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| NEWS > 11 February 2008 |
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Blundering Met Police chief in
Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, is being recommended for a performance bonus of up to £34,000 despite a string of gaffes and questions over his leadership.
The merit award scheme, the first ever offered to a Metropolitan Police commissioner, was approved in principle by police watchdogs at a secret meeting last week. But critics are now asking why Sir Ian, whose basic salary is £228,000, is even being considered for a bonus after lurching from one crisis to another in the 13 months since he took the job.
He has apologised for secretly taping telephone con... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Geelong Advertiser - Geelong,V
11 February 2008
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Victoria Police
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Victoria Police: Guarding guar
THE Latin phrase Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? best sums up the situation facing this state as a government-run inquiry into accusations of corruption in the ranks of Victoria Police gathers force once again.
The phrase, recorded by the Roman poet Juvenal, means who will guard the guards? It's a pointed and relevant question as a damning report by the Office of Police Integrity into the force is defended yet again against calls for a royal commission. Not that there appears anything wrong with the OPI report other than its scope does not include politicians.
Nor would any inquiry by the Ombudsman, the state's other anti-corruption body. So Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu bitterly complained less than two months ago when he said: ``The Ombudsman has no jurisdiction to initiate investigations into ministers, MPs or councillors, nor does he have many of the investigative powers of anti-corruption bodies in other states.''
History suggests royal commissions rarely garner many scalps. Publicity can sully the reputation of many but successful prosecutions are rare. Premier John Brumby might suspect with beefed-up powers, the OPI and the Ombudsman will be more successful. Certainly the public wants any improprieties sorted properly. But serious questions about the relationship between the police and government _ most notably the secret deal struck by Steve Bracks and Police Association prior to the last State election _ remain unanswered.
Not good enough. The public wants these issues sorted properly as well. Which is why calls for an independent anti-corruption commission to be set up Victoria will not go away. It is not enough for Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon to argue a damning OPI report does not justify a royal commission. ``We have all the powers any royal commission can have but far more effectively and efficiently,'' she argues.
Again, royal commission scalps might be rare but OPI and Ombudsman inquiries aren't about to turn up any politicians who might be acting out of order. And the public is fully entitled to know if its politicians are out of line.
As we have stated in this column before, corporate bodies are under an increasingly tough, independent legislative regime to help maintain their integrity. It is nothing less than reasonable that the public sector be subject to the same because the public must have confidence in its government and its agencies.
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