Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson quits

So in light of all of the News of the World coverage going on, if he was forced to leave the job how many bent cops are there out there? Lets be clear here he left, before he was fired. So by leaving he protected his pension. What is being hidden?

I don't think any of this wil change the police, or how they work. It will be just be another C*** taking freebies and anything else they can lay their hands on.

I think we should be asking what do some officers actually do? Apart from selling information to people, who should be the last people ever to have it?

The link to the BBC news story;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14180043

There are a lot of law enforcement people on this site who are probably feeling pig-sick at the moment. I just hope that the money-grabbing antics of a small number of individuals doesn't make them feel tarred with the same brush. Most police are like most people - honest, straightforward and sick of the whole sorry mess.

I think what makes its worse that officers in the Met were fed this guys BS, on a daily basis. He was very happy to tell what people do, how to behave he brought about the the "5ps" which I'm sure some will know all to well. When it comes to it, he was happy to talk about it, thought it seems he never had the intention to live or work by it...

[BanannaMan]

Originally Posted by metalmonkey

I think what makes its worse that officers in the Met were fed this guys BS, on a daily basis. He was very happy to tell what people do, how to behave he brought about the the "5ps" which I'm sure some will know all to well. When it comes to it, he was happy to talk about it, thought it seems he never had the intention to live or work by it...

There will always be those who think the rules don't apply to themselves.
And left unchecked they nearly always cause their own downfall by going too far.
It's not limited to the Police but to anyone in any position of power of any kind.
Sells more when it's someone supposed to uphold the law though so they play it up on the news.

power corupts

absolute power curupts absolutly

[timwilky]

Please tell me exactly what he has done wrong, beyond employing somebody who may have committed a crime unknown at the time of his appointment. there is no suggestion that Paul Stephenson is or was corrupt, I know he was not popular. But more likely because he was not an inside appointment and one of the boys.

Should Cameron resign for appointing Andy Coulson, Should Brown have gone for appoint sixsmith and Jo Moore. Blair for Alistair Campbell etc. Just because people screw up or are found out doesn't necessarily mean those that appointed them should fall on their sword.

If a police commissioner identifies he needs somebody who knows the press system at the highest levels to advise him. He needs to appoint from within their ranks. From the looks of things it would appear in hindsight they are all tainted. At the time of the appointment this was not known.

[Red Herring]

I suspect it was a whole lot more simple than people are trying to make out. Paul Stephenson has been a police officer for a considerable length of time and like the majority of officers with his service seen the gap between the demands put on his role, and the means by which he can deliver it, grow to a point where it just isn't achievable. You are then left in the difficult position of having to make the choice between doing what you know needs to be done, or doing what you are being asked to do. As the Chief he simply cannot avail himself of the excuse "I'm just following orders" as used by the rank and file so I believe his patience has finally run out and he has just taken this opportunity to walk away. I don't blame him one little bit, when I joined up I was surrounded by colleagues who cared passionately about the vocation that was policing, now they are extremely rare. You cannot keep reducing the means by which you expect someone to deliver and then blame then when they cannot do it. There's a whole lot more of this to come.

Originally Posted by Red Herring

You cannot keep reducing the means by which you expect someone to deliver and then blame then when they cannot do it. There's a whole lot more of this to come.

+1, and not just within the Police.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by timwilky

If a police commissioner identifies he needs somebody who knows the press system at the highest levels to advise him. He needs to appoint from within their ranks. From the looks of things it would appear in hindsight they are all tainted. At the time of the appointment this was not known.

I've seen this sort of thing happen in the commercial world several times - the boss hires someone who seems a very odd choice but can deliver a specific knowledge set. It is worse when they are "contractors" or paid for specific jobs as single payments tend to look worse if things come to light afterwards. Senior police officers are no different to senior businessmen.

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I've seen this sort of thing happen in the commercial world several times - the boss hires someone who seems a very odd choice but can deliver a specific knowledge set. It is worse when they are "contractors" or paid for specific jobs as single payments tend to look worse if things come to light afterwards. Senior police officers are no different to senior businessmen.

Yes they are different they are police officers for a start, second they must go by the code of conduct as any other police officer must.