SOUTH Yorkshire Police Federation is totally against the idea of direct entry to the inspector rank as people need \u201cexperience to be able to command and manage a team of police officers\u201d.<\/p>\n
The College of Policing had stated that South Yorkshire and Humberside Police as a collaboration had \u201csigned up\u201d to direct entry at the inspector rank \u2013 although this has been checked by the Federation and is not the case in force at this time.<\/p>\n
Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a totally stupid idea and pours scorn on the hundreds of sergeants that we\u2019ve probably got qualified to the next rank, and they\u2019re saying that none of them are suitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that participating forces must be sure they are \u201cdoing this for the right purposes and not just because it\u2019s a political win with the current Home Secretary\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWe\u2019re totally against it for the same reasons we\u2019re against superintendents. You need policing experience to be able to command and manage a team of police officers. There\u2019s no two ways around it, and you\u2019re not going to get that on a quick whistle-stop tour through the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles said the idea formed part of the College of Policing\u2019s leadership review which was \u201cbasically to water down the Office of Constable, which of course is one of our lines in the sand as a Federation\u201d.<\/p>\n