Former Deputy Chief Constable Peter Walker looks to have launched his campaign on ConservativeHome, although he has also already established a website. Mr Walker criticises the size of the Force’s HR Department, and the recruitment of an extra Assistant Chief Constable in his article, and proposes a strong Performance Management System. This raises the question, with Chief Constables keen to maintain as much of their “direction and control” as possible, whether these points stray beyond strategic direction and accountability and into the Chief Constable’s domain.

What do you think – comment below happily – especially if you are a candidate, or a Top Cop who has a view on the practicalities of these issues. Peter Walker replied to TOTC’s comment on ConservativeHome as follows:-

Thanks for the welcome & feedback. 
Having worked with a Police Authority (and mixed with the Members of others) I’m not sure they ever “got” the power they had in terms of their statutory responsibilities to deliver “effectiveness” and “efficiency”. 
I also believe that if you end up having a discussion with the Chief about whether or not something is “operational” – you’ve failed. 
I’ve tried to explain the position on my website here – http://peter-walker.org/protecting-operational-in… – 
I think that knowing what “Operational Independence” looks like from the “Chiefs” side will help me avoid overstepping the mark. 
Also, I really do not think there is a Chief in the country who wants to see services cut – it’s whether, having been inculcated with the public sector culture for the best part of thirty years, they can recognise what can be done without. 
Perhaps they need the political “fighter cover” to be radical, or, as is reported to me too frequently, they just do not see how to cut those things they have become comfortable with at the Headquarters. (See Toby G’s comment above….) 
As an example (albeit in another context) I was sitting with a Head Teacher the other day in his office, listening to him bemoan the fact that he still needed to make savings and didn’t know what else he could cut…….as the water cooler in his office gently hummed away……..