What Really Underlies the Failure of West Country Police Forces to Enforce the Hunting Ban? Nearly a decade ago, on the eve of the Hunting Act coming into force, an article appeared in The Observer in February 2005. In summary, it detailed how Britains most senior police officers raised grave concerns that the imminent hunting ban was unenforceable and would erode morale. Records of meetings and in-house emails showed the level of concern and confusion among senior officers, and that any attempt to apprehend those who decided to continue hunting had been dismissed as impractical. An internal document circulated to senior members of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) revealed that forces would give the ban a low priority. This has not been afforded high priority in the National Policing Plan, the document says. Briefing notes for the Chief Constables Council, dated 27 January 2005, reminded them the offence was not accorded high priority. Details of police action at hunt meetings revealed the offence was regarded as nothing more serious than low-level wildlife crimes, dealt with by fixed penalties. However, it was not only that the hunting ban had been afforded low priority across forces that was of concern in the article. Another concern outlined in material from Devon and Cornwall and Avon and Somerset Constabularies - two forces with a high number of hunts in their areas - included worries that police forces were fundamentally weakened by officers who sympathised with fox hunting, or were hunters themselves. One email from a Devon and Cornwall inspector detailed how he dreamt the ban would be postponed, before waking up and despairing that foxhunting would be outlawed. In the minutes of meetings held by officers in hunting hotspots such as the West Country, officers from Avon and Somerset admitted that they are not secure as an organisation... e.g. police officers [are] involved in hunts. In Devon and Cornwall, which covers at least 33 hunts, there were only six designated hunt officers to enforce the ban. For full article see theguardian/uk/2005/feb/13/hunting.immigrationpolicy Now, all that was 10 years ago, and we would hope that things might have changed since then. Wouldn’t we? Unfortunately, in our experience, since the Hunting Act came into force, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has consistently failed to act upon evidence given to them regarding illegal hunting, and have generally sat upon evidence regarding associated public disorder offences, assaults or property damage/theft by hunts against protestors and monitors. Evidence and files conveniently get “lost” or officers drag out investigations for so long that they simply run out of time to file them with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Despite being one of the most hunted areas of the country, the Force has failed to secure prosecutions for illegal hunting under the Hunting Act. Most recently they sat on evidence regarding assaults against two of our saboteurs by members of the Lamerton Hunt (footage to follow soon). Despite being given video evidence of the assaults and the names of those involved, investigating officers claimed to have lost the video evidence and then took so long to investigate the case it ran out of time. And this happens over and over again. Perhaps Somerset and Avon Constabulary have finally got their act together, given that they are actually investigating the recent serious assault against a hunt saboteur in Somerset, though it remains to be seen whether they and the CPS will actually follow through on this and secure a conviction against the perpetrator (see westerndailypress.co.uk/Arrest-protest-injury/story-22867120-detail/story.html). Given the apathy experienced from our local force, a League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) member recently wrote to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary voicing their concerns about the Observer article and its ongoing implications for policing illegal hunting in Devon and Cornwall. In her response, dated 24th June 2014, Inspector Jane Alford-Mole stated that: “The article to which you refer from The Observer … refers to high numbers of hunts in our Force area and worries that the Police Forces are fundamentally weakened by Officers who sympathise with fox hunting or are hunters themselves. I can again confirm that personnel have changed since this time”. She goes on to reiterate: “I believe from speaking to the specialists in the field that attitudes and personnel have changed since 2005. There is no evidence that Officers are interfering with due process and we are committed to upholding the law”. Well, Inspector Jane Alford-Mole (and your so-called “specialists” in the field), here’s a few officers in your Force who we know are sympathetic to hunting and are known to associate or ride with hunts in your Force area: Let’s start with PC Nicky Lawson. She’s been based at Launceston and Tavistock Stations, and has been seen by us riding regularly with the Lamerton Hunt. She is Facebook friends with key members of the Lamerton hunt, Caroline Lewis, sister of the Lamerton huntsman, David Lewis, and daughter of Gilmore Lewis, the former Dart Vale and South Pool Harriers huntsman, and Gareth Frain, the Whip for the Lamerton Hunt. Then there’s a long-time favourite of ours, PC Nadine Wilson, based at Okehampton Station, and a known fraterniser with the Mid Devon hunt. Complaints of hunt crimes to this station have consistently fallen on deaf ears. Last but not least, there’s our Tory expenses-scandal-wracked Police and Crime Commissioner himself, Tony Hogg. The Pro-hunt lobby openly campaigned to get him elected as the most pro-hunt candidate standing in the PCC elections. His wife, Chrissie Hogg, is heavily connected with the Cury Hunt Pony Club in Cornwall but Tony likes to play dumb when questioned about his own links to hunting. branches.pcuk.org/cury/contacts/ And these are just some of the ones we know about. Personnel may have changed, but attitudes have not. So, we ask again, what really underlies the failure of West Country police forces to enforce the Hunting Act and other offences committed by hunt members? There is no justice. Just us. Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association. Donate. Share.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 08:03:34 +0000
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