It's time to shut down the failed, vast, arrogant monster our police forces have become

As I always knew, the shocking state of policing I have been commenting on for 20 years is starting to be realised by more than a small number of independent thinkers. We now have not just the Met but 5 other forces in "special measures"

And this has come from the HMICFRS, who are so useless that they consider forces like Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire to be performing adequately when decades of lies, corruption, incompetence and protection have been documented to them . Wow, things must be bad.

It would not be hard to start making improvements. How about starting by actually penalising those in public office (senior police) who behave improperly, it is after all an offence (misconduct in public office), instead of protecting and promoting them. By not allowing senior officers to escape these offences by "retiring" on vast pensions at an age most of us who pay for them could only dream of.

People who misrepresent the results of their work for example like Adrian Leisk and ex Dorset CC James Vaughan  and are then protected by those put in place to make the police accountable to the public like Alison Hernandez, Martyn Underhill, David Sidwick. Those who too lie to the public (even in Freedom of information responses) to protect money making activities against the public interest like Simon Bullock  (Chief Exec Dorset PCC), Brian Austin  ("Road Safety" Operations Manager)

Those in the police "Professional Standards" who happily sweep police misconduct and misrepresentation under the carpet like Colin Smith, Hampshire.  

Those responsible for and working in the IOPC such as Genene Wilson who delay, dodge, protect and cover up police lies and protection.

How about the Policing minister Kit Malthouse and home secretary Priti Patel, the prime minister Boris Johnson - it is no excuse that they do not know or do anything about this shocking situation.

Those who continue to dodge, delay, avoid in order to try to avoid admitting a "mistake" was made, for example now under new Dorset CC Scott Chilton, this pathetic attempt  (breaking FOI law) to fail to provide a simple answer to a simple question for nearly 2 years about an obvious misrepresentation made by ACC Sam De Reya. 

I could go on and on, it's too easy. There is no accountability of the police. There is no watchdog. There is no Inspectorate. There are no "Professional Standards" departments. There is no one responsible.

Those who understand systems have no trouble seeing how we have got where we are. Large amounts of public money available not connected to performance. Ability to operate in the name of the law but without obeying it. And ability to simply ignore any questions or complaints. What we have ended up with has not come from misfortune, it has come by design.

As I have said before an 8 year old could fix policing. But it's not going to come from the IOPC, HMICFRS, politics, ministers, etc etc.

Ian Belchamber