Officers receive payments for information but proving difficult

A senior Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer told the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) this week that there is intelligence of officers taking payments in return for information, but proving was difficult.

Commander Peter Spindler told MPs there is intelligence of the practice happening but “proving it was a different matter”. He added that he would not be surprised if payments were being received, and that private investigators have now been identified as a “threat to law enforcement” by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

The HASC also heard that between 50 and 60 per cent of private investigators are former police officers. The committee began its inquiry into private investigators following the issues raised in the phone hacking scandals.

MPs heard evidence which suggested that a large number of private investigators were from a policing background, but Commander Spindler said the issue is not one which lies solely with the police and private investigators can be from a diverse background including the military and security sector.

He said most forces have safeguards in place to ensure officers who leave the service enter into ‘compatible’ employment.

Commander Spindler said: “We have introduced, in most forces, in recent years, what we call declarable associations policies. The MPS has a policy that is owned by the Directorate of Professional Standards, and there are six categories, and category number 6 is ‘persons including former police officers who are working in related fields of employment’ which include private investigations and the security sector. We ask all of our employees who are into those sectors to declare their positions, so that we can better understand the relationships [between the police and private investigators], and then risk manage those.

“There are 14 categories of incompatible posts and one of those is working as a private investigator.”

He was also unclear, when questioned over whether the practice of private investigators should be regulated, on an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) position, saying there has not been any discussion in great detail among chief officers over the issue.

Also giving evidence to the HASC was Roy Clark, a former assistant commissioner of the MPS.

Mr Clark said while he was in the service there was both strong evidence and intelligence of officers receiving payments in the late 1990s. Mr Clark said he was in favour of regulating private investigations but added that, although it would mark a step in the right direction, it would not solve all the current problems.

The involvement of private investigators in alleged phone hacking are currently being investigated by police while the use of private investigators by newspapers is also under scrutiny at the ongoing Leveson inquiry into press standards.