Conclusions
1. We welcome the Independent Review of the Police
Federation. We commend the outgoing Chair of the Federation, Steve
Williams, for initiating the Review, which has the potential to
become the springboard for far-reaching reforms which will benefit
both the Federation's members and the wider community of policing.
(Paragraph 6)
2. Reports of systematic bullying within the
senior echelons of the Police Federation are shocking. The police
officer's duty to act with fairness, integrity, diligence and
impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according
equal respect to all people, applies equally to those who serve
the police family as officers of the Federation, yet it appears
that standards of behaviour within the Federation have consistently
fallen well short of those the public, as well as their fellow
officers, are entitled to expect from police officers. (Paragraph
15)
3. MR GAUNT
CYNICALLY SOUGHT
TO EXPLOIT
THE "PLEBGATE"
INCIDENT—OVER
WHICH, SO
FAR, ONE
OFFICER HAS
BEEN SENT
TO JAIL
AND THREE
OTHERS HAVE
BEEN DISMISSED—AS
PART OF
A MANIPULATIVE
MEDIA STRATEGY
WHICH INCLUDED
WHAT HE
DESCRIBED AS
"BLITZKRIEG" AND
"GUERRILLA" TACTICS.
THREE OF
THE OFFICERS
WHOM MR
GAUNT ADVISED
ARE NOW
UNDER INVESTIGATION
BY THE
IPCC AS A
RESULT OF
THEIR ACTIONS.
THIS ENTIRE
EPISODE DOES
THE FEDERATION
NO CREDIT
AT ALL.
IT MUST
THINK MUCH
MORE CAREFULLY
IN THE
FUTURE ABOUT
THE NATURE
OF ITS
PUBLIC CAMPAIGNING
AND ITS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
ADVICE. WE
DO NOT
THINK THAT
THIS CONTRACT
WAS APPROPRIATE,
AND DO
NOT THINK
THE WORK
OF THE
GAUNT BROTHERS
HELPED THE
POLICE. INDEED,
THE CONSEQUENCE
WAS A
LOWERING OF
THE REPUTATION
FOR THE
POLICE. (PARAGRAPH
16)
4. THE CASE
FOR REFORM
OF THE
POLICE FEDERATION
HAS BEEN
POWERFULLY MADE.
THE NORMINGTON
REPORT PRESENTS
A SENSIBLE,
BALANCED AND
PROPORTIONATE PACKAGE
OF REFORM
WHICH, IF
IMPLEMENTED, WILL
HELP THE
ORGANISATION TO
MOVE FORWARD,
TO RESTORE
ITS DAMAGED
REPUTATION, AND
TO RE-FOCUS
ON THE
CORE BUSINESS
OF REPRESENTING
THE INTERESTS
OF ITS
MEMBERS. WE
COMMEND IT
TO THE
2014 POLICE FEDERATION
ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
(PARAGRAPH 24)
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