Home Secretary to introduce power to sack chief constables
Home Secretaries will be given new powers to sack chief constables who fail their communities.
The Home Secretary will聽have the聽power聽to sack failing chief constables, under plans announced by Shabana Mahmood today.
The聽new聽laws聽will聽hand Home聽Secretaries statutory powers to聽force the retirement,聽resignation聽or suspension of聽chief constables聽on聽performance grounds.聽
The聽previous administration聽removed the power in 2011聽through the .听听
Currently, it is only police and crime commissioners who hold the power to dismiss a chief constable.听听
This comes after聽His Majesty鈥檚 Chief Inspector of Constabulary聽found significant failings amongst the leadership of the West Midlands police after they recommended聽banning聽Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a match against Aston Villa.听听
In the statement, the聽Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:聽
When a chief constable聽is responsible for聽a damaging failure of leadership, the public rightly expect the Home Secretary to act. And I intend to restore their ability to do so.听听
This聽government will soon reintroduce the Home Secretary鈥檚 power to dismiss chief constables.
In her statement,聽Mahmood聽has pledged聽to make police leaders accountable to Parliament and the public ahead of sweeping police reforms to be announced later this month.