The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting including members of the public and press. It was explained that the purpose of the meeting was to finalise the scrutiny process into the appointment of the Chief Constable which was aborted by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Patricia Bradwell (Lincolnshire County Council), Councillor Graham Marsh (East Lindsey District Council), Councillor Sarah Trotter (South Kesteven District Council) and David Williams (Independent Member).

At this point in the meeting, Members were invited to disclose any relevant interests, no such interests were disclosed.

To consider a report regarding a Lincolnshire Chief Constable aborted recruitment exercise, including a recently published report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct which investigated allegations relating to this matter.     

In opening, the Chairman read out the final paragraphs from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report on Operation Motala: 

“In conclusion, based on the evidence obtained during this investigation, the decision maker agreed that Mr Jones may not have been completely open or sufficiently clear in some of his dealings with the appointment panel members, Chief Constable Cole, the three candidates, third parties he approached for advice, and the PCP.

However, having carefully considered these matters, the decision maker felt that they were more appropriate to be considered by the PCP, as part of their review and scrutiny role, rather than by a criminal court.”

It was considered that the IOPC was asking the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel (LPCP) as the most appropriate body to consider the issues.  The Chairman advised Members that the IOPC’s remit was to examine the criminal investigation and any criminal matter, and the Panel was tasked to examine any other issues that were identified and not concluded on.  This included both the appointment process and the PCC’s behaviour towards the LPCP during that period.

Attention was drawn to the following statements from page 7 of the IOPC report:

“On 22 January 2021, Mr Jones wrote to the PCP expressing his ‘dismay and disappointment’ that they were continuing their enquiries into the failed process. He stated that this had caused him to lose any residual confidence and trust he had in the PCP’s direction and leadership.

“On 5 February 2021, Mr Jones wrote to the Chair of the PCP urging him to stop ‘this wasteful use of public resources’. He also objected to the ‘cloak and dagger’ way in which the PCP had approached panel members without informing him.

In March 2021, Mr Jones tweeted that PCPs were a ‘pointless distraction’ and ‘negative drain on resources’, and that PCCs were subject to ‘substandard scrutiny’, some of which was ‘very politically motivated and very corrosive’”

The Chairman advised Members that the LPCP had been subject to a very high level of scrutiny as evidenced by the need for this meeting.  Gratitude was expressed to the IOPC for conducting a full and professional investigation which had uncovered the truth of the matter, and the findings had demonstrated that it was a correct and necessary investigation which the Panel was right to have brought to its attention.

The Panel had a responsibility to take the contents of the report and the comments received from relevant parties seriously.  It was important to reflect on the contents of the report and look to the future so that the Panel could ensure mistakes were not repeated in forthcoming recruitment processes.

Members were referred to Paragraph 1.23 (page 5 of the Agenda refers):

“1.23 Other parties that were notified by the Panel raised the following matters in their responses which are summarised below:

• Merit, fairness and openness issues in the decision-making process

and compliance with College of Policing guidance.

• Ethics and standards concerns  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The programmed date for the next Meeting of the Panel is 11.00am on Friday 7^th February 2024.

The programmed date for the next Meeting of the Panel is 11am on Wednesday 7^th February 2024.