Middlesbrough Cleveland PCC: The Empire of Evil

Mr Cox said that the former police committee was “too political”.

PredatorDrone
No apologies for ever being the cynic.
Isn't it about time this shower across the Boro were fully investigated... it is being run like a fiefdom.
In the event that Coppinger feels any tainting, the chances of stepping down are zero... no way he is going to back away from a £120,000 plus payday!
The question that a number of people have asked, how come no one including a potential PC candidate, didn't know what was going on, is an indictment of their ineptitude and/or blind eye turning!
This Boro is more rotten than Black Adders rotten boroughs as portrayed in the series.

CLEVELAND Police Authority will be scrapped a week after the November 15 election to select the area’s first Police and Crime Commissioner. In the first of a three-day series to mark the change, Sandy McKenzie talks to Ted Cox, the longest serving member of the authority.

CLEVELAND Police Authority has had a roller-coaster existence over almost 20 years.
Throughout that time Ted Cox has been a member of the authority.
He admits that at times “it has not been the easiest of rides”.
But he says that overall he has enjoyed his years on the authority.
Mr Cox was a member of Cleveland County Council’s police committee which was made up of 24 councillors and 12 magistrate members.

He then became one of the three magistrate members on the Cleveland Police Authority along with nine councillors and five independent members.
Today Mr Cox, 75, is an independent member of the authority.
Mr Cox said that the former police committee was “too political”.
“The new authority was much better,” said Mr Cox.
Early in its existence the new authority witnessed a surprising change in its chairmanship.

At the authority’s annual meeting in 1995 Redcar Conservative councillor Alan Gwenlan ousted Labour councillor Ian Jeffrey as the chairman of the authority.
Mr Cox eventually became vice-chairman under the chairmanship of Middlesbrough Council leader Ken Walker.
And Mr Cox took over as chairman at one of the most difficult times in the authority’s history.
A £7.3m blackhole had been found in the police budget.

“It took us a year to get the things sorted out. We got £6m grant from the Government spread over three years.
“We had told the Government we were looking at cutting police numbers and civilian staff as well as putting up the council tax substantially.
"We wrote to Hazel Blears, then the police minister, telling her the situation and we got a strong letter back, signed in green ink, telling us we could not do it.
“We were a few months off a general election,” said Mr Cox who stood down as chairman after a year.
He said the then Stockton South MP Dari Taylor and the late Frank Cook, who was MP for Stockton North, did a lot of work behind the scenes to get the Government grant.
Mr Cox said that fellow police authority member Pam Andrews-Mawer and the then Redcar MP Vera Baird worked tirelessly to get the funding for the new Sexual Assault Referral Centre which opened some five years ago.
Mr Cox said the authority had fought off the idea of the creation of a North-east police force serving an area stretching from Berwick to Boulby. Cleveland had led the rest of the country in fighting off the idea of police force mergers.

On Operation Lancet - the long running inquiry into allegations of malpractice in Middlesbrough CID - Mr Cox said that where allegations were made against officers up to and including the rank of chief superintendent it was a matter for the chief constable.
“The police authority had no say in Lancet. It just had to pick up the bill.
“I think there were some things that could have been done differently. There was a lot of angst. Cleveland police officers were investigating Cleveland police officers and I had sympathy with all involved - the investigators and those being investigated,” said Mr Cox.

In more recent times the authority has been involved in Operation Sacristy which saw the suspension of the chief constable, Sean Price and deputy chief constable Derek Bonnard.
Both officers have denied any wrongdoing. Recently Mr Price was sacked following a disciplinary hearing on a matter unrelated to Sacristy.
Mr Cox also led the support for volunteers being used to help in policing.
“It arose from manning the desk at Saltburn police station to keep it open longer to the public.
“I thought there must be scope for more people to get involved. There was stiff opposition initially from some quarters but now we have volunteers helping in areas such as on front desks at police stations and keeping victims of crime updated on the progress of investigations,” he said.

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -32182662/

RockandaHardPlace
PCC hustings this evening and we get a former member of of the CPA telling us how a Labour minister and Labour MP's rallied to get funding form the government. Then he claims that prior to the CPA, the Committee was 'too political'!
If a cross-party committee was too political, what will it be if a politician from Labour, Conservative or the Green Party replace the CPA this month. The only sensible thing to do is to get behind Sultan Alams 'Policing Not Politics' campaign!

