Sir Paul Stephenson: A Bizarre Resignation

Well, he had to go. Far too cosy and showed terrible judgment. I think Peston may have to go next - can't have BBC journos in pockets like this....

Iain, I kind of thought Sir Paul was a decent copper.

But a £12,000 freebee? C'mon?

Meanwhile it is now clear we have a war on between the Met and News International.

I am quite sure that the Commissioner is a fine man and a good crime fighter. However, his judgement must be called into question accepting such a lavish gift amounting to £12,000. He seeks to justify his actions stating he wanted to get back to his job quickly. He could have done this without being at a Spa.

I am beginning to wonder about the need to have a police trained officer at the head of County and Metropolitan Services. It seems apparent at all senior levels, they are unaware of investigations. We need CEO's with business experience to manage huge budgets and workforces.

I fail to see why John Yates should resign. He had a torried time at the Home affairs Select Committee meeting last week but I would argue that no human being would have stood up to the hostility, rudeness, and continual interruption. Witnesses and defendants have more rights in a criminal court than before the honourable members many of whom do not know how to interview people.

I reckon there's going to be more gifts than just Champneys. He did nothing wrong - but under todays Bribery laws he proably did a lot wrong. I reckon by the time it's all over he'll look like a child who had been groomed by News International.

The chief policeman of the Met resigns after admitting he took a £12,000 freebie while on duty. Any ordinary police officer who admitted to accepting a gift as a consequence of his role as a police officer would be sacked and lose his pension as well. Yet this member of the political class will walk away with a six-figure pension and his knighthood.

Why are ordinary police officers not organising to protest? Or are they as corrupt as their masters?

I see Yates has gone too. Like I say there's lots to come out. It appears even the most cynical of us could not get our minds into the size of the symbiotic relationship between senior Met figures and the NOTW. With 10 police enquiries underway I'm sure it will all be coming out.

It's amazing it's only a couple of Years ago I was photo shopping Yates putting his hands on Blairs shoulders and thinking well of him. I agree with Alan Johnson that the Met were simply lazy and didn't want to open up the bin bags. But lazy is pretty unprofessional and I disagree with Johnson that Stephenson was not a "good" copper because "good" coppers aren't lazy.

When someone resigns like this, one might wonder what else they are expecting to come out?

Far better to be an ex rather than current cop, one might think...

folowing the resignation of john yates,and the changes anounced,there is now a whole new meaning to "going for a Brazilian"

Sir Paul Stevenson did the right thing in resigning and I believe that he does so with his integrity intact. I say that only because I judge him on the current moral values of the Police and society today.

Over the years, Chief Police officers have been indoctrinated into believing that they have the same status as Directors and CEO's in the Financial Times top 100. The British Police have also become more and more politicised over the years. This started with the previous Conservative government and was continued by New Labour. Police Forces were encouraged to integrate their management with industry to learn how 'modern' man management techniques worked. Out went the regimentation and discipline and in came the softly softly, "call me David" (instead of Sir) approach. Classrooms were changed so that students now sat in a semi circle and wore name badges. Parade squares were banished and the Police transformed from a force to a service almost indistinguishable from a branch of BHS or Marks & Spencer. Senior ranking officers now held portfolio's to describe their functions and Chief Constables had visions and started calling themselves the Chief Executive Officer of whichever constabulary they were in charge of. Police services developed 'Mission Statements' and corporate identities. It is no wonder then that these new captains of modern industry should also begin to expect to partake in the hospitality that is available to these levels of management and even record it in a register as if that made it somehow acceptable.

Hardly surprising then when a lot farther down the greasy pole a junior rank decides what is good for the goose and takes money from a hack, for passing some information. Not at all something that I condone but there are mixed messages coming from the top these days.

We need to escape this constant comparison between the Police and industry in everything, pay, conditions and allowances. Policing the UK isn't the same as running a branch of WH Smiths. The Police need to return to it's role as a disciplined, crime fighting force and it's officers need to start acting as if they are our moral guardians once more by adopting a high moral standard themselves. There has always been and I suspect there always will be those that are corrupt within the Police after all it is said that the public get the Police they deserve, but when this corruption is deemed acceptable by giving it another name, the higher you rise in rank what can you then expect of the junior ranks.

I was in "The Job" for 30 years and have witnessed this decline personally. To see Sir Paul accept hospitality, not just at Champneys, in this manner may be the modern way but to me he has let down not only himself but all of those Police officers now serving, throughout the country as well as former officers such as myself.