THE FIRST WHISTLE

If you are a whistleblower we have many years of experience in this field and can help you. If you are comtemplating blowing the whistle, please read our shooting the messenger section below which is fairly known series of reactions from larger organisations in all sectors.

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We have adapted it to fit with what  happens in the police service.

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If having read this and you want to go ahead, get in touch and we will back you all the way, please note the last incident of victimisation/intimdation etc must have happened within the last 3 months, it doesn't matter how long ago you made the disclosure.

 

Shooting the Messenger

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A police officer or member of police staff needs to be aware of what they might expect in the worst case scenario when doing the "right thing".

 
Police officers and staff are at a distinct disadvantage as they cannot make a ‘complaint' against a colleague in the police service and do not have the same rights as a member of the public who can appeal to the IOPC (Independent Police Complaints Commission).

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This is a standard response to police officers when contacting the IOPC.

It is a worthwhile exercise when thinking about various reforms to ask why police
forces respond in specific non-accountable ways to a whistleblower.

 

You can roughly arrange these by the degree of defensiveness to which a police force feels driven and the seriousness of the matters being raised by the whistleblower.

Hot air

 

The force will appear at first to share your concern. Many fine words will be generated, insubstantial memoranda may fly about, a meeting may be convened, and promises will be made. No action will be taken, except perhaps the most trivial. Any conversation not recorded may be strenuously denied at a later date.

 

Send to Coventry

 

A change of mood comes over certain managers and colleagues. Initially, this is quite subtle. Greetings, smiles and friendly banter are less frequent. At first you brush it off. Then it becomes more pronounced. Eyebrows are raised, you are avoided and left out of events and decisions, sarcastic comments are made. If you mention it you may find that your mental health is questioned.

 

Close ranks

 

It is clear that what you said to one colleague or manager has been passed on, and possibly distorted, to his or her peers. When you approach a manager further up the line it is clear that they have been forewarned. Your concern has somehow created an anti-you group. You are identified as a 'trouble-maker' by most people with any authority, and any attempt to raise your concern is now pre-empted and prejudged. Some of your colleagues feel that your complaint demeans them by implication.

 

Stonewall

 

When you raise your concerns formally you find that your letters or reports are unanswered, the manager is never available, promises to 'get back to you'
are broken, you are passed on to someone who eventually sends you a letter thanking you for raising the concerns and the matter has been investigated. You may be told directly not to send any more reports or letters.

 

Biomedical diagnosis

 

It is suggested that you have been under a 'lot of stress lately' and that you ought to visit the occupational health department, seek counselling or visit your GP. You are asked if you are 'coping'. It emerges, unknown to you, that you have been informally diagnosed as anxious, depressed, paranoid, having a personality disorder, or as being 'neurotic'.

 

Spying

 

A colleague is passing on information about you (and has, perhaps, been asked to do so). You are the object of close observation, fault-finding, and your e-mail and telephone conversations are being monitored. Some of your work goes wrong or astray and you wonder about sabotage. If you mention this it is taken as further evidence that you are unable to cope or are 'paranoid'.

 

Grind down

 

Work becomes more difficult. Your workload increases, you get the unpopular cases or incidents. Your attempts at promotion are made difficult and your appraisals are unfairly written and do not accurately reflect your performance. You may be transferred to another station or department and your request for leave and time off are refused without valid reasons.

Sticks and carrots

 

An intermediary, usually a non-independent person is chosen to act as a facilitator and will call you aside for 'a chat' and you may feel that at last you are getting somewhere. Your career prospects may be discussed, the suggestion being that you drop your complaints. Alternatively, or if you refuse to accept the carrot, veiled threats will be made such as 'Are you sure you wouldn't be happier working elsewhere?' These become overt threats such as 'You are jeopardizing your future' and 'you won't be working here much longer'. If you raised concerns about colleagues, you may find that you become a victim of harassment.

Character assassination

 

Aspersions will be cast on your character, your personal conduct, your personal past, your political views, your class or ethnic origin, or your sexual orientation. These may progress to accusations of your own misconduct including criminal, theft of documents, lying, disloyalty, breach data protection and confidentiality.

 

First strike

 

Official counter-complaints may be formulated against you in a disciplinary hearing before your own concerns are addressed or instead of addressing them. You may be made a scapegoat. Disciplinary or grievance procedures may be used and abused as a pre-emptive or retaliatory measure. The force will attempt to get their revenge in first.

 

Second strike

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If you have submitted an employment tribunal case or raised your concerns outside of the force a police operation may be mounted against you and an operation name will be allocated in the same way that the police may mount an operation against an organised criminal.

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Whilst employment matters would usually be dealt with by the Human Resources department (HR), your force may abuse their police powers and conduct surveillance against you and maliciously investigate you on suspicion of a criminal offence to 

and discredit you an influence an employmemt tribunal panel. 

 

Your home may be searched and you may be interviewed in a custody suite where you are known to colleagues to cause you the maximum amount of embaressment and distress.

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If the force are unable to use RIPA, as an alternative they will use what's known as an "Executive Authority" to conduct surveillance against you.

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A biased report may be sent to the CPS and you may be charged. 

 

Relevant evidence that will help your case is either witheld, concealed or destroyed.

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The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) is a UK law that regulates the procedures of investigating and prosecuting criminal offences, it also issues a code of practice that sets out the way investigators must record, retain and reveal to the prosecutor material obtained during the course of a criminal investigation. This is part of a process called ‘disclosure’, which aims to ensure a fair trial for the accused.

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Due to the process being manipulated with regards to disclosure denying you a fair trial, you may be wrongly convicted and spend many years trying either trying to clear your name or try to live with PTSD and the consequences of beimg a victim of a miscarriage of justice whilst trying to start a new life.

 

Dismissed

Even if you are aquitted, you will face an internal discipline hearing and be dismissed.

 

If you remain in the force; your presence is no longer tolerable, you will be given discipline notices like confetti and your force will find a way to get rid of you especially if you have exposed serious failings or corruption.

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Cosmetic reshuffle

If your concerns were of a serious nature, especially if an inquiry took place, then there will be some changes at your workplace of a cosmetic nature. Some posts may be reshuffled, but it is unlikely that policies will be revised or that managerial heads will roll.

 

Certainly no acknowledgement will be made that there is any connection between your raising a concern and any changes that may have been made.