Operation Countryman
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Operation Countryman was a major wide-ranging investigation into police corruption in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police, conducted from 1978-1984.
Originally established to investigate corruption allegations in the City of London Police, Countryman was soon extended to the Metropolitan Police as well.
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[edit] Context
The 1970s had been rife with allegations of corruption within London's police forces, and numerous dismissals had already taken place, in particular after some high-profile scandals involving bribery of officers in the vice squad by Soho criminals. Worse was to come, however, as further allegations of collusion between armed robbery gangs and high-ranking officers in specialised units such as the Flying Squad, the Regional Crime Squad and the Criminal Intelligence Branch (C11) came to light.
The Home Office, in conjunction with the Met Police Commissioner Sir Robert Mark, appointed the Assistant Chief Constable of Dorset Constabulary, Leonard Burt, to investigate the allegations. While this could still be seen as a case of the 'police policing themselves', it was thought to be more prudent to assign an external regional police force to the investigation, as opposed to the Met's internal investigations units.
[edit] Operation Countryman
With a taskforce of over 200 officers, Countryman began its investigations into London's crooked cops. Such was the scope of the exercise, that many further officers were seconded to Countryman over its six year operation.
Not surprisingly, as is often the case with internal police investigations, Countryman faced massive obstruction from both the management hierarchy and the rank-and-file of the police forces it was investigating. Much of the investigation was conducted covertly, with police officers going undercover as police officers.
[edit] Aftermath
After six years, and at a cost of over £4 million, Operation Countryman presented its findings to the Home Office and the Commissioner. Parts of the report were leaked to the public, and it was revealed that over 400 police officers lost their jobs during or after the Countryman investigation.
Despite Countryman's recommendation that over 300 officers should face criminal charges, no officer was ever charged with a criminal offence as a result of the investigation.
In 1979, The Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said:
- ""No action will be taken against any police officer of the Metropolitan Police Force as a result of the (Operation Countryman) enquiry because to do so would damage the morale of the Metropolitan Police Force" [1]
Questions asked in the British Parliament have, on several occasions, called on the Home Secretary to publicly release the findings of Operation Countryman, but such requests have been refused as these are protected by public interest immunity. [2] [3]
[edit] References
- Cox, Barry; Shirley, John; Short, Martin (1977). The Fall of Scotland Yard. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-052318-9.
- This is the North East: The Lancet Files (archived on the Internet Archive). Retrieved 13 September 2004 version.
