Police probe spells chaos

FOR a top policeman to face one professional standards inquiry may be regarded as unfortunate; to face two in less than three months could be seen as careless.

Whether it is also a sign of impropriety has not been proven, but what is beyond doubt is that it is a serious distraction for the force.

Grahame Maxwell, the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, has become a lightning-rod for controversy. The latest charges against him, over allegations he tried to obtain a job for the wife of his deputy, Adam Briggs, are extremely serious. They are also quite bizarre.

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North Yorkshire police authority had little choice but to refer the complaint against Mr Maxwell to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and the fact that the Chief Constable is facing two probes does not in itself demonstrate anything improper has occurred.

What is a source of immediate concern, however, is Mr Maxwell's ability to provide leadership while he is under such intense scrutiny.

Like the other three forces in the region, North Yorkshire faces having to make deep savings while policing a huge patch. It must also continue the murder inquiry triggered by the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence. A long-term vision is needed and, whatever the Chief Constable's commitment, he must inevitably be distracted by problems of the short-term.

So, too, must rank-and-file officers and also the public. They will all look on with some astonishment that the man asked to keep them and their property safe has been accused of nepotism – not once but twice.

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It was only in March that Mr Maxwell and Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs were accused of providing help to relatives who responded to the force's recruitment

drive.

It is one of the totems of a democratic society that ordinary people have confidence in the police to lock up the wicked and protect the innocent. The confidence of taxpayers in North Yorkshire in the top officers has been shaken.

Only complete transparency will ensure that the reputation of the force is not permanently damaged. It must be hoped the new standards inquiry is quick; it is essential that it is comprehensive.