Author Archives: samchapman

Senior judge makes ‘land grab’

Posted on 05/01/2013 by samchapman

Some of you may remember the summertime saga of how the country’s Senior Presiding Judge, Lord Justice Goldring, attempted to ban magistrates from standing as Police and Crime Commissioners or doing anything that might be dodgy for being excessively political, … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 1 Comment

Comment re. IPCC investigation

Posted on 20/12/2012 by samchapman

A few things have come together in my mind today that I think I should share with you:- We are all learning to deal with a new world where concerns about Police and Crime Commissioners go through Police and Crime … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

And so it begins.

Posted on 20/12/2012 by samchapman

Oh dear, did I blow the whistle on local politicians' expenses? I'm ever so sorry. To be fair, I kind of knew that saying “Hang on, I think you should have a look at this” was the equivalent of painting … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 14 Comments

Look who’s (still) here.

Posted on 10/12/2012 by samchapman

If a stereotypical police officer from central casting were to ask me “What were you doing on the morning of Wednesday 21st March 2012?” I would be able to give them a surprisingly full answer for something nearly 9 months … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

How quick the memory fades.

Posted on 09/12/2012 by samchapman

Last week's joint effort on Deputy PCC appointments between TopOfTheCops and the Mail on Sunday seems to have struck a chord, being followed by a number of articles such as those in the Guardian and the Times and an item … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 5 Comments

Is it because I is white?

Posted on 01/12/2012 by samchapman

Do you fancy a job dealing with policing and crime that has a fancy title, pays reasonably well, is available close to home, is flexible, possibly to the point of being part-time, and which allows you to be political but … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Welcome to CoPaCC

Posted on 25/11/2012 by samchapman

It's over 9 months since this blog first expressed concerns about the presumption of existing representative bodies in their attempts to annexe PCCs. Back then it was the Local Government Association presuming that PCCs would be their's, and going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

PCC Party Failures #2 – the Labour Party

Posted on 23/11/2012 by samchapman

The PCC election was a massive missed opportunity for the Labour party, but it was also so much more. To appreciate that, have a look at Wales. North Wales and Gwent have gone to Independents. Dyfed-Powys has gone to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 3 Comments

What happens next?

Posted on 22/11/2012 by samchapman

As PCCs take up their positions today Peter Walker says the key question is “What happens next?” When senior officers in the Japanese Navy were planning the attack on Pearl harbour, one of them told a briefing “This will give … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 1 Comment

PCC Party Failures #1 – the Conservative Party

Posted on 19/11/2012 by samchapman

A version of this article was published yesterday on ConservativeHome. It is the first of a series on PCC election failures by the four main political parties.   This week, in the elections for the flagship Police and Crime Commissioner … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Perspectives | 13 Comments