IOPC / IPCC Fit For Purpose? I Think Not

Last updated on December 22nd, 2023 at 09:39 pm

Last updated on December 22nd, 2023 at 09:39 pm

Is the IOPC / IPCC Fit For Purpose ? I Think Not It may just come as a surprise to you but I am referring to the Independent Police Complaints Commission or IPCC as they are affectionately known.

I’m not going to bore you and take up any more of your time going over Taser’d Firefighter territory again, you can read any amount of that material here or elsewhere and form your own opinion.

What I am going to do is go over an item in the Manchester Evening News.

Police watchdog granted judicial review to quash own report into death of Jordan Begley

Why on earth would they want a Judicial Review into their own report?  The clues are in their somewhere.

The unprecedented move by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) comes after criticism of the Greater Manchester Police during an inquest last year. In their report of the incident, the IPCC cleared GMP of blame.

Crikey the IPCC clearing a Force of blame, that’s unusual.

Jurors at an inquest last year concluded using the weapon was ‘not reasonable’ and that officers’ failings contributed to his death.

#Awkward

“At the coroner’s inquest into the death of Jordan Begley concerns were raised about the conduct of the officers involved that may not have been consistent with the IPCC’s findings.“

I should say not, clearing the Force of all blame isn’t really consistent with the comments from the Inquest.

“In light of this, the IPCC reviewed its investigation and decided to seek permission to quash its independent investigation report in order to ensure all the available evidence could be considered.“

Call me old fashioned but shouldn’t the IPCC have considered ALL of the evidence before they issued their report with the first version of their ‘findings’?  That sounds awfully familiar.  Different office, different Commissioner, same apparent slapdash attitude.

Worse still is the fact that the Courts and government are not up in arms but are aquiescing and allowing them to get away with it because they have offered to ‘Review’ the issues and problems.  Nothing short of a full scale investigation into IPCC, it’s policies and practices will restore Public Confidence.

You can rebrand it, you can increase its budget but until a Root and Branch Reform (now there’s a controversial word) is carried out neither side will be able to have any confidence in the IPCC.

Is it Fit For Purpose?

I vote NO