Nottinghamshire police row

Paddy Tipping's question regarding Nottinghamshire police funding to Hazel Blears was no doubt related to Nottinghamshire Police being bottom in performance tables.

Now Nottinghamshire police chief, Stephen Green, has sparked off a heated political row after this interview given to the Sunday Telegraph. Quotes include:

• "We are in a long-standing crisis situation with major crime and it won't go away overnight."
  
• "I want to increase the number of operational cops by reducing the numbers doing back-office jobs. It's frustrating to know that I could make better use of the money I've got, but I'm constrained from doing it because officer numbers is a political football. All the parties have the same fixation."
  
• "We are now routinely going out to 'foreign' forces to get additional officers."
  

Following this, the Guardian quotes Graham Allen MP, Nottingham North that the Telegraph placed Steve Green under "extreme duress", by blackmailing him into giving the interview by threatening to run articles on current covert investigations. This is a pretty extraordinary allegation, which the Telegraph has categorically denied, and it will be very interesting to see how this develops.

Graham Allen also said "The remarks are either very naive or very foolish", and other politicians have joined the attack. John Clarke, the chairman of the Nottinghamshire police authority, said: "I am horrified by this article. It was the wrong move by Steve Green."

Steve Green's complaints that Government funding restrictions were forcing him to waste police officers in civilian administrative roles have subsequently been supported by three other chief constables. Looks like it is a genuine problem caused by over-constraining targets. Perhaps they are also naive and/or foolish.

I would suggest that if the Government wish to regain the public trust after so sorely abusing it over Iraq, they could do a lot better than shooting the messenger and trying to cover up negative consequences of its own policies. Trust is built by taking responsibility, not trying to spin and weasel your way out of situations.