A police state within the police

If true, this article in the Guardian is a little disturbing. It claims that Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has instructed that his Senior Officers should either back him or face the sack. The spin is that he is trying to cut leaks from his department, which is understandable. But the truth is that the two senior officers who have been victims of this policy seem to have been guilty of questioning the legality of his tactics and threatening legal action.

Personally, whilst I don't like the culture of leaks, I would want senior Police Officers to consider legal action if they believe another officer's methods and actions are a breach of the Law.

These strong handed tactics will inevitably send messages to police officers of every rank, and could impact on policing on the ground. That is a worry.