Keeping a watch on cops to make sure that they are not criminals and/or incompetents is both necessary and good. Police officers need to be servants of the people. (Most police officers are good people, and many are heroes.)
In March 2011, a 22-year-old woman was arrested outside the Supper Club nightclub and taken to Chelsea (central London) police station because she was drunk and distressed. The police thought that she might be high on drugs and might have drugs on her, so five police officers — one of them female — forcibly removed all of her clothing. The young woman was then left completely naked for 30 minutes, during which time closed-circuit TV broadcast her image to the custody desk. The police did not keep a record of the strip search. The young woman appealed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which investigated.
According to Sandra Lavelle’s article “Police ‘should face action’ over woman’s strip search” in the 31 July 2013 Guardian (UK), “The IPCC said on Wednesday that it has recommended that a police sergeant should face a gross misconduct charge over failure to record the strip search or to ensure it was carried out with guidelines under the police and criminal evidence act. The police watchdog said five other officers present must face misconduct proceedings. The watchdog also found that another constable had influenced the woman’s decision to get legal advice by telling her she would be able to leave the station sooner without it.
“Derrick Campbell, IPCC commissioner, said: ‘This incident caused a great deal of distress to the victim. I find it difficult to understand why police officers think they have the right to strip a young woman of all her clothes, leaving her naked for half an hour, and then expose her to being filmed.
“‘I am sure, like the complainant, the public will want to understand how this was allowed to happen. I look forward to the misconduct process getting the answers that are needed.’”
When police are evil, they ought to be punished. These police officers are either evil or incompetent. Either way, they ought not to be police officers. By the way, if I saw a drunk and distressed woman, my first thought would be to wonder whether she had been sexually assaulted. I would want to help her instead of humiliating her. Also by the way, the “Kensington & Chelsea — Metropolitan Police Service” website states, “The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a fantastic place in which to live, work and visit. […] We are continually looking at what we do to improve the service that we offer to our communities.” Here’s a way to improve service: Get rid of these police officers.
This is the press release by the IPCC:
“Officers to face misconduct charges after IPCC upholds clubber’s strip search appeal
“31 July 2013
“Police officers who strip-searched a clubber breached their standards of professional behaviour and have a case to answer for misconduct, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) appeal has found.
“The officers searched the 22-year-old woman at Chelsea police station after she was arrested outside the Supper Club nightclub in west London in March 2011.
“The woman later complained about her treatment and an investigation was carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service’s department of professional standards. Unhappy with the force’s findings, the complainant then appealed to the IPCC.
“An IPCC caseworker found that the search – carried out by one female and four male officers – was carried out without adequate justification and in breach of the requirements set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), which says that officers carrying out a strip search must be the same sex as the person being searched.
“The officers believed the woman — who was described as intoxicated, distressed, and running in and out of a road when arrested — to be under the influence of drugs and likely to have substances hidden in her clothing.
“The IPCC found that her clothes had been removed by force and she was left naked in a cell for half an hour. The search was also carried out in a cell covered by CCTV, which meant that the images were broadcast to the station’s custody desk. There was also no written record of the search being carried out.
“The IPCC has recommended that the Police Sergeant on duty should face a charge of gross misconduct over their failure to make any record of the strip search or to ensure it was carried out in accordance with PACE guidelines.
“The IPCC has also told the MPS that five PCs should face misconduct proceedings for conducting the strip search in breach of several areas of PACE.
“The IPCC also found that another PC had potentially affected the woman’s decision to seek independent legal advice by suggesting that she would be likely to leave the station sooner without it. It has been recommended by the IPCC that they face management action.
“Another PC should also face management action over a failure to properly investigate the woman’s claim that her drink had been spiked at the nightclub.
“IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell said: ‘This incident caused a great deal of distress to the victim. I find it difficult to understand why police officers think they have the right to strip a young woman of all her clothes, leaving her naked for half an hour and then expose her to being filmed. I am sure, like the complainant, the public will want to understand how this was allowed to happen. I look forward to the misconduct process getting the answers that are needed.’
“Complaints that the woman’s arrest was unnecessary and that it took too long to obtain evidence about the incident from a hospital were not upheld by the IPCC.”
By the way, here is a press release by the IPCC about another police officer:
“Final warning for police officer who used excessive force on grandfather
“14 May 2013
“A police officer has been given a final written warning after the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPPC) upheld an appeal from a 65-year-old man who suffered extensive bruising when he was put in an arm lock and pressed on to a car bonnet.
“The IPCC directed Pc Kevin Payne from West Mercia police face a misconduct hearing over the incident.
“The victim had been at a boxing event in Shrewsbury in 2011 when trouble broke out inside the venue. The man left with his family, including his grandchildren, and was waiting outside for a lift home when a police car pulled up next to him.
“He was grabbed and put in an arm lock after commenting on a police officer’s driving, which he considered to be dangerous. He was not arrested but let go with Pc Payne telling him to ‘f*** off home’.
“The man complained about his treatment but unhappy that West Mercia gave Pc Payne management advice over his swearing while failing to deal with the issue of excessive force, appealed to the IPCC. The IPCC upheld the appeal and directed that the force should reinvestigate; recommending Pc Payne be issued with a notice for gross misconduct and interviewed again but under criminal caution.
“During the second investigation, though, Pc Payne, on the advice of the Police Federation, refused to be interviewed, which meant that sufficient justification for the use of force was not provided. The complaint was again not upheld by West Mercia.
“The victim then submitted a second appeal to the IPCC, which was also upheld on the basis that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct. A direction that Pc Payne face a misconduct hearing was made by the IPCC. The hearing, carried out by West Mercia police, ended with a finding of gross misconduct against Pc Payne and a final written warning being given.
“IPCC Commissioner for West Mercia Derrick Campbell said: ‘It is disappointing that this man was forced to go through the police complaints appeal process twice for something that could and should have been dealt with by West Mercia police the first time around. It is important that the public are reassured that the police service takes their complaints seriously and treat them in the appropriate way. It is also very disappointing to know that the Police Federation feel it is acceptable practice to encourage public servants to not cooperate fully with IPCC investigations.
“‘The behaviour of the officer in this case fell well below that expected of police officers and resulted in a 65-year-old man receiving injuries that have caused him considerable pain and discomfort.’”
On the IPCC Facebook page about this incident, Sam Skipp commented, “Pretty sure in any other job this would be deemed an instant dismissal offence.”
Conclusion: Power corrupts, and that’s why we need the IPCC.
For Further Information: Sandra Lavelle, “Police ‘should face action’ over woman’s strip search.” Guardian. 31 July 2013
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/31/police-action-woman-strip-search
For Further Information: Kensington & Chelsea — Metropolitan Police Service. Front page of Website. Accessed 1 August 2013.
http://content.met.police.uk/Borough/Kensington
For Further Information: IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission), “Final warning for police officer who used excessive force on grandfather.” 14 May 2013
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/Pages/pr_140513_westmerciaappeal.aspx
For Further Information: IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission), “Officers to face misconduct charges after IPCC upholds clubber’s strip search appeal.” 31 July 2013
For Further Information: IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell, “IPCC – Independent Police Complaints Commission.” Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=332445400216739&id=105248346269780
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