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ic Wales - United Kingdom
31 December 2007

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South Wales Police, UK

UK: Former police officer clai

A FORMER member of a police anti-corruption squad claims he was obstructed when he uncovered what he saw as unfairness and inconsistencies in the awarding of car allowances to senior officers.

Former Detective Constable Frank Kitt has spoken exclusively to the Western Mail about his battle with South Wales Police , which has culminated in a complaint against Chief Constable Barbara Wilding to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, alleging that, in her capacity as head of the force, she failed in her duty to support him in his inquiries.

Mr Kitt, who lives in Carmarthenshire, says he found that a number of senior officers, including the chief constable, as well as civilian managers, had been given the right to claim an essential car user�s allowance, which he did not consider appropriate. South Wales Police has now confirmed that although Ms Wilding was offered an essential car user�s allowance, she did not take it up.

Information disclosed to Mr Kitt following a request under the Data Protection Act showed that 10 senior force employees, including the chief constable, were categorised as able to claim the allowance � worth around �1,000 a year � even though they were making little or no use of their own cars for police business.

Meanwhile more junior officers who regularly used their own cars for operational duties � including members of the anti-corruption squad, who would have made themselves conspicuous during surveillance operations if they were driving police vehicles � had been denied the �1,000 allowance.

Mr Kitt, who retired from South Wales Police in December last year, said, �In June of 1999 I was asked if I was prepared to be a part of a unit whose remit was to actively seek out police corruption and improper practices. I was reassured at that time South Wales Police would fully support my duties. I served on that unit for a six-year period and my duties involved policing not only the criminal law but also the police conduct code, which governs officers and support staff behaviour.

�In that time I became concerned about the granting of vehicle allowances. It appeared to me that the allowances were not applied consistently across the various ranks within the force. It was my understanding at the time that a number of high-ranking officers, including the chief constable, were permitted to receive an allowance to use their personal vehicles for police duties. I perceived this to be inappropriate. The chief constable was provided with a police vehicle and a driver who at that time took her to and from her home.

�There are considerable pressures on various areas of policing which have undergone financial restrictions and it seemed to me that managers within the organisation were not submitting themselves to the financial restrictions that they imposed on junior staff.

�In the course of my challenging this issue I received veiled threats from a senior officer, in an attempt, I believe, to deter me from my course of action. Instead of taking action on the information I had provided, an investigation was launched into how I had obtained the information. This treatment left me with a legacy of anxiety and the knowledge that it was impossible to tackle corrupt practices when senior officers within the force conducted themselves in this manner.

�In August of 2004 I sought the support of the chief constable to discuss the relevant police regulations, the matter of the threats, the lack of operational support, inconsistencies in internal investigations and the fact that a colleague, who because of his previous duties in the anti-corruption unit, had been subject to reprisals and unfair treatment.

�In the request for the meeting I named the senior officer who had attempted to deter me from my duties. The chief constable refused to meet me but referred me back to the senior officer who had issued the threats. I have documents which support this chain of events.

�The police conduct code informs us that all officers have a responsibility to act with fairness and impartiality in all their dealings with the public and their colleagues. Furthermore, they are duty bound to abide by the provisions of police regulations. Officers should support their colleagues in the execution of their lawful duties, and oppose any improper behaviour.

�Assurances were subsequently given to me that my concerns would be addressed. It was mutually agreed to revisit my concerns in six months time. That agreement was never fulfilled and I witnessed further inconsistencies in investigations and unfair reprisals upon an ex-anti-corruption unit member.

�In November 2005 I raised these issues with Her Majesty�s Inspectorate of Constabularies during their inspection of the force, but they have lost the report I personally handed to them in the company of my Police Federation representative.

�My MP Adam Price has provided my family with unstinting support and is in direct contact with the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Bizarrely it has been deemed appropriate by the IPCC to refer these matters back to South Wales Police for them to decide what course of action to take. If only it was as simple as people being allowed to investigate themselves, every policeman would be out of work.�

Mr Kitt�s complaint to the IPCC includes an allegation that Ms Wilding, as leader of the force, had a duty to provide him with support during his investigations, but that she did not do so.

Mr Price said, �Mr Kitt has made some very serious allegations which deserve to be thoroughly investigated. Last week I met senior representatives of the IPCC and I am hopeful that such an investigation may now take place.�

Assistant chief constable David Morris said, �As part of her contract, the chief constable was offered a vehicle allowance by the police authority but declined. The chief constable has never claimed nor been paid a car allowance.

�Since April 2005, in line with many other police forces, the chief constable has been provided with a vehicle by the police authority as have other substantive chief officers of the force � officers permanently in a chief officer role, not including officers who have been temporarily promoted. The chief constable pays for any private mileage as do the other chief officers.

�Complaints against chief officers are normally referred to the police authority. Their terms and conditions of employment are also set by the police authority.

�The chief executive of the police authority, Mr Alan Fry, has confirmed that chief officers are entitled to either a force provided vehicle for which they reimburse all private mileage, or can receive a car users� allowance which currently amounts to �1,056 per annum. They cannot and do not have both.

�In relation to vehicle allowances, the force has a clear policy which states that staff who meet the criteria are eligible to receive an allowance.

�Responsibility for implementing the policy lies with the departmental head who applies the following criteria: the individual must be required to have a car available seven days a week, 24 hours a day or it is financially advantageous for the organisation to designate the individual an essential car user.

�The departmental head is expected to justify the award of this allowance on a cost effective basis to certain parties, which can include the director of finance, internal audit etc.

�During Mr Kitt�s service, he was based in a newly-formed unit which made extensive use of hire vehicles and paid a mileage allowance to staff who used their own vehicles. Since then, staff working in this department have been granted essential users� allowance.

�South Wales Police has received correspondence regarding a complaint concerning the chief constable and the professional standards department.

�The complaint has been referred to the police authority from the IPCC since police authorities are responsible for complaints concerning chief constables and chief officers in general.�

Responding to the police statement, Mr Kitt said, �I am pleased to see that South Wales Police have now changed their past procedures and that chief officers pay for the private use of their police vehicles. I hope the chief constable has now applied these rules retrospectively and reimbursed the public purse for the use of her vehicle and driver for the private journeys to and from her residence on her arrival to the force in 2004.

�I believe, in the interests of accountability and transparency, these figures should be disclosed in a similar manner to the police authority members� declaring their allowances.�

Assistant chief constable David Morris said, �Chief officers� expenses � in line with those of all police officers and staff � are subject to police authority audit at any time.

�The chief constable�s vehicle and driver arrangements were agreed with the police authority at the time of her appointment and form part of her contract. The arrangements take account of security and ensure Miss Wilding is available to manage the force efficiently and effectively.

�The chief constable spends a great deal of time travelling between meetings and other miscellaneous appointments for the force and is able to use this time productively working on important force business.�

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ic Wales - United Kingdom31 December 2007

UK: Former police officer clai

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ic Wales - United Kingdom
31 December 2007