assembly criticised the Deputy Mayor for policing for having instructed the Police Commissioner not to attend the Police Committee of the Assembly. I suspect they have both been given large payoffs, with a gagging clause to prevent them saying what happened.
The problem is entirely of the Mayor’s own making and makes the succession planning of Barclay’s Bank look a model of efficiency.
There was no indication of how long the secondment would be for, and to have the civilian head of the Police Office also the same person who is head of the organisation whose job it is to hold that Office to account is a clear and unacceptable conflict of interest.
No thought was given to any alternatives, for example approaching the Home Office or HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for temporary placements.
This is no way to run a police service facing the biggest cuts under this Conservative Mayor and Government in its history.”
