STRANGER THAN FICTION AND MORE STUPID
Britain's most senior counter terrorism police officer Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, a man who perhaps has never heard of cameras with telephoto lenses, clutches a secret file in his hot little hands.
Can we not afford a box file or a nice briefcase for a counter terrorism "expert", or has the country's money all gone on bath plugs for our Home Secretary?
If a thriller writer put this scenario in a novel he or she would be laughed at by critics. This country is in the mess it is in because people in all walks of life from finance, politics, NHS, social care and the police are promoted for various reasons to positions way above their abilities.
UPDATE: Thursday 9th April
Bob Quick has resigned.
posted by Uriah Robinson at 12:15 PM
4 Comments:
Maybe the Crime Fest organisers could give him one of their bags with a big skull drawn on it?
It's a bizarre story and, if there were not a very serious side, it would seem quite hilarious. As for your point about over-promotion, I couldn't agree more.
Thanks for your comments Martin. Last year we were on our way to the Giraffe Restaurant in Exeter [recommended by our son] but changed our minds at the last moment. A few hours later we learned about the attempted bombing of the restaurant by Nicky Reilly. As you say there is a very serious side to Bob Quick's mistake. There was an attempt by the BBC to connect Quick's resignation with past political controversies. In fact he resigned because he had breached the protocols for dealing with documents rated as "secret" and compromised an ongoing investigation.
I am pleased you agree about over-promotion. I remember that in one Reginald Hill novel, Andy Dalziel had given a useless policeman an excellent reference in order to get him to move on. Everyone else up the chain had done the same and he returned as Assistant Chief Constable!
In many organizations we see the removal of some middle management [the square pegs in round holes who are usually the innovative thinkers] and promotion of sycophants who are rewarded with higher salaries.
This produces a large salary gap between management and the sharp end workers which not only destroys morale but ensures the obedience of the over-promoted because they are being paid way above their abilities and qualifications.
Yes, the alleged 'plan' to bomb the Trafford Centre, where my daughter often goes shopping, is a reminder of the seriousness of these things. As for the BBC, I thought Mark Easton's report about the Quick story was a pretty feeble piece of journalism. And as an employment lawyer, I've seen plenty of cases of the kind of over-promotion you describe.
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