ClaudeTed
Be careful what you wish for there isn't a decent qualified candidate standing to run a police force. The current CPA is a shambles with resignations, arrests, massive redundancy pay offs etc.
How is it that one stands down from the police authority on health grounds but can do the role of PCC?
I would like all candidates if elected to agree that they would stand down if any skeletons fall out of their cupboards later on!

UnionJack1
No mention of the BBC story about the shamed ex Authority Chairman and senior Redcar Councillor Mr McLuckie who has today been ARRESTED by Operation Sacristy officers for a SECOND TIME on suspicion of perverting the course of justice …and is also still on bail as part of a criminal investigation into alleged corruption at the Cleveland Police Authority.
We hear that Mr McLuckie was held sometime in October 2012 in connection with a motoring offence and now local Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop has called for Mr McLuckie to do the honourable thing and resign AGAIN

PredatorDrone
No apologies for ever being the cynic.
Isn't it about time this shower across the Boro were fully investigated... it is being run like a fiefdom.
In the event that Coppinger feels any tainting, the chances of stepping down are zero... no way he is going to back away from a £120,000 plus payday!
The question that a number of people have asked, how come no one including a potential PC candidate, didn't know what was going on, is an indictment of their ineptitude and/or blind eye turning!
This Boro is more rotten than Black Adders rotten boroughs as portrayed in the series.

PredatorDrone
7:19 PM on 7/11/2012
Hey 'ang on, Steve and the activists haven't started thumbing down in earnest!......YET.

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... 2182662/2/

Dave McLuckie arrested by Operation Sacristy officers for second time
The former chairman of Cleveland Police Authority has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, the BBC understands.
Dave McLuckie was held last month in connection with a motoring offence, it has emerged.
The Redcar and Cleveland councillor was already on bail as part of Operation Sacristy, a criminal probe into alleged corruption at the police authority.
He has been bailed until 16 November after the most recent allegations.
Mr McLuckie could not be contacted on Wednesday.

'Fraud offence'

A spokeswoman for Warwickshire Police, whose officers are leading the investigation, said: "A 51-year-old man has been arrested by members of the Operation Sacristy team.
"The man was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception and a fraud offence."
Officers from Operation Sacristy will pass evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging advice.
The wider investigation concerns a number of individuals with past or present associations with the police authority.
Cleveland Police's former chief constable Sean Price was sacked last month after he was found guilty of gross misconduct in relation to the role he played in the recruitment of Mr McLuckie's daughter to a civilian role at the force.
There is no suggestion that the she did anything wrong during the process.
Mr McLuckie resigned as chairman when Operation Sacristy started but denied any wrongdoing.
The Skelton ward councillor was arrested on suspicion of "corrupt practice" last November. He remains suspended by the Labour Party.
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop has called for Mr McLuckie to "do the honourable thing and resign".
Mr Blenkinsop said: "Clearly this a very serious matter that must be dealt with and, as in accord with our judicial system, Councillor McLuckie naturally remains innocent until proven guilty.
"However, it is my firm belief that Councillor McLuckie will struggle to effectively represent the people of Skelton as a councillor whilst he's having to deal with these very serious allegations against him, especially when Operation Sacristy is separately continuing to investigate Cleveland Police Authority.
"He should therefore do the right thing, and resign for the sake of my constituents in Skelton."
A spokesman for Labour North said: "Councillor McLuckie is currently suspended from the Labour Party following his earlier arrest.
"When all police investigations are completed the party will look to take the appropriate disciplinary action."
Redcar and Cleveland Council declined to comment on Mr McLuckie's arrest.
Mr Price, the former chief constable of Cleveland Police, remains on bail as part of Operation Sacristy, which has cost more than £1.6m so far.
Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard is also suspended from duty and faces a disciplinary hearing next week which could lead to his dismissal.
He has been released from bail and informed he will not face criminal charges. Mr Bonnard denies any wrongdoing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-20225725

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-20143483 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19840069 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-15651663