Sir Ronnie's Policing Review Ready

Beleaguered former PSNI and Royal Ulster Constabulary Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan, is back in the news.

Fresh from defying calls for his resignation, on foot of criticisms of the police’s handling of the failed Omagh bomb trial, he is set to announce new measures to cut police ‘form filling’.

As the current Chief Inspector of Constabulary he is tomorrow due to reveal plans for any police officers who stop members of the public in the street to hand out a business card rather than fill out a lengthy form.

Scrapping the form filling is among a list of proposals designed to help cut red tape contained in a draft copy of Sir Ronnie's report, which he claims could save up to six million hours a year, equivalent to putting an extra 2,000 to 3,000 officers on frontline duties.

However, the report says a more formal process is still needed when police are conducting a search.

He has carried out an independent review in his capacity as the senior policing adviser to the Home Secretary.

He will say in the report that the police service overall is lacking in confidence, accountability and common sense.

He said lengthy paperwork was introduced after the inquiry into the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

However, while the forms were meant to monitor whether ethnic minorities were being unfairly targeted and the actions of individual police officers, the so-called "stop and account" form can take officers up to seven minutes to complete.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is expected to respond to the report by promising to publish a green paper on police reform.

Sir Ronnie himself hasn’t been out of the news of late. Last month, Sean Hoey was acquitted of 58 charges including the Omagh bombing and in his ruling, Lord Justice Weir was scathing in his criticism of the police investigation into the bombing.

The former RUC chief constable said he was desperately sorry but he would not leave his current post.

On 22 January, a report by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, formerly Nuala O'Loan, exposed evidence of alleged collusion between officers under the command of Ronnie Flanagan.

The reports were acknowledged by the current Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde who apologised for the wrong-doing of his officers, and by the then NI Secretary of State – recently ‘shamed’ Peter Hain, who resigned a top Government post after allegations about campaign funding were revealed.

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