Weasel Words

Did you hear the 'apology' of the three police officers - Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones - who were caught out misrepresenting the former Government Chief Whip - Andrew Mitchell - following a meeting in his constituency office in October 2012?

Here are the weasel words issued in a joint statement by the three men who were representing the Police Federation (police trade union) at the meeting with Andrew Mitchell:

“The reputation of, and public confidence in, the police service is of immense concern to each of us.

We acknowledge the investigation's criticism relating to our poor judgment in talking to the media following the meeting with Andrew Mitchell, for which we take this opportunity to apologise.

We would like to emphasise – as we did to the investigation – that in no way did any of us ever plan or intend to mislead anyone about what occurred during this meeting or otherwise.”

Now anyone who has listened to or read the transcript of the October 20122 meeting - which Andrew Mitchell secretly recorded - would agree that the final sentence of statement is, quite simply, untrue.

When the three police officers came out of the meeting to address the waiting media - which had handily been put on alert by the Police Federation - they completely misrepresented what Andrew Mitchell had said to them only minutes earlier.

So, to say now - having been exposed - that their actions were not planned or intentional simply beggars belief, if you ask me. 

The reason that all of this matters, of course, comes down to the question of whether or not the public can have confidence in the Police - to tell the truth and not fit people up which is what appears to have happened to Andrew Mitchell. 

For example, I read the testimony of the armed police officer who shot and killed Mark Duggan - a known criminal - whose death was used by anti-social elements in London and elsewhere as an excuse for widespread rioting and looting last year.  

I wanted to believe the officer that he held an honest belief that Mark Duggan presented a real and direct threat to his life - as he was about to be arrested by the Police - which is why he shot and killed Mark Duggan in an act of self-defence.

Why would a Police Officer want to shoot and kill a perfectly innocent person? - I asked myself, rhetorically.

But you could ask yourself the same question over the Andrew Mitchell affair where it is becoming increasingly clear that various members of the police service - have not been telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.