West Midlands Police will carry on as usual without ‘fear or favour’, says internal memopublished at 13:00 GMT
13:00 GMT
Phil Mackie
Midlands Correspondent
The BBC has seen a copy of