If you haven't seen this movie, worth watching for some light entertainment.
If you have watched it some of the things I mention should ring a bell.
I transferred to Hampshire police from the Met having been a proactive DS in the Met and was posted to the Isle of Wight.
The police on the Island were a shambles and operated corruptly with virtually every aspect of policing.
I had not known before I arrived that this was also considered a punishment posting, this meant the residents of the Island were being short changed by being lumbered with lazy officers including; those that had been disciplined and sent there to keep them out of the way.
I felt sorry for any new Constables that were given this division as their first posting as they would think that this how police officers should operate.
I had also not been aware that before I arrived a police whistle blower had hung himself on the Island and that there had also been a high profile case concerning sexism and bullying which Hampshire Constabulary had lost.
Whilst previous posts have focussed on police corruption concerning a paedophilia case and a mini Harold Shipman situation which had not been properly investigated, racism and sexism was endemic.
Crime figures were manipulated and so long as the figures looked good, the division was left alone by Headquarters on the mainland.
The manner that members of the public were dealt with by the police was discourteous at best and it was virtually impossible for a member of the public to make a complaint against the police at a police station on the Island.
The MP on the Island at that time Andrew Turner also wrote to Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan expressing his own similar concerns regarding his constituents being unable to make complaints and then being targeted if they were able to make a complaint.
If the Professional Standards Department (PSD) did come over from the mainland they would most likely assist in covering up matters.
I tried to improve things on the Island which went down like a lead balloon but was fortunate to help some people and received letters of appreciation.
Ian Readhead Paul Kernaghan Cllr Dave Stewart
The situation was so bad that I reported my concerns to the head of the Professional Standards department in Hampshire Constabulary which were allocated to Deputy Chief Constable Readhead.
The third person in the gallery is Dave Stewart who had been a DI at the time on the IOW and is now the leader of the Isle of Wight Council and chair of the Hampshire Police and Crime Panel.
Whilst I have made allegations of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office, the present Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney has failed so far to record or investigate the allegations of crime.
Suffice to say at this stage by the time I had got back to the Isle of Wight, my disclosures had been leaked from PSD and the whole division turned against me.
The Professional Standards Department then continued in the same corrupt fashion and I ended up being targeted and virtually being unable to walk on the cracks in the pavement without getting a discipline notice for something or other.
Myself and another sergeant unhappy with the situation then approached the HMIC in London and as a result of our efforts an inspection was conducted of professional standards in Hampshire Constabulary.
The HMIC avoided dealing with the corruption we highlighted within the Professional Standards Department stating that they were not an investigative or appellate authority however; branded the force as sexist and racist which appeared in the local press.
The HMIC also made 12 recommendations which were not welcomed by Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan and he attempted to defend the indefensible.
Whilst on the face of it there appeared to be some transparency we were to discover that; the officer who conducted the inspection Sir Ronnie Flanagan had been a mentor to Paul Kernaghan when they had both served in the RUC together.
Following the recommendations being published the victimisation and intimidation against us increased, I subsequently in protest returned my long service and good conduct medal to Sir Ronnie Flanagan at the Home Office when he became the Chief HMI.
I returned this police medal to Sir Ronnie Flanagan because he could have made efforts to deal with the corruption and protect us but he failed to do so.
This all started because I was trying to do my job and help victims of crime.
I will dedicate future posts to the other areas contained within my disclosures including race discrimination towards victims of crime, sexism and domestic abuse.
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