PCC: Claims of inappropriate practices ‘politically motivated’

RESPONSE: Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison. Pictures by Tom Arran

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison has said claims of “inappropriate practices” in his office are “politically motivated”.

The Hull Story exclusively revealed this week that four MPs have written a joint letter to Susan Whittaker, Chair of the Humberside Police and Crime Panel, expressing concern about allegations of “inappropriate practices” in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and an “unprofessional and inappropriate culture” within the Humberside Police executive team.

In the letter, Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy, Hull East MP Karl Turner, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn and Scunthorpe MP Sir Nicholas Dakin claim officers and staff of all levels have expressed a lack of confidence in the OPCC and the executive team.

Humberside Police is currently being temporarily headed by Judi Heaton following the sudden retirement in June of former Chief Constable Paul Anderson, who is being investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) over alleged misconduct.

The PCC is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account over the force’s performance, whilst the Police and Crime Panel’s responsibilities include scrutinising the actions and decisions of the PCC.

The news of the MPs’ letter was broken on the same day Humberside Police were praised in a largely positive ‘PEEL’ inspection report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

However, the report summary by Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer also expressed concern over the recent change in leadership, which happened after the inspection was carried out.

Now, Mr Evison has responded to the claims made by the MPs in their letter, in which they also call for the interviews for the next permanent Chief Constable to be carried out independently of the PCC.

UNDER INVESTIGATION: Paul Anderson

In a lengthy statement released to The Hull Story, he said: “Reflecting on the letter from local Labour MPs to the Police and Crime Panel, this is clearly politically motivated.

“Whilst voted in as a Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, I swore an oath of impartiality to ensure that whilst in the role I would not be drawn into party politics, an oath I take seriously. 

“I wrote only yesterday to all MPs to provide them with an update on the outstanding HMICFRS PEEL report and ongoing excellent performance of the force.

“This puts Humberside as the top performing police force in the country for a second time running. This is down to the hard work of staff, officers and volunteers. I have not been approached directly by any MPs for them to express concerns around the leadership or performance of the force. 

“The letter from Labour MPs demonstrates a general lack of understanding of the appointment process for a Chief Constable.

“I have a great team that work alongside the College of Policing to design a robust process and am supported by four external members for the recruitment panel. The process is very much transparent and subject to independent scrutiny, not only by my monitoring officer, but by the independent members of the panel that provide a full report to the Police and Crime Panel.

“The letter suggests that there are police officers who have concerns about the leadership of Humberside Police who may be engaging with politicians to share these concerns. I want to remind people of the processes in place for raising concerns or allegations of misconduct.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner is the appropriate authority for receiving any concerns, allegations of misconduct or complaints in relation to the Chief Constable of Humberside Police. 

INSPECTION: Humberside Police is ‘the top performing police force in the country’

“The Chief Constable of Humberside Police is the appropriate authority for dealing with any concerns or allegations of misconduct regarding any other member of Humberside Police staff or officers. The Professional Standards Department coordinate this activity on behalf of the Chief Constable. They also handle any complaints against the force.

“I want to remind you that allegations of misconduct are currently being investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct in relation to the former Chief Constable and this remains a live investigation.”

Humberside Police Federation, which represents PCs, sergeants and inspectors, has also made a statement claiming the force’s executive team has been “openly dismissive” about concerns raised in the HMICFRS report.

It said: “We feel the excellent hard work being undertaken by our members across Humberside is being undermined by the inability of the executive leadership team to accept or learn from constructive criticism and feedback.”

Mr Evison said: “I am aware of the statements that have been released by Humberside Police Federation and the Superintendents’ Association.

“I am disappointed that officers have felt the need to raise concerns in this way. I am reaching out to all staff associations to encourage open dialogue with my office, so I am able to hold the Chief Constable to account from an informed position.

“I personally engage with officers and staff of all ranks in my role and have heard nothing but praise for the Interim Chief Constable and the positive impact she has had on the Chief Officer Team.

‘CHALLENGING PERIOD: Judi Heaton

“I would encourage all associations to inform their members of the appropriate routes to raise concerns and to have patience in the investigative process that follows.

“I want Humberside Police to be a high performing organisation with a positive and engaged workforce focused on delivery to the public.

“I will always work hard to ensure that the force is the best it can be and hold the Chief Constable accountable to the public for the services delivered.”

In response to a request for comment about the claims in the MPs’ letter, Humberside Police sent the following statement from Ms Heaton: “I welcome the report and the outstanding and good gradings, that are the most awarded to any force in the UK, and personally want to reiterate this is a true credit to all officers, staff and volunteers who have contributed and played their part in this achievement. It truly is a team effort.

“We have been and continue to go through a challenging period, nevertheless, we do have exceptionally strong leadership at all levels and my role is to ensure I provide a steadiness and assurance across the force and to our stakeholders and partners, who I have been and will be personally updating over the next few days.

“Everyone is valued and their opinions matter, and I welcomed all feedback on the latest inspection report from officers and staff, and I retain this position and encourage anyone who feels anxious or affected to know they will be supported and treated with the utmost sensitivity.      

“We will never be complacent and we are determined we will succeed in continuing to provide our communities with the exceptional level of service they deserve from their police force.”