Statement from APCC Chair, Donna Jones, in response to the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 Report
Responding to the publication today of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 Report, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Donna Jones said:
“The findings in Lady Elish Angiolini’s report are shocking and, as a woman, deeply disturbing. The failures she identifies provided Wayne Couzens with cover over two decades to indulge in his increasingly depraved and dangerous behaviour towards women and ultimately to commit murder.
“The horrific abduction, rape and murder of Sarah and other distressing cases of which we are now all too aware have severely damaged public confidence in the police, and, in particular women’s.
“It is incumbent upon all of us who work in policing to repair that relationship so that the public can feel safe, knowing they can rely on the police to protect them.
“The scale of the change required in policing is clear.
"That change has begun: Improved workforce scrutiny and vetting is bringing to light cases where officers, staff or volunteers should not be serving. New systems are being introduced to enable officers and staff who may have witnessed corruption or abuse of position to report their concerns. It is vital that the public are empowered to raise concerns, and that they feel confident they will be taken seriously.
“I support Lady Angiolini’s recommendations on recruitment and vetting, the approach to investigating offences such as indecent exposure, and the cultural problems within policing which, together, enabled Wayne Couzens to evade proper scrutiny and get away with his crimes for so long. Couzens was authorised to carry a firearm but it is clear from the evidence the Inquiry heard that his psychological state made that a huge risk.
“Police and Crime Commissioners are elected by the public to be their voice in policing and hold chief constables to account. Where officers are found to have fallen seriously below the high standards we rightly expect of them, chief constables must be able to take swift and robust action to sanction or remove them from their forces.
“It is crucial that the public believe in what is being done and today’s report shows just how important it is that, across policing, we do not let up on the pace and depth of this transformation. We must further embed ongoing effective processes that continue to root out those who have no place in policing.
“I know this report will make very difficult reading for the vast majority of excellent police officers who have been as horrified as anyone at the dreadful behaviour and crimes that have come to light in the last few years, and it is right to highlight the dedication and care with which most officers conduct their work every day, including those whose effective and thorough investigation finally brought Wayne Couzens to justice.
“The changes in procedure, culture, attitudes and behaviour that are vitally necessary to rebuild the public’s trust are clear. PCCs will do all they to make certain those changes are effected.”
Note
- Donna Jones is APCC Chair and PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
- The Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 Report can be found on the Angiolini Inquiry website