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| Gwent chief constable told to quit by police commissioner | Gwent chief constable told to quit by police commissioner |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Gwent's police and crime commissioner has admitted he ordered the force's chief constable, Carmel Napier, to retire or be forced out of office. | Gwent's police and crime commissioner has admitted he ordered the force's chief constable, Carmel Napier, to retire or be forced out of office. |
| Ian Johnston claimed Ms Napier was hostile to the appointment of police commissioners and that the relationship "was never going to work." | Ian Johnston claimed Ms Napier was hostile to the appointment of police commissioners and that the relationship "was never going to work." |
| He spoke out after the South Wales Argus obtained leaked documents. | He spoke out after the South Wales Argus obtained leaked documents. |
| Mrs Napier has not yet responded. But many MPs in the force area were damning in their criticism of the commissioner. | Mrs Napier has not yet responded. But many MPs in the force area were damning in their criticism of the commissioner. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Mr Johnston, a former chief superintendent, said: "I had a civilised discussion with the chief constable. I thought we had an agreement that she would retire and access her pension and lump sum and we'd both call it a day. | Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Mr Johnston, a former chief superintendent, said: "I had a civilised discussion with the chief constable. I thought we had an agreement that she would retire and access her pension and lump sum and we'd both call it a day. |
| "But obviously somebody has leaked this document to the Argus and it's not me and it's not my staff. | "But obviously somebody has leaked this document to the Argus and it's not me and it's not my staff. |
| "I'm not going to deny that the meeting took place, I'm not going to deny the details in the Argus are not true." | "I'm not going to deny that the meeting took place, I'm not going to deny the details in the Argus are not true." |
| Wayne David, MP for Caerphilly and a shadow justice minister, said: "The actions of Gwent's PCC are totally unacceptable. | Wayne David, MP for Caerphilly and a shadow justice minister, said: "The actions of Gwent's PCC are totally unacceptable. |
| "When the legislation for PCCs was passing through parliament, Labour expressed its concern about the potential conflicts which could arise between a PCC and a chief constable." | "When the legislation for PCCs was passing through parliament, Labour expressed its concern about the potential conflicts which could arise between a PCC and a chief constable." |
| Mr David said it was "an extremely worrying situation where a PCC is interfering in operational police matters, and when he doesn't get his way, gets rid of the chief constable". | Mr David said it was "an extremely worrying situation where a PCC is interfering in operational police matters, and when he doesn't get his way, gets rid of the chief constable". |
| He said: "It is a profound weakness in the legislation that a PCC can apparently do this." | |
| 'Deplorable actions' | 'Deplorable actions' |
| Mr David said Mr Johnston's "deplorable actions" put "a large question mark over the future of police and crime commissioners". | |
| Newport West MP Paul Flynn said it would be disgraceful if Mrs Napier's talents had been lost "because of the arrogance of a PCC who is a retired policeman anyway, with old-fashioned ideas". | Newport West MP Paul Flynn said it would be disgraceful if Mrs Napier's talents had been lost "because of the arrogance of a PCC who is a retired policeman anyway, with old-fashioned ideas". |
| On Mr Johnston, he said: "I find him very uninspiring as a person and as a PCC and I believe he was out to get rid of the chief constable. | On Mr Johnston, he said: "I find him very uninspiring as a person and as a PCC and I believe he was out to get rid of the chief constable. |
| "I believe if there's any demoralisation of the force it's because the chief constable has been removed. There's a great deal of loyalty to the chief constable. I believe that Ian Johnston listens only to those voices he wants to hear." | "I believe if there's any demoralisation of the force it's because the chief constable has been removed. There's a great deal of loyalty to the chief constable. I believe that Ian Johnston listens only to those voices he wants to hear." |
| However, Mr Johnston insisted he had done everything within his power to make the relationship work. | However, Mr Johnston insisted he had done everything within his power to make the relationship work. |
| But he claimed Mrs Napier had lost the confidence of officers, her managerial style was "unacceptably dismissive, abrupt and unhelpful" and she had failed appropriately to manage internal and external relations as well as being "deeply hostile" to the commissioner's role. | But he claimed Mrs Napier had lost the confidence of officers, her managerial style was "unacceptably dismissive, abrupt and unhelpful" and she had failed appropriately to manage internal and external relations as well as being "deeply hostile" to the commissioner's role. |
| Public disagreements | Public disagreements |
| The two had had public disagreements over recent crime figures and had also clashed over the closure of several police station front desks in the force area. | The two had had public disagreements over recent crime figures and had also clashed over the closure of several police station front desks in the force area. |
| "The public disagreement, which has been going on for some time but has only appeared in the media in recent months, is much broader than the crime statistics themselves," he added. | "The public disagreement, which has been going on for some time but has only appeared in the media in recent months, is much broader than the crime statistics themselves," he added. |
| "My view, and it's obviously not shared by the retired chief constable, was that the crime statistics were being managed in such a way that we were obsessed with reducing the level of recorded crime and we had actually forgotten that we were here to serve the public of Gwent." | "My view, and it's obviously not shared by the retired chief constable, was that the crime statistics were being managed in such a way that we were obsessed with reducing the level of recorded crime and we had actually forgotten that we were here to serve the public of Gwent." |
| In the leaked documents, Mr Johnston told Mrs Napier she had lost the confidence of her officers and staff. | In the leaked documents, Mr Johnston told Mrs Napier she had lost the confidence of her officers and staff. |
| He claimed that as a former police detective, he would not have made the accusations "if I didn't have the evidence to prove them" and denied, when challenged, that his own managerial style was at fault. | He claimed that as a former police detective, he would not have made the accusations "if I didn't have the evidence to prove them" and denied, when challenged, that his own managerial style was at fault. |
| Mr Johnston said he made "huge" efforts to make their relationship work, saying he "compromised on everything I got a downright refusal on" for more than five months. | Mr Johnston said he made "huge" efforts to make their relationship work, saying he "compromised on everything I got a downright refusal on" for more than five months. |
| However, Islwyn MP Chris Evans said: "Since the announcement that the chief constable was to retire, we have met with a wall of silence from the police and crime commissioner. | However, Islwyn MP Chris Evans said: "Since the announcement that the chief constable was to retire, we have met with a wall of silence from the police and crime commissioner. |
| "It does not bode well for the future that the events leading up to her retirement were only revealed by leaked documents to the Argus. | "It does not bode well for the future that the events leading up to her retirement were only revealed by leaked documents to the Argus. |
| "The police and crime commissioner needs to take a long, hard look at his own management style. It is just not good enough that his first act in the job is to force out his own chief constable." | "The police and crime commissioner needs to take a long, hard look at his own management style. It is just not good enough that his first act in the job is to force out his own chief constable." |
| Newport East MP Jessica Morden said: "The Labour party warned of this possibility when we opposed the legislation and unfortunately our worries seem well founded. There are lots of questions outstanding and as MPs I know we will be looking for answers." | Newport East MP Jessica Morden said: "The Labour party warned of this possibility when we opposed the legislation and unfortunately our worries seem well founded. There are lots of questions outstanding and as MPs I know we will be looking for answers." |