First Merseyside Police disciplinary hearing held in public starts today

First Merseyside Police disciplinary hearing held in public starts today

First Merseyside Police disciplinary hearing held in public starts today

                                                 

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority Police and Fire Collaboration Committee 1st September 2015 Left Jane Kennedy (Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside) Right Sir John Murphy (Chief Constable, Merseyside Police)
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority Police and Fire Collaboration Committee 1st September 2015 Left Jane Kennedy (Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside) Right Sir John Murphy (Chief Constable, Merseyside Police)

I read an interesting article in the Liverpool Echo this morning. The article refers to a police disciplinary hearing for four police officers that’s being held in public (starting today) for four days. By the time this blog post is published the hearing will have started.

This is the first one held in Merseyside since the Home Secretary changed the regulations earlier this year that govern police disciplinary hearings so that they’re in public and not in private.

As mentioned in the Liverpool Echo article, there’s a notice linked from this page on Merseyside Police’s website detailing the hearing information for the four-day hearing starting on 21st September 2015. That last link links to a copy of the three page notice on this blog in case Merseyside Police remove it from their website after the hearing has finished.

The government press release about the changes to the regulations issued about six weeks before the 2015 General Election can be read here.

However there were some parts of the Merseyside Police notice about the hearing that I wanted to quote. These are matters not referred to in the Liverpool Echo article.

Pages one to two of the notice about the hearing deal with the reasons why it is being held, but it is last bit that is interesting (which I will quote in full here, then comment on).

There will be limited seating for members of the press and public. To facilitate your attendance, you must apply by emailing the Merseyside Police Professional Standards Department at:
Professional.Standards.Department.PSD@merseyside.pnn.police.uk, with the following details: Name, Date of birth, Address, Email address, Phone number.

When attending a hearing you will be expected to produce photographic ID. These measures are in place to ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation and security protocols. You are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of proceedings to enable staff to complete the administrative process and guide you to the seating area.

No recording or filming of these proceedings is allowed and attendees may be searched prior to entry.

Please note there are no parking or refreshment facilities available at the venue.

The premises are wheelchair accessible and a member of Merseyside Police staff will facilitate the signing in process.

This is a ‘No Smoking Building’.

No food or pets are allowed in the building, other than guide dogs.

So in other words, Merseyside Police want to know exactly who is at the hearing (held in public for the first time) and not only that but they want the dates of birth, address, email address and phone number of everyone from the press and public there.

They expect anyone from the press to show photo ID (not hard for the press as the press will have press cards or photo ID from their employer) but also the public too!

Merseyside Police don’t want any recording or filming of the hearing (presumably this won’t stop people sending tweets about the hearing from their mobile phones during the hearing) and to possibly search people attending.

There won’t be "refreshment facilities" (presumably that means no tea/coffee machine) and for a four-day hearing you’re not even allowed to bring a packed lunch.

Plus they want you to email in advance to say you’re coming!

For a public hearing (or to paraphrase what some councillors would say not a "public hearing" but a "hearing held in public") Merseyside Police would seem to be trying to deter people from going and to gather intelligence on the press and public attending.

Sadly, however interesting it sounds, with Wavertree being a ten-mile trip there and ten miles back from the Wirral we can’t spare someone for the four days of the hearing. I do hope the newspapers send someone though, so there is some record of what happens in this new age of openness and transparency.

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Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

9 thoughts on “First Merseyside Police disciplinary hearing held in public starts today”

  1. G’day John

    Seems over at Leaky Towers they are getting mail about “The Spotty Blue Teapot” “Invest Wirral” and “The Chamber Potty” and the Davies that was totally incompetent and boasted about no accounting qualifications in his lectures at Wirral “Funny” Bizz when they were in the process of helping themselves to £2,000,000.00 of taxpayer money.

    Amazing how they are all linked.

    Blood or not blood?

    Even more amazing is “Phil the Deluded Dill” “Ankles” “The Shyster” etc etc thinking it will all go away if it is just ignored.

    “Highbrow” is in discussions as I speak.

    Coincidentally I am writing to you as “Highbrow” is in discussions.

    Amazeballs the coincidence.

    Ooroo

    James

    Think we need to up our game a notch my boy in case there is someone on the Wirral that hasn’t heard of the AderleyDadderleyDooDah, “Humpty Dumpty”, “The Chamber Potty” and “The Garbage Lady” cock up that was Wirral “Funny” Bizz and the great escape with no contracts and £2,000,000.00.

    Hey Ecca done any work yet for your £200,000.00 a year?

    Bet you’ve written those Wirralgate cheques, is it four,five or six @ £49,000.00?

    1. I’ve got a story about Cllr Phil Davies and his PR adviser already written (to be published tomorrow at 8am).

      I saw Eric Robinson today at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Unlike his predecessor Graham Burgess who was always friendly enough to chat he doesn’t come over and say hello.

      Maybe it was my previous comments about his blinking…

  2. G’day John

    From what you and others have said the BLINKING CEO isn’t very…. very…. very……………………..anything.

    A none event.

    Nothing at all.

    How do you get £200,000.00 a year just for signing Wirralgate cheques?

    Where is his next job he is almost past his use by date?

    See the overfed buffoon in Heswall is getting parking cheaper so he doesn’t have to walk and loose one or two of his umpteen chins.

    I presume he, I don’t really know or care, is best mates with colas etc whoever they are?

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps I am going to bed at 6.30pm so i can wake up early and read about “Phil the Deluded Dill” I’m excited. I hope I don’t wet the bed.

    PR Adviser are you avin a laugh?

    *enis *ubber

    1. As I was leaving a public meeting this evening, the Chief Executive was going in.

      I think you’re a little harsh on him. He may not be Graham Burgess but he keeps people guessing!

      1. No John

        He just keeps you guessing as to whether he is going to say G’day or not.

        Can’t wait for your 8am news release.

        Ooroo

        James

        A blink isn’t a (Pretend Friend) wink John

    2. Chief Executive of a Liverpool based PR company. No I’m not ‘avin a laugh. Seems that the need for PR advice/help is on how to engage with the public better (try to stop laughing at this point).

      1. G’day John

        They don’t need a PR person to tell them to be open, honest and transparent.

        Novel idea hey?

        Ooroo

        James

  3. G’day John

    From the rubbish paper from over Kev and Stella’s Stagnant Wirral Waters.

    ‘Meltdown is imminent’: Liverpool council may not be able to fund even basic services by 2018

    What they need to do John is get on board with Wirral and their five year plan to take over the world.

    They could put a car factory next to the academy on the dock land they can’t sell and “The Football Shit” and “Ankles” football team could build a new stadium next the call centre so they can watch out of the Clownhall window.

    Oh John I think “Phil the Deluded Dill” might have a plan.

    Ooroo

    James

    You think I’m mad.

  4. G’day John

    Remember Grant Thornton that sat through Gra Gra’s farce of a public meeting into Big, ISUS and Working Neighbourhoods and didn’t say boo when “The Football Shit” and Humpty Dumpty stood there lying.

    There latest audit bullshit on the clowncill site.

    Is there nothing they won’t say for money?

    Wirral makes ‘real progress’ building financial resilience, says independent report Posted 21 September 2015 – 1:19pm

    Wirral has made ‘real progress’ in arrangements for delivering value for money and achieved good financial performance, says a new independent report.

    The Grant Thornton review, which will be presented to Wirral’s Audit and Risk Management Committee on Monday next week, recognises the Council’s progress in securing governance and financial management which, it says, has secured ‘economy, efficiency and effectiveness.’

    In their latest report, Grant Thornton highlights that the progress the Council has made has been formally recognised by an award for ‘Most Improved Council’ from the Local Government Chronicle.

    And it notes the progress already made in the Council’s new plan – a 2020 Vision – which is now providing a Wirral-wide blueprint for partners’ to work together and deliver services differently.

    John we should all go to the Fudgit and Risk It Mis-management Committee next Monday and just laugh in their overfed fat faces.

    The bonus would be that “Ankles” won’t be there saying we have lessons to learn, lessons to learn, lessons to learn, lessons to learn.

    Ooroo

    James

    See you next Monday

    Wonder what’s in contingent liabilities?

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