Worcestershire | Archive | 2004 | July | 5
From the archive, first published Monday 5th Jul 2004.
DAVID Blunkett is calling for the suspension of the Chief Constable of the Humberside Police Force. Why?
Why did he not call for it at the time of the Soham trial? Was he not sure of himself and has it taken the Bichard report to give him the confidence to act and appear authoritarian?
The question of the lack of dissemination of information on people who had been investigated, but never brought to trial or found guilty, was raised at the time of the Soham trial.
The answer was that in such cases the Data Protection Act together with Human Rights had to be considered and there was no guidance from David Blunkett on such cases.
Innocent until proved guilty prevailed and information was not passed on.
How many more forces have withheld information on people investigated but never found guilty? I would suggest many, in which case many Chief Constables would be required to be suspended.
I would also suggest that the Chief Constable of Humberside achieved his position by many years of hard work and being a good police officer.
How did David Blunkett achieve his position? Would we not be better of if David Blunkett resigned and we had a Home Secretary that was up to the job and could get to grips with it and not have to resort to panic action whenever a situation arose?
Is there anyone out there who thinks David Blunkett has made a good job of his position? Those in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.
E F SHOWELL,
Fernhill Heath,
Worcester.
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