Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

A senior Tory has suggested officers should have their actions recorded as he called for an inquiry into police culture in the wake of the Plebgate row.

Former shadow home secretary David Davis said police should wear a small camera and microphone to record all contact with the public.

Mr Davis, writing in The Times, claimed there was a "crisis of ethics" in the service and that the controversial move would help rebuild a "decline in public trust".

His call came as three officers caught up in the row, as well as their chief constables and representatives of the police watchdog, were preparing to give evidence to MPs.

Mr Davis said: "The police put millions of innocent people under surveillance in order to catch a tiny minority of wrongdoers. Perhaps now it is time to make officers wear a camera and microphone while on duty.

"When they tried this in California, use of force by police officers dropped by two-thirds in a year. This technology could also help to defend police officers who have vexatious claims made against them."

Andrew Mitchell said he met with the officers to "clear the air"

:: Watch the Home Affairs Select Committee live on Sky at 2.45pm

Mr Davis also called for a more powerful Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which should become a British "Untouchables", able to investigate without obstruction and "overrule every chief of police in the land".

He said: "Britain needs root-and-branch reform of policing culture, a feat beyond the powers of even a powerful independent regulator.

"The Government should appoint a Royal Commission to investigate the conduct of the police. The lessons about what behaviour is expected from a British police officer should be instilled from Day One."

He added: "The Commission should not limit its focus to new recruits. In recent days, as the truth about Andrew Mitchell's meeting with Police Federation officials has emerged, it has been senior officers who have responded with a series of implausible denials.

The Plebgate investigation has so far cost more than £230,000

"The mindset of the whole officer class should not be off limits."

After his comments, Met Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe admitted the row had clouded the public's view of Scotland Yard and taken too long to resolve.

"We're all eager to see the outcome of this inquiry and that we get back to some kind of normality, because I think it's not good for the police and it's not good for public confidence," he told LBC.

The top cop added: "Of course if we've done anything wrong, I will be the first to say I'm sorry, we're sorry. Of course I would apologise if we've got things wrong."

He also revealed he had not spoken to Mr Mitchell since the row first erupted last September, saying it was a "dilemma" whether to or not.

"If you talk to someone it can be seen as though you're being influenced or trying to influence someone; if you don't it can be seen as ignorant," he said.

"You have to be careful how much access we give to a public figure compared to somebody who lives in Croydon or Lewisham."

He backed the idea of police wearing cameras and microphones in principle but warned there were issues surrounding data storage, access to the footage and the consent of crime victims.

Mr Mitchell resigned as Tory Chief Whip last October after clashing with police as he tried to cycle out of the main gates in Downing Street.

He has consistently denied calling the officers "plebs" and claims he was the victim of a deliberate attempt to "toxify" the Tories and ruin his career.

Three Police Federation representatives have been accused of trying to discredit the politician in media interviews after a meeting held shortly before he quit.

An internal police investigation into their behaviour after the summit found they had no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.

But an IPCC report last week questioned their "honesty and integrity" and suggested the officers had been motivated by an "anti-cuts campaign".

Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones acknowledged their "poor judgement" earlier this week but did not issue an outright apology.

They and their chief constables from the Warwickshire, West Midlands and West Mercia forces will all give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee this afternoon.

Chief Inspector Jerry Reakes-Williams, who led the internal inquiry into the allegations, and IPCC chiefs Dame Anne Owers and Deborah Glass will also appear.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

Dengan url

http://cobaagains.blogspot.com/2013/10/plebgate-davis-wants-police-to-wear.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Plebgate: Davis Wants Police To Wear Cameras

sebagai sumbernya