London: In a surprising move, the UK Home Office has put forth a proposal that will forbid police officers from chasing criminals over roofs, railway lines and busy roads “because it puts the health and safety of criminals at risk”.
And, those who would flout the new rule could face dismissal for “gross misconduct”.
According to the Daily Mail, the proposal is contained in the Home Office's "draft police misconduct procedure" - which was circulated in July this year. Under the heading of ‘gross misconduct”, it lists all the offences which could lead to officers being sacked from their force.
Though the proposal has reportedly been designed to protect the policemen and the public, it has infuriated the rank-and-file of the London Police, even as the officers dub it as a “criminal's charter”.
The officers fear that now the policemen will be too scared to give chase to a suspected thief, burglar or mugger because their own job could be at risk if anyone is injured.
“This is madness. It will leave officers in two minds when they are embarking on a potentially dangerous chase. The last thing officers need is to be worrying about their job when they are out on the front line tackling potentially violent criminals. These are split second decisions we are talking about and the chances are that some officers will decide it is not worth the risk,” the paper quoted an unidentified cop as saying.
Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: "Policing is a dangerous business. You simply cannot eliminate risk. If a suspect jumps into a river flowing faster than they realised and subsequently drowns, is that an officer's fault? Also, if officers think they will be punished for making health and safety mistakes, they are less likely to own up to them. Health and safety matters should be left to the Health and Safety Executive. If someone is successfully prosecuted, they can then be dealt with by their force.”
The new rule was contemplated three years after former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens and Lord Condon faced an Old Bailey trial after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. The three-million-pound case ended with both men being cleared after they were accused of failing in their duty to protect two constables who plunged through roofs while chasing suspects.
One of the officers died, while the other survived with serious injuries.
The force is facing a new health and safety prosecution next year over the shooting of innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes who was shot eight times because police mistook him for a suicide bomber.
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