Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright told Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Panel on the 5th of November that his secretary has been dressing up in police uniform for him. Graham Bright told the panel:
My secretary has been parading round wearing bits [of uniform] to show me, it looks fantastic.
Graham Bright’s friend Brian, who he appointed deputy commissioner, and a member of his office staff, smiled and appeared to be struggling to stop themselves laughing.
The exchange took place as the panel were discussing the “Police Cadets” scheme which Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright has established.
Young people aged 13-18 will meet every week, in uniform, and also volunteer to help out at events. The scheme is starting at the Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough. At the Police and Crime Panel on the 5th of November the Commissioner was asked about his plans to extend the scheme. He said:
I want to do the same in Cambridge and I’ve been in consultation with a number of businesses in Cambridge and Marshall have flagged up their interest in helping us in that one.
There is some limitation in terms of you know the fact we’ve got to put them in uniform and I’ve been quite adamant that what we don’t want is youngsters having to provide some of their own uniform because the very ones we want to help couldn’t afford to have the uniform so everyone will be the same.
I haven’t actually seen the whole parade and I, my secretary has been parading round wearing bits [of uniform] to show me, it looks fantastic, they really will look the part.
A leaflet promoting the scheme and encouraging applications states:
Activities will include supporting local policing teams at public events, delivering crime prevention advice, assisting the public at community events and mystery shopper activities for age restricted items.
I hope the uniform is sufficiently different from that of a Police Officer, or PCSO, so that there will be no confusion about the status of the cadets.
2 responses to “Secretary Dresses Up In Police Uniform for Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright”
Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright says an advantage of restorative justice disposal is that those subject to them do not have a “black mark” i.e. a criminal record which might affect their chances of obtaining education and employment.
The Police and Crime Commissioner though is asking applicants to be cadets:
If the Police and Crime Commissioner himself is asking for information on such disposals surely it won’t be long before recruiters, and academic admissions staff, start copying the kind of question the Commissioner is pioneering here.
http://www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cadet-application-form.pdf
The Police and Crime Commissioner is also requiring a reference from prospective cadets which I think may add an unnecessary hurdle; preventing those who do not know someone who would be prepared to provide a reference from applying. Some may prefer to spend any good-will they have with individuals in a position to provide them with a reference on academic and job applications.
The mystery shopper activities will mean the cadets are being used as RIPA regulated “covert human intelligence sources”.