FOI Request
Can you answer some questions about ex- Chief Constable Mike Vale
According to various media articles an online comments, Mr Mike Veale resigned from Cleveland Police on 18 January 2019. It has since been reported that he was the subject of serious allegations made against him by two serving women officers from Cleveland Police https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/21/police-chief-constable-mike-veale-led-sir-edward-heath-probe/
Q1. Do the female officers who raised concerns about Mr Veale’s conduct still work for Cleveland Police ?
Q2. If the officers who raised concerns about Mr Veale had formerly or were working under his leadership, why didn’t Cleveland Police block and close down the progression of those concerns using Sect 29(4) Police Reform Act 2002 ? (officers serving under a chief officer, cannot raise complaints against other officers also working under that same chief officer )
Q3. If the concerns raised against Mr Veale were not presented under the Police Reform Act 2002, can you clarify which legislation was used to support and justify the Misconduct /Gross Misconduct process against Mr Veale ? (Police Conduct Regulations 2012, Police Complaints and Misconduct Regulations 2012, Common Law etc )
Q4. Can you provide information about what part of the Police Reform Act 2002 was used to support the Misconduct process against Mr Veale?
FOI Response
1. Information about the person or persons who raised concerns about Mr Veale’s behaviour is subject to an absolute exemption from disclosure and furthermore, in accordance with the exemptions provided for by ss38, 41 and 44 Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner neither confirms nor denies the premise of your question.
2. There is no recorded information directly relevant to this question, which does not in any event appear to amount to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
However, we can confirm that the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner complies with the law in respect of complaints against the police (which as you suggest, cannot be made by police personnel) and in respect of conduct matters (which can be raised by such personnel). The Police & Crime Commissioner respectfully does not agree with your suggestion that Cleveland Police ought to ‘block and close down’ any such matters.
3. It would not be possible to answer this question without revealing the information you ask for at Question 1. Accordingly, the same exemptions apply.
4. It would not be possible to answer this question without revealing the information you ask for at Question 1. Accordingly, the same exemptions apply.
Date responded: 29 January 2019