Only police reform can keep politics out of policing

We expect and openly tolerate close, even cosy, relations between politicians and the media – each relies on the other for survival in a society that is less deferential and where politicians find it difficult to be heard, let alone trusted. The police need to tell their side of the story. But the police are not politicians. When senior police officers begin to behave like politicians – and 18 dinners with one media group looks like a politician’s diary – they damage the wider reputation of the service.

First, officers who meet with the press are still public servants with a duty of discretion, and yet insight and understanding can quickly descend into un-attributable briefings that demean the police. Relationships become compromising when they become too close – even though no real collusion of any sort takes place.  Second, by acting in a politician-like way, senior officers become fair game – exposed to the scrutiny we demand of politicians and are therefore seen as politically accountable.