The head of the Metrolpolitan police Sir Paul Stephenson has urged the Home Secretary to make it harder for the public to take legal action against the police, as people taking them to task about all the bad stuff they do is stopping them ‘getting on with the job’.
Sir Paul said a shake-up would make the police more efficient, as they wouldn’t have to spend time and money defending themselves against accusations of wrongdoing.
The letter read, “That’s what this system needs, the removal of any accountability whatsoever for the all-powerful enforcers of the law in this country.”
“We should probably think about letting the police be judges too, it would save a lot of time and effort and let them get on with the job much more efficiently.”
“Would you rather a police offer was on the street walking his beat, or in court being shouted at by a lawyer for pushing someone down the stairs? Think about it.”
Suing Police
The calls come after Sir Paul said it was too easy to sue the police when they do something wrong, and that rather than modifying their behaviour it would probably be better all round if the government could just stop people suing them.
His letter continued, “It would be a mammoth training exercise to teach all police men and women to behave themselves, so perhaps we should just cut a tiny little corner and make it impossible for them to be held accountable for their actions?”
Member of the public William Knowles said, “I think it’s a great idea. What better way to secure our streets than to give the police free reign to do whatever they feel like, consequence free.”
“There is literally nothing wrong with this plan.”