ONE of the big questions being raised again is that of police integrity.

This time, the issue surrounds the so- called Pleb-Gate affair but it follows a number of high profile, integrity related issues such as the Hillsborough enquiry, the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation, the Tomlinson death at the G8 riots and a few other issues that have raised problematic questions for the police.

The Pleb-Gate issue was one that seemed utterly unnecessary. A cabinet minister was less than properly respectful to the Downing Street security police and in itself that was a pretty bad thing for the cabinet minister to have done. But what was so odd about this was that it then seemed that some members of the police seemed to take it on themselves to build this into something worse than it actually was.

An investigation is now under way to determine exactly what happened and what was a 45-second incident has now cost around £250,000 to investigate, with a number of arrests and perhaps a new twist on an old crime – a police officer impersonating a member of the public.

But for us in Worcestershire, it has become a local issue. Three regional members of the police union, the Police Federation, went to see the cabinet minister in question and then apparently, mis-reported their conversation to the media, only to discover that there was a recording that proved mis-deeds. This was followed up by what has now been questioned as a flawed investigation and this particular chapter of this sorry story went before parliament last week where there was a pretty dismal display by the officers in question, as well as our Chief Constable David Shaw.

There are a number of issues coming out of this and one major question: why is this important?

The answer is complex, but rests on the basis of our policing in this country.

We operate ‘policing by consent’. That means that for policing to work, we as a society have to agree to be policed. We do not have a system that is familiar in other countries where policing takes a different and frightening stance of policing by compulsion. So if we as a society lose confidence in our police, then it is possible they may not be able to police us effectively.

I have a great deal to do with the police, one way or another. In my experience I can say with a huge amount of confidence that they are trustworthy, thoughtful and considerate. When I have constituents raise issues with me where they may need their help, they are always there to assist. I have never, to my memory, had an instance where a constituent has complained about police treatment.

What this latest, and other, instances have proved is that the police, like many organisations, have a problem that needs addressing. Inevitably, there will be members of the police who will not adhere to the high standards we expect. But as long as the process to weed out and deal with those bad apples is sound, then we should rest assured that we are safe. And that is why parliament is taking a great deal of interest in this particular issue.

CONTACT YOUR MP

  • Email: mark.garnier.mp@ parliament.uk
  • Telephone: 020 7219 7198 or 01562 746771.
  • Write: 9a Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster, DY11 6UU, or House of Commons, Westminster, London