Senior Northamptonshire police and fire officers break cover to launch unprecedented condemnation of commissioner Stephen Mold

The county’s most senior fire and police officers have launched an unprecedented attack on commissioner Stephen Mold after he called his incoming fire boss a ‘b**ch’.

Northamptonshire Police Federation Chair Sam Dobbs said that Mr Mold’s remarks were ‘abhorrent’, while Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said it was a ‘disgraceful episode.’

This morning (Wednesday, March 20) the Acting Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill also weighed in, saying that the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s remarks ‘clearly made it impossible for him to legitimately hold me and this service to account’.

Mr Mold has been asked not to attend planned events themed on tackling misogyny in the force.

Questions will now be asked over whether Mr Mold has enough support from his officers to cling onto his role until the May 2 election.

‘Totally unacceptable and abhorrent’

Last week announced he would no longer seek re-election in May’s ballot after receiving huge public criticism for his remarks about Nikki Watson.

Northamptonshire Police Federation Chair Sam Dobbs, who represents the county’s serving police officers, said: “This announcement came due to the media scrutiny he was facing both for a number of appointments within his office and for a sexist comment about one of those employees, a woman due to become the chief fire officer.

“As Northamptonshire’s PFCC, Mr Mold – through the chief constable – sits over the conduct and performance proceedings for police officers and staff.

“Police officers and staff are quite rightly held to the highest standards of behaviour and performance as servants of the crown, serving and protecting their communities.

“So, at a time when police officers and the police service itself are under the spotlight due to the misogynistic culture identified by Dame Eilish Angiolini’s report just a few weeks ago, it is clearly totally unacceptable, and abhorrent, that the person at the very top of our organisation has made such disgusting comments about a woman and, while the PFCC says this was a ‘significant mistake’, I think it goes beyond that.

“These comments have damaged the reputation of the force, tarnishing the organisation as a whole but also everyone who works within it. The effects of this will be far-reaching. He had a key role to play in restoring confidence and trust in policing at a time when the service is facing unprecedented challenges and instead he further damaged the public’s perception of standards within the police service.

“I firmly believe Mr Mold’s position had become untenable and that he had lost any credibility in terms of leading the force and holding officers and staff to account.”

‘Glad he has chosen not to stand for re-election’

Detective Superintendent Joe Banfield, chair of the Northamptonshire Police Superintendents’ Association, has also welcomed Mr Mold’s decision not to seek re-election.

He said: “The PFCC failed to understand the extent of the damage and ill-feeling his comments caused. I am glad that he has chosen not to stand for re-election as he no longer has the required mandate to lead either the police or fire service.”

Before Friday’s announcement, Northamptonshire Police Federation had, in a highly unusual step, joined forces with the force’s superintendents’ association and the UNISON branch which represents police staff, to send a letter to Mr Mold expressing their concerns after receiving ‘quite unprecedented feedback from members’ across the force.

The letter states: “You, and your chief executive officer, should be aware of recent misconduct cases where officers have been held to the very highest bar in relation to inappropriate banter or comments in the workplace. While the fact that only one comment was made might mitigate the severity of the matter, your position in our organisation aggravates it, especially given your ownership and condemnation of the very behaviour of which you are accused of. In our view, this is not excusable by the explanations given.

“We believe you do not have the credibility to hold our chief officers - and therefore us - to account for the very live and real cultural and misogynist issues faced in the force and in UK policing.”

Mr Mold will not be involved in misogyny seminars

Branch secretary Charlotte Pateman explained that the federation is continuing to work with the force following the implications of the Angiolini report and, as a result, there are several planned events and seminars around misogyny in the workplace.

“I would like to confirm that we have asked Mr Mold not to be involved in any of the upcoming events and seminars we have planned around misogyny,” said Ms Pateman.

"We are carefully and consciously making these decisions for the sake of the public, our members and the wider policing community.”

The role of the Chief Executive of the PFCC Jonny Bugg has also been called into question after he offered ‘words of advice’ to Mr Mold following his comments, but seemingly took no further action.

Mr Bugg attended a meeting with the representatives on Monday (March 18).

“Discussions between the force, federation and Mr Bugg will remain ongoing - and we will continue to update our members accordingly,” said Mr Dobbs..

He added: “We have been assured that while Mr Bugg acts as monitoring officer for the PFCC, he does not have the powers or framework that our members are subject to.”

‘Disgraceful episode’

Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, who is in standing-in for the suspended Chief Constable Nick Adderley, also issued a statement yesterday (Tuesday, March 19).

He said Mr Mold’s comments were ‘unacceptable’ adding: “Once again, the force has been unnecessarily subject to adverse publicity and criticism from which we will need time to rebuild the trust and confidence of the public.

"Yesterday, as everyone across Northamptonshire Police continued to reflect on the news, I met with a wide range of senior leaders, police federation representatives and staff networks to listen to their thoughts. Their feedback was unanimous: This was a disgraceful episode which has let down our officers and staff, particularly our female workforce, and deeply offended the wider public.

"What is particularly disappointing is the force has taken huge steps in the past couple of years to address the issue of misogyny.

"I am determined to instil a culture in this force where everyone – everyone – views misogyny as grossly offensive and unacceptable and create a workplace in which it is simply not tolerated and where people feel empowered to report those who cross the line.”

He said the publication of the Angiolini Inquiry last month led to the creation of a board whose job will be to track the force’s progress against the recommendations, starting with an entire review of all 79 indecent exposure cases reported to the force in the past 12 months. He added that there will be a ‘significant increase’ in officers attached to the professional standards department.

He added: “In the meantime I remain absolutely determined to lead a force which, as evidenced by the improvements cited in last month’s inspection report by HMICFRS, is showing significant progress in performance. I remain resolutely focused on this and am grateful for all the great work that our officers and staff do every single day. Now is not the time to be distracted by the fallouts raised by such negative headlines, now is the time to ensure we are doing everything we can to change our workplace culture for the better."

‘Hurtful and damaging’

Northamptonshire’s Acting Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said that misogynistic language used by the PFCC is ‘unacceptable’.

He said: “The fire service is under scrutiny as never before. We have all been working extremely hard in Northamptonshire to make our service a kinder, better place to work. I am proud of the way everyone has committed to reaching the highest standards of behaviour and making a difference, both to their colleagues and the wider public.

“Everyone who works in our service should be confident to come forward and challenge unacceptable behaviour and language in any form, from anyone. No-one is above that challenge.

“I am leading the work to improve our culture and I am happy be accountable for the work we are doing to tackle misogyny and discrimination of any kind.

“But while the commissioner is accountable to the public, he fell short of the standards we expect from ourselves, and his remarks clearly made it impossible for him to legitimately hold me and this service to account.

“His remarks were hurtful and damaging. Over the last few days I have been contacted by many members of staff expressing their concern and outrage, which I share. I am clear that I do not want what he said to be seen as a reflection of the values we embody in Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, or the work we are doing to be better.

"Our staff are not only offended by what has happened and personally hurt, but they are angry that this might reflect badly on them and the work that they do.”

- The county’s fire and crime panel is seeking three new independent members. Their job will be to hold the commissioner to account. You can find out more information here.