Cllr Tony Hooke, Deputy Leader of UKIP at Hampshire County Council, is to host a public meeting to discuss “Confidence in the Leadership of Hampshire Constabulary” next week.
The “Open Compass” Meeting is supported by a cross-section of the local community and will be held on Tuesday 6th May 2014, in the Mitchell Conference Room at Hampshire County Council, between 7pm and 8.30pm
Cllr Hooke called the meeting after the Police & Crime Commissioner today notified interested parties that he was postponing his Compass Meeting with the Chief Constable Andy Marsh until the conclusion of Operation Flamborough and Oregon. The meeting was entitled ‘Confidence in the Police.’
Operation Oregon is investigating whether the Chief Constable of Hampshire, Andy Marsh, was involved in a cover-up during the Stanbridge Earls School rape case investigations.
Given the complexity of Operation Oregon, it is unlikely that it will conclude its investigations soon.
Cllr Hooke said, “The Compass Meetings are meant to take place every 2 months so that through the PCC we can publicly hold the Chief Constable to account. If the PCC is unable to carry out his duty because the Chief Constable is under investigation, the public can have no confidence in the affective running of the Constabulary or its Leadership.”
“ I called and spoke with the PCC today who failed to reassure me and give me any confidence in his and Chief Constables Andy Marsh’s ability to run the Hampshire Police Force.”
“We are going to hold our own meeting next week where members of the public can raise their concerns about Hampshire Police and ask, in public, the questions they have not be able to ask at Compass Meetings.”
“I have called for the PCC to suspend the Chief Constable within the next 48 hours pending the outcome of Operation Oregon. If he fails to do so I shall ask the Home Secretary to intervene. The investigation is clearly affecting the running of the Constabulary if the PCC is unable to hold his public scrutiny meetings.”
“At this moment in time, I can state quite categorically that myself and numerous members of the public that have contacted me about this issue have lost faith in the Leadership of Hampshire Police.”
The “Open Compass” Meeting will be held on Tuesday 6th May 2014, in the Mitchell Conference Room at Hampshire County Council, between 7.00pm and 9.00pm.
To register your attendance, and details of your questions to Hampshire Police, please email:
Hooke would have more credibility if he didn’t try to hijack every issue that crosses his path and despite the serious allegations this whiffs of just more profile raising on his part. Losing confidence in the Chief Constable is one thing but to undermine the entire Hampshire Police force and front line officers in their difficult duties for the sake of an attention grabbing meeting title is typical Hooke and his bombastic UKIP style.
A meeting to discuss concerns with the PCC & Chief Constable should be important enough so why does Hooke have to label it with such inflamed language? Perhaps he can gain more personal and UKIP capital from getting people’s attention by unnecessary suggestion that we should no longer have faith in the Hampshire Constabulary?
Personally, I have no faith in UKIP and anyone who chooses to represent them & would question anyone who has been a councillor for less than year as deluded for suggesting referral to the Home Secretary as his next course of action. How about escalation to Cllr Perry in first instance as leader of HCC?
Escalation of this to Cllr Perry, Perry himself is under investigation for something else. Who would put any trust in him?
My advice would be to keep on taking the pills and carry on believing whatever fantasy the Tory/LibDem/Lab have been telling you. You might believe them, the majority do not.
Regardless, Hooke threatening to take this up with the Home Secretary as if he has a personal hotline is frankly ludicrous. He should use due process and stop acting like he has 12years in politics when he hasn’t even completed 12months.
Has Perry been suspended from duties? Even Hooke was subject to an investigation last year for a short while over alleged election bribery and I guess Cllrs being investigated goes with territory of being under close public scrutiny, its an occupational hazard and I suspect often the result of opposing political agenda.
I agree with the previous comments. Most politicians have secret agendas. I’m not clear on the circumstances surrounding the postponement but I’m afraid life proves day after day that plans have to be revised and ammended. Hooke should conduct himself with more professionalism. This is typical of politicians in general, of which I have a very poor opinion, given the lack of support and resolution myself and surrounding neighbours have received over the past 5 years regarding a request for clarity on a light with Sir George Young and Cllr Graham Stallard, which 5 years later is still unresolved. In my experience politicians are mainly full of hot air and very little, if no action. As a result I have little confidence that Hooke’s motives are for the betterment of the community!!
However, I would be keen to understand from the police where the police presence is in the typical residential areas of andover as I rarely see anyone. I asked the same question via their facebook page but the response was very vanilla and when I asked for more specific details no further response was received.
In addition I would like to know what plans hampshire police have to embrace the digital age and mirror the initiative being employed by Surrey police to encourage the reporting of crimes via twitter and the use of other social media. I believe that surrey police are using ‘smartphone type’ devices to keep in touch with these digital communications.
Dear Andover Town
Can I respond to the misleading comments made by Hampshire Police & Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes in todays Andover Advertiser, and the comments being made on this website under the article “Public Meeting Called Concerning “Confidence in Hampshire Police”
Firstly, the child sex abuse scandal at Stanbridge Earls and the subsequent investigation of our Chief Constable are not political issues, but matters of serious public interest.
Secondly, Simon Hayes attempted hold a meeting about ‘public confidence’ in the Police, without the public and with pre-vetted questions. It was for this reason that an apolitical group of concerned members of the public approached Cllr Hooke to assist us in holding an open meeting to discuss this matter at the Hampshire County Council offices.
Simon Hayes did not voluntarily cancel his COMPASS meeting with the Chief Constable, he only did so because of public pressure. He has also claimed the meeting will now be re-scheduled in a ‘couple of weeks’. This again is another misleading claim as he cannot predict the timing or outcome of Operation Oregon.
A child sex abuse scandal and the investigation of our Chief Constable are matters which will naturally cause concern and alarm amongst the public. Questions must now be asked about whether Simon Hayes is acting in the public interest, or in his own political interest, the interests of his office and Hampshire Police.
Hampshire County Council, which is under the Leadership of Cllr Perry, is also implicated in Operation Oregon investigations.
Nadine O’Connor
The Public Interest Campaign Group
https://www.facebook.com/ThePublicInterestUK
https://twitter.com/ThePublicIntUK
No one can deny that sexual abuse of any kind is abhorrent and if it involves children it becomes even more unthinkably horrific & vile. I am unaware of Operation Oregon until now but would add that being under investigation does and should not imply any wrong doing until the investigation is completed. Given the nature of the enquiry I suspect it is not just senior police and councillors under investigations but other public & private agencies and individuals as well. An investigation into this matter could not be considered full without all areas being scrutinised but that does not imply blame or guilt at this stage unless my understanding of an investigation is skewed.
If any wrong doing or dereliction of duty is found then it is hoped those responsible in the very least lose their jobs or position & in worst case face criminal prosecution. However, I still believe Cllr Hooke’s meeting seemingly questioning if Hampshire Police still have the public confidence to be unhelpful & alarmist and perhaps his time would be better served questioning the genetic role of PCC. What is a compass meeting anyway? I suspect the public in the first instance would like roles & responsibilities to be clearly defined and use of smoke & mirrors jargon abolished.
I am concerned now that Cllr Hooke is not acting on behalf of his electorate in Andover South but on behalf of a ‘Campaign Group’ whose spokesperson was a keen supporter of his at last years local elections.
Meanwhile, we can only hope Operation Oregon is bought to a swift & satisfactory conclusion for all those involved but most importantly for the victims.
Can anyone tell me who arranges these Police COMPASS meetings and decides what they talk about. Have watched them on YouTude and find them rather interesting, learnt a lot about what goes on. They are in public because you see the public answering questions and making comments. Nothing secret about them – don’t see what the fuss is about.