Police must earn respect

It is refreshing to see David Cameron calling for a high-powered scrutineer of police.

I can think of no better person than former Chief Constable Geoffrey Dear.

Twenty years ago, he showed himself fearless and fair, willing to take the bull by the horns and get things done.

The latest fiasco is the TV libel payment of £50,000 plus costs, with our CPS forking out the same.

Needless to say, the hard-pressed ratepayers will foot the bill, and heads will not roll. Instead of persecuting honest, investigative journalism, our local police should have been prosecuting the hatemongers who are damaging community relations.

The average police officer on the beat (does that still happen?) must be disillusioned at the antics of senior officers, playing games rather than doing their job.

Some years ago (by knowing the right people), I got driven round a town in North Carolina, by the local deputy.

At 6ft 2in, immaculately dressed and remarkably polite, he was built like a barn door and a credit to their police. Needless to say, I would not pick on him.

His boss, the sheriff, a tad under 6ft with a build like Rod Steiger, was fair-minded, fearless but, unlike here, accountable. He was also celebrating his fourth term of office.

This leads me to say that if police want to meddle in politics, whether in accusations against a TV station or for that matter in so-called equal opportunities, as businessman Chris Kelly suggested, then maybe Chief Constable Paul Scott-Lee should run for sheriff. On recent performance, he would not do a second term.

Meanwhile, youngsters who robbed a dying man were let off with a caution.

I thought I would never say this, but it is high time to bring back the birch.

The police have let us down again.

I am inclined to think the Chief Constable should be called Paul Scott Free, and his lawyer oppos, the Clown Prosecution Service.

Robert William White, Tompstone Road, Wigmore, West Bromwich.