Why was the case screwed up ?
Until about 30 years ago in the Met police when a person transferred to the CID, which was completely controlled and managed by career detectives, if suitable they stayed in the CID for the remainder of there service. However, about 30 years ago, some idiot in his wisdom decided that the CID should become part of the mainstream police service (affectionately and often for good reason, known as 'the wooden tops). From then on when a CID officer was promoted, they were required to spend a year or so in a uniform department, local police station, traffic, courts etc. After a while they could then apply to return to the CID, until they were promoted again and once more back to uniform.
The effect was that instead of a CID officer being a professional detective, gaining more and more experience and knowledge of criminal investigation, they had ‘holes’ in their experience and knowledge. Thus when they came to investigate a complicated crime they were totally out of their depth and were, not through their own fault, incompetent. Thus like the Stephen Lawrence case, in Eltham, they were investigated incompetently, with the result that either there was insufficient evidence obtained, the strict rules of investigation required to support a trial were not followed and so cases either were not prosecuted, collapsed or dismissed on appeal.
The reason for these failures was not caused by corruption, racist attitudes etc. which are popularly blamed, and thus very conveniently take the blame away from 'the system' which in reality was the real failure.-
Until the Met return to having professional detectives things will get worse, believe me I know.
The system at present is akin to a GP who has a wonderful record of treating patients being told that as from tomorrow he is going to be a brain surgeon. The outcome of course would be that many of his patients would die, as he would be incompetent to that job for which he had not been trained nor had the experience for.
The County forces have for many years operated the transfer back to uniform on promotion system, however, that was compensated for in that all the county forces could call in the professional investigators from Scotland Yard. Of course there are now no professional detectives to call on and cases fail.
I do not know who the officer or officers were who failed to progress the allegations against Janner but for certain it would have been a ‘wooden top’ expert and not a professional detective as they are an extinct species.
PS I just saw that the idiots who (dis) organise the police services want to 'employ' 7,000 volunteers, instead of recruiting, training and retaining real police officers.
If it was not so sad it would be hilarious.
Maybe the next move will be to sack all officers and have just volunteers, but of course with senior officers or Gov ministers maybe, on high pay to disorganise them too. !
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