New police chief in Cleveland stamps his authority (From The Northern Echo)
For details on how to contact our editorial and commercial departments, click here
New police chief stamps his authority
5:08pm Wednesday 21st November 2012 in News
By Graeme Hetherington
Barry Coppinger
THE incumbent Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland has already made a major change by axing the chief executive of Cleveland Police Authority on the eve of taking over the post.
Barry Coppinger has replaced Stuart Pudney with a leading council officer from Middlesbrough Council who he works alongside as a councillor.
Mr Pudney was installed as the chief executive less than 12 months ago and was handed the task of leading the authority through ‘major challenge and change’ in the wake of Operation Sacristy.
The Labour candidate, who is set to take over the role after winning last week’s election, has taken Ed Chicken on a year’s secondment.
Mr Chicken, the Council’s Head of Community Protection, will head the PCC office in the force’s headquarters in Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough.
He said: “I have already worked closely with Barry and in partnership with Cleveland Police in a number of areas covering community safety, anti-social behaviour and crime.
“I am looking forward to taking on what am I am certain will be a challenging and fulfilling role as the new office of the Police and Crime Commissioner takes shape.”
The Council’s chief executive, Gill Rollings, added: “This is a role well suited to Ed’s skills and experience and I’m pleased to be able to help by way of a secondment.
“This approach will both help to support the new office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and ensure Cleveland’s local authorities maintain a key role in community safety issues.”
Mr Pudney had been the deputy chief executive with the North Yorkshire Police Authority for five years before taking over the role at Cleveland.
The move to oust him has sparked concern with the outgoing chairman of the police authority, Stuart Drummond.
He said: “Obviously, it is up to Barry what he does and who he brings into the role, but there are procedures that need to be followed.
“Stuart has done a great job over the last 12 months and by working together we have transformed the authority from an organisation that was in trouble to one that has a clean bill of health from the Audit Commission.”
Mr Coppinger was unavailable for comment last night.
Comments(17)
AZZIZZ
says...
8:16pm Wed 21 Nov 12
Present was our Mayor Mallon, the newly elected Police Commissioner Coppinger, a very senior police officer believed to have been the current stand in for Chief Constable, and the soon to be selected Ed Chicken.
Odd that 3 days later CO Pudney gets the bullet and Coppingers mate Ed Chicken gets slotted in.
Why was there a need for a meeting in the golf club?
What was discussed?
What conclusions would one be expected to arrive at given the news on the 21st?
Will there be a public statement by this group as to why they met?
One must wonder what other meetings take place, who attends and what is discussed or maybe decided?
AZZIZZ
says...
8:18pm Wed 21 Nov 12
This is the officer who has just received a £29,000 increase in salary BTW, during austerity measures affecting the most needy in the town of Middlesbrough!
Hunty1
says...
10:18pm Wed 21 Nov 12
AZZIZZ
says...
10:40pm Wed 21 Nov 12
No wonder folk are leaving the town for pastures new... chasing work.... reduced costs and of course....... a better quality of life.
What is the current total of the exodus from Middlesbrough? It was previously over 20,000!
AZZIZZ
says...
10:44pm Wed 21 Nov 12
I wonder why he was not positioned into the post before they got a Pudsey (bear), if he was ideally suited... why did they bring in Pudsey Bear? Then now give him the boot and install a well qualified chicken who was around before the Pudsey?
Shaking head!
Motorhome owner
says...
7:29am Thu 22 Nov 12
Also, whilst Ed Chicken might be totally suitable for the role:
1. why was the post not advertised?
2. who else was considered?
3. why no transparency and public openness before this decision was made?
David Lacey
says...
12:22pm Thu 22 Nov 12
.
Stink, stink, stink, stink.
loonyleft
says...
1:56pm Thu 22 Nov 12
st-george1
says...
3:42pm Thu 22 Nov 12
IF my local PCC does not give the people, the taxpayers, a say when it comes to cutting crime in their area, who do we complain to in order to have him replaced … ?
Claude Ted
says...
4:58pm Thu 22 Nov 12
AZZIZZ
says...
7:33pm Thu 22 Nov 12
All local authority jobs are supposed to be advertised, so how come the commissioner can hand pick his own staff before he was elected.
He should be reported to the local government minister and suspended.
AZZIZZ
says...
7:33pm Thu 22 Nov 12
All local authority jobs are supposed to be advertised, so how come the commissioner can hand pick his own staff before he was elected.
He should be reported to the local government minister and suspended.
AZZIZZ
says...
9:59pm Thu 22 Nov 12
If he didn't, why? He was on the CPA.
Machiavelli's Master
says...
3:46pm Sat 24 Nov 12
Is Barry doing this has he lacks any personality or is it just because his ameobic state requires some stability to understand where he is and clearly having friends around helps otherwise a Dory reflex will kick in and he will realise how the hell did | get here.
At least this appears we are in for an interesting ride...not one of benefit to the people of Cleveland but one that must surely include a closer investigation from Sacristy.....
Richard Ineson
says...
9:46am Sun 25 Nov 12
Richard Ineson
says...
10:06am Sun 25 Nov 12
AZZIZZ wrote:Secret meetings are the way that local government has always been organised; in Whitby they are known as STAKEHOLDER STEERING GROUPS whose members are usually selected by one particular councillor, the members are anonymous, unelected, unmandated and unaccountable, the meetings are not minuted, members of the public cannot attend the meetings, the members of the SSGs do not have to declare any interests, and their decisions are rubber stamped by the Council so that they can claim that, the Stakeholder Steering Groups do not have any decision making powers. It stinks to high heaven but, like a Zanussi washing machine, it goes on and on and on.
On Sunday 18th Nov, a meeting took place at Middlesbrough Golf Club, (apparently), which lasted from 5-30pm until 8-00 pm.
Present was our Mayor Mallon, the newly elected Police Commissioner Coppinger, a very senior police officer believed to have been the current stand in for Chief Constable, and the soon to be selected Ed Chicken.
Odd that 3 days later CO Pudney gets the bullet and Coppingers mate Ed Chicken gets slotted in.
Why was there a need for a meeting in the golf club?
What was discussed?
What conclusions would one be expected to arrive at given the news on the 21st?
Will there be a public statement by this group as to why they met?
One must wonder what other meetings take place, who attends and what is discussed or maybe decided?
st-george1 says...
6:34pm Wed 21 Nov 12
Um … Head of Community Protection ! … Is this the same man responsible for the Borough’s failings and the undesirable title of being one of the unsafest places to live, because of high crime levels, violence, anti-social behaviour, binge drinkers and drug concerns …
Albert Einstein reputedly once said … The world is a dangerous place to live in… not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it …