THE interim Chief Constable of troubled Cleveland Police said the force is ‘not broken’ and there was no reason it couldn’t become ‘one of the best forces in the country’.

Lee Freeman, who is on secondment to the force from Humberside Police for three months following the resignation of under-investigation Mike Veale, told a meeting of Cleveland’s Police and Crime panel last night that there was real cause for optimism.

​“Day in day out the officers who work for Cleveland Police have real pride in the area,” he told councillors at the panel, which scrutinises the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger.

“They are doing a good job day in day out and in the next three months I’m hoping we can change some of the narratives to focus on the good work they are doing and talking about Cleveland Police for the right reasons.”

He said there was no reason why Cleveland couldn’t become one of the best forces in the country and said he was “here with no agenda”.

He added: “The staff are again crying out for someone to come along and support them and help them police area – my job over the next three months is to bring a bit of common sense, a bit of stability for staff and hopefully to get people talking about policing in Cleveland again as opposed to Cleveland Police.”

Meanwhile Mr Coppinger faced a grilling from some councillors and denied letting front-line police officers down on the back of Mr Veale’s departure.

Mr Veale resigned from the force on January 18 after allegations of inappropriate behaviour lodged with the police and crime commissioner’s office in December.

The Northern Echo:

An IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) investigation is underway.

Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger faced some stern questioning after giving an update on the state of play at Tuesday night’s police and crime panel in Stockton (February 5).

Stockton Conservative Cllr Matt Vickers said those at the top of Cleveland Police had changed several times – adding it appeared as though the force “stumbled and staggered from scandal to scandal”.

“Are we just having a run of bad luck?” he asked.

Mr Coppinger didn’t agree – telling the panel the message he got from the public was Cleveland Police did a good job but there “just weren’t enough officers”.

He added: “I think you’ve got to bear in mind, looking at it objectively, a relatively small number of people have behaved inappropriately.

“Cleveland Police is now an organisation where when people behave inappropriately, at whatever level of the organisation, there is support there for people who want to raise complaints and concerns.

“That’s an organisation heading in the right direction as far as I am concerned. I think we’ve got the building blocks in place to make Cleveland Police a first-class organisation.”

Cllr Vickers said every time a new chief was appointed there was “hope for change” that the “cycle of scandal and disaster” would stop.

But Cllr Stephenson hit back – pointing to the departures of former top cops Jacqui Cheer and Iain Spittal.

“There was no scandal or disaster attached to their leaving – they just didn’t stay as long as they indicated to us that they intended to,” she added.

Mr Coppinger said he would defend the force if it was “unfairly criticised”.

He added: “I think this force is not awash with scandal and disaster – I think a few individuals have behaved inappropriately.

“Fortunately, that’s been dealt with.”

Cllr Vickers also asked about the selection process for Mr Veale – sharing his concerns about references not being taken and the fact the former chief was under investigation by the IOPC at the time.

Simon Dennis, chief executive for the police and crime commissioner, said the taking of references was not part of the College of Policing process for chief constable recruitment.

He added Mr Veale had offered a reference from a previous application and a reference was taken as part of separate police officer appointing procedures.

Mr Dennis said all the procedures which were adhered to when Mr Veale was under investigation the first time around.

Panel chairwoman Cllr Norma Stephenson said: “From my perspective of what happened, I wouldn’t have looked for a reference.

“This man was a long serving police officer who had achieved the rank of Chief Constable already and I can understand why you don’t ask for references.

“As far the investigation goes, the panel felt Mike Veale open and honest as to what happened – I don’t think it would have made the slightest bit of difference to the decision this panel made at the time.”

Mr Coppinger told the panel the recruitment process for a new chief constable had already started with “informal expressions of interest” lodged at his office.

The selection process will start in the next few weeks.