To an investigative journalist’s instincts if something doesn’t feel, look or sound right then it more than usually isn’t. One either has that nose for ‘trouble’, or you don’t. Most people who have come across the author of this article, Neil Wilby, would definitely say he has. So it was with the announcement a weekContinue reading “IOPC and Home Office caught out over resignation debacle”
Tag Archives: IOPC
Watchdog chief faces ‘under-age relationship’ allegation
On 3rd December, 2022, Neil Wilby Media was amongst the first to break the news that the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Michael Lockwood, had been forced to resign. It was, most certainly, the first to call for an inquiry into how that resignation was handled by both Lockwood andContinue reading “Watchdog chief faces ‘under-age relationship’ allegation”
Heroine police officer due in court over over alleged computer misuse
A West Yorkshire Police officer has been charged with making unauthorised searches of the Police National Computer system, writes Neil Wilby. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) say that PC Sanya Shahid is accused of accessing records in October 2020 without having a legitimate policing purpose for doing so, PC Shahid, based in theContinue reading “Heroine police officer due in court over over alleged computer misuse”
Police misconduct hearing set to make findings over death of vulnerable woman
A 35 year old woman from Darwen, Lancashire, Kelly Hartigan-Burns, was found unresponsive in a cell at Greenbank Police Station in Blackburn at around 1.30am on 4th December 2016, having self-ligatured. She was taken to hospital and put on a life support system. She was pronounced dead the following day. Misconduct hearing set to openContinue reading “Police misconduct hearing set to make findings over death of vulnerable woman”
Controversial watchdog report criticised from all quarters
A report released last week by one of the country’s two police ‘watchdogs’, extending to 127 pages, has drawn criticism from leading stakeholders, victims and their families, and leading police action lawyers, writes Neil Wilby. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has made seventeen recommendations to the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’ CouncilContinue reading “Controversial watchdog report criticised from all quarters”
Watchdog now employs over 1,000 staff but less than 25% ex-police
In a recent reply to a freedom of information request, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed some important information concerning its workforce. The total number of staff employed as at 31st March, 2021 was 1,013, a reduction of 19 from the previous year.. The total payroll cost was £53,950,000, an increase of £3,050,000 (6%) on theContinue reading “Watchdog now employs over 1,000 staff but less than 25% ex-police”
GMP response to racism report ‘disappointing’ says watchdog
On 2nd August, 2021, Amanda Rowe, Regional Director for the Independent Office of Police Conduct, said that Greater Manchester Police’s recent report looking at issues of race equality provides some promising progress on policing and race, but also raises uncomfortable questions that all police forces need to be answering (read full report here). It wasContinue reading “GMP response to racism report ‘disappointing’ says watchdog”
Watchdog clears police over M62 shooting
An investigation by the police watchdog into the shooting of a 28 year old Huddersfield man, after a hard stop on the M62 slip road at Ainley Top in January, 2017, has decided that no West Yorkshire Police officer committed a criminal offence or breached professional standards (writes Neil Wilby). Yassar Yaqub was a passenger in anContinue reading “Watchdog clears police over M62 shooting”
The two that got away?
In this, the first of a short series reviewing the past year, a second look is taken at two cases of miscreant police officers being shielded by senior management in their respective police forces. In August, a very powerful story was published on this website. The latest in a lengthy series of exclusives dating backContinue reading “The two that got away?”
Say one thing, do another
Earlier this month, a Liverpool Echo article announced that a Merseyside Police officer had been sacked for clearly using racist language during the stop and search of an Asian member of the public (read in full here). It resonated immediately, as the racist term used by the young, inexperienced constable (it was his first everContinue reading “Say one thing, do another”
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