Things they said, we didn't fucking believe!
In March 1998, *Jack Straw, the then Home Secretary said:
"there is great public concern over cases
where police officers retired due to ill health before disciplinary proceedings
against them could be completed."
"I plan to introduce a system of fast-track
dismissal, and police officers under investigation will not be allowed
to retire early on health grounds."
"A corrosive minority of bad officers" must
not be allowed to undermine standards."
===================
From todays 'Telegraph' Tuesday 11th December 2001
Death raid police chief retires early: By John Steele, Crime Correspondent
A senior police officer who authorised a raid
on a house in which a naked, unarmed man (James Ashley) was shot dead
has retired at the age of 43 on a medical pension thought to be worth
more than £30,000 a year.
Mark Jordan, the deputy chief constable of Sussex,
had been suspended on full pay since Feb 1999. His departure means disciplinary
charges against him will be dropped.
Mr Jordan, who will leave in January next year,
was removed from duty over his role in the storming of the house in St
Leonards, East Sussex, in Jan 1988.
The Police Authority yesterday denied any suggestion
that Mr Jordan had been allowed to retire to "escape" discipline,
saying it had "unequivocal" evidence - from Mr Jordan and its
own experts - which justified a medical retirement.
==========================
Back ground;
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=80433
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4211893,00.html
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*Straw made this statement after a highly critical report on corruption
within the police force, by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee
in January 1998.
The committee chairman, Chris Mullin, insisted that reform had long been
needed to deal with the few corrupt officers who were damaging the service
as a whole.
"There is no doubt a small minority of officers, with I am sorry
to say the backing of the Police Federation and its extremely skillful
lawyers, have effectively subverted the system by exploiting every conceivable
loophole."
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