Over in The Indpendent, former top police officer and 2008 Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London Brian Paddick writes about the case of Commander Ali Dizaei, jailed yesterday for perverting the course of justice. Here’s an excerpt:
If ever there was a “Marmite” senior officer, it was Ali Dizaei. Many hated him, believing he had “got away with it” because “he was black”. But for the Black Police Association, he was their flag-bearer.
He was an undoubted champion for racial equality, but his approach was sometimes aggressive and confrontational when dealing with “the establishment”. Ali Dizaei’s MO was getting things done by upsetting people in authority who did not address his own race agenda.
I do not believe those at the top of the Met were bright enough or brave enough to ensnare Dizaei and bring him down. It appears that it was Dizaei’s own forcefulness, and his sometimes over-developed belief in his status and authority, that did for him. … For me its an ill-wind that blows no one any good, with both the Met and the Black Police Association having been damaged in the process.
The actions of Dizaei and his imprisonment will do little to improve race relations in the police service or improve public confidence in the police.
You can read Brian’s article in full here.
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3 Comments
Am I alone in finding this article deeply unimpressive?
I suspect that Dizaei behaved in a manner that was not untypical of a police officer of his rank. The trouble for Dizaei, though, is that almost all his colleagues detested him, and he didn’t have the top brass and the Freemasons to protect him, unlike virtually every other copper who breaks the law.
Sesenco, d’you have evidence that other Po-Po have behaved similarly? Cedric Daniels may have had skeletons in his closet, but he was no Erwin Burrell.
Dizaei wasn’t investigated ‘cos of personal animosity. He was investigated ‘cos he was dirty.