Article
Revolving door at Scotland Yard keeps spinning
Another departure of a senior Metropolitan police figure
A former Metropolitan police officer has been arrested in an investigation into leaks to the press. Photograph: Felix Clay for the Guardian
The revolving door at Scotland Yard keeps spinning, as more senior figures depart in what might start looking like an exodus.
Commander David Zinzan, the top cop in south-east London, is understood to be the latest experienced figure to be preparing to quit.
Having served his 30 years, Zinzan is understood to have made the decision not to stay on at the Yard. The hugely popular and committed police officer is renowned for his dedication to his beat; the tough streets of south-east London where serious youth violence, gangland shootings and street gangs are a major issue.
He prepares to leave as the commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, with his new top team, begins a shake up of the boroughs, in which all 32 borough commanders face what some have called a "Wire" style grilling over their performance.
His departure comes on the heels of many other senior figures since the arrival of Hogan-Howe - some for promotion, some for the lure of the private sector and some for peace and quiet: assistant commissioner Ian McPherson, deputy commissioner Tim Godwin, Caroline Murdoch, acting head of the directorate of public affairs, Commander Simon Pountain, assistant commissioner Lynne Owens who has taken up the chief constable job at Surrey and Anne McMeel, director of resources.
As they leave, Hogan-Howe is looking outside for replacements - a future recruit could be Pat Gallon, ex of his old beat in Merseyside where she is assistant chief constable.
Such comings and goings at so senior a level take place with the Olympics just around the corner...
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User Comments
SonOfHicesias
5 February 2012 2:29PM
"Another departure of a senior Metropolitan police figure"
You'd think that this "senior Metropolitan police figure" wouldn't be allowed back after departing so many times, wouldn'y you?
Of maybe Sandra Laville is, like the vast majority of modern journalists, severely "grammatically-challenged", and actually intended to write:
"Departure of another senior Metropolitan police figure"
I know that this rant probably won't improve anyone's skills in grammar, but one can live in hope...
Sigh.
oldwilliam
5 February 2012 2:06PM
Of course this is an exodus, it's one that was inevitable, having been regularly predicted for the last five years or so.
Peter Neyroud, ex-chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency and ex-Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, was openly talking about the "crisis in police leadership in 2008. Whereas 20 years ago there would often be 10-15 applicants for each ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officer) post, whittled down to a short-list of (say) five or so, nowadays it's not unusual for such posts to have only a single applicant - look at the vacancy for Deputy Chief Constable of Cheshire, filled by the sole applicant, an Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) from neighbouring Merseyside.
Indeed, in recent years, some ACC posts have attracted no applicants whatsoever!
Why is this? Ask any police officer. The National Senior Careers Advisory Service (for police officers of superintendent rank and above) was set up by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in 2005 because Home Office Ministers had become alarmed about the situation... they wanted to know why the brightest police officers were not putting themselves forward for promotion to senior ranks. They failed to understand that weren't doing so because they were bright!
The SCAS was terminated in December 2010 and the NPIA itself will be shut down later this year: most of its functions will cease to exist. Guardian readers had better make the most of criticising the police while there are still any police officers left to criticise...