Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has released a statement on the current trade dispute in Birmingham.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “My clear expectation is that the Chief Constable, will exercise his independent, objective and impartial judgment, on all matters that relate to operational policing. That expectation applies as equally to the policing of matters arising from trade disputes, as it does to any other area of operational policing.
“That requires the Chief Constable, to act appropriately, lawfully and proportionately, having regard to the rights and freedoms of all concerned, including those directly and indirectly involved in the trade dispute, the general public and the wider public interest.
“I receive regular updates from the Chief Constable and his team on these matters, and will continue to do so. This is a matter in connection with which, I will continue to keep under constant review and provide ongoing oversight and scrutiny.
“Now that Birmingham City Council has declared a major incident, I expect the local arrangements and processes for managing civil contingencies to be fully activated. This enables all the relevant partners to consider the risks and community impacts that they need to address together. This also supports open, transparent and accountable decision-making by all the partners, and ensures a more effective, collaborative response.
“I trust that the parties concerned with this trade dispute, will continue to negotiate in good faith and with a sense of urgency, with a view to reaching a settlement at the earliest possible opportunity.”
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