Friends, I present along with some brief description about the man and the related questions of policing in Britain, some parts of an interview that Sir Paul Stephenson, the newly confirmed of the London Metropolitan Police gave to "The Mail" (UK). I hope going thru this will give all of us some idea about how similar and different the police and policing in India and UK are.
Amitabh Thakur SP (Intll), Faizabad # 94155-34526 Brief Career- Sir Paul joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1975 and was appointed to the rank of superintendent in February 1988. He was later appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police in October 1994. In May 1999 he was appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary. Three years later he was promoted to Chief Constable of Lancashire, and he caught the eye of the Prime Minister of the time, Tony Blair, after dramatic improvements in his force's performance. In March 2005, Sir Paul was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Met, taking a largely behind-the-scenes - his critics would say anonymous - role in charge of strategy, organisational performance and diversity. On December 1 last year Sir Paul became the Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police after the dramatic resignation of Sir Ian Blair. Sir Ian's resignation- Sir Ian was forced to step down in October on the day the Daily Mail revealed he had used public funds to pay a close friend a five-figure sum for an image makeover. Police vs Politics in UK- Sir Paul's reputation was somewhat tarnished after the Met was embroiled in controversy over the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green. The backlash over the Yard's decision to detain Mr Green, the Tory immigration spokesman - and hold him for nine hours while counter terrorism officers staged raids on his home and House of Commons office - threatened to derail the appointment. The saga also exposed the Met's leadership to a fresh wave of criticism that it was too close to the Government. The raid was authorised by Sir Paul, who had effectively taken over from Sir Ian, following a briefing by the Yard's anti-terror chief Bob Quick. Parts of the interview- 'I want to be top class police leader... not a celebrity:' says 'safe hands' Stephenson as he takes over at the Met (By Stephen Wright and Liz Hazelton 28th January 2009) Asked if City Hall had successfully found a 'boring' commissioner he said avoiding intense public scrutiny is impossible. Sir Paul said: 'Whether I am boring is for other people to judge. It's not my aim to be boring and neither is it my aim to be a celebrity. 'It is my aim to be a top class police leader of the biggest police force in the UK and one of the best in the world. 'I don't want to be boring, I don't want to be exciting, I don't want to be a celebrity. 'I want to be a police leader who people will follow out of more than just a mere sense of curiosity.' He said: 'Right at the top of our priorities continues to be protecting London from terrorism and continuing our national role in the wider counter-terrorism effort. 'That cannot slip down the list. It stands right at the top of priorities. 'Knife crime and kids murdering young people is up there with it, it is a huge priority here in London.
