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PCCs or chief constables will be able to consult Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Chief superintendents looking for promotion could have their disciplinary records checked

 

The IOPC is to gain a role in vetting candidates for chief officer posts.

The watchdog, formerly known as the IPCC, is one of the bodies, alongside professional standards departments and chief constables which can be consulted for details of an applicant’s disciplinary record.

Its new involvement has been revealed in a College of Policing guidance document on appointments.

Although candidates are expected to declare any issues when they apply for a position, the recruiter may also now contact the watchdog.

The new IOPC facility will be available later this year after the organisation has ironed out all logistical, policy and legal issues with the process.

It will remain the responsibility of the PCC or chief constable, depending on the role, to decide if any disciplinary issued make the person unsuitable for a job.

The document states that the decision-maker should take into account the disciplinary issue’s impact on the “force, region and community”.

A spokesman for the IOPC said: “We agree we have a part to play alongside police forces in sharing information that could be considered pertinent in the appointment of potential chief officers.

“We need to be able to take fair and consistent decisions about what we provide in response to such requests and are putting in place a process to achieve this.”

In April 2016 Dawn Copley lasted 24-hours as acting chief constable of South Yorkshire Police after it emerged she faced an investigation into her conduct. PCC Alan Billings said she had told him she was under investigation but she nevertheless stepped aside following adverse publicity.

Other measures in the document include guidance on recruiting chiefs from overseas forces and from fire and rescue services under joint governance arrangements.

Louise Meade, from the College of Policing, said: "We recognise that chief officer roles are incredibly demanding so we have developed new guidance to ensure the best and most talented individuals apply, and the most suitable candidates are appointed."

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[Zulu 22 + 4,576]

Why on earth should they have any Input to appointments. They are a body which has already lost a lot of confidence of everyone.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

It's another non-story.
What this means is applicants will be expected to declare any disciplinary cases. As a check the IOPC will be asked to provided any dealings they have had with the applicant. So either the applicant will have declared everything so the appointing body has the information they require. If the applicant does not declare they will be caught out and their honesty and integrity rightly questioned.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

I don’t understand...

A disciplinary record is a tangible thing. If someone hasn’t been found ‘guilty’ of something then there is no relevance in such disclosures.

If there is a ‘fit and proper person’ test that a candidate must pass, then it should be published for the purposes of transparency.

The candidate’s employment record should contain everything that is legally disclosable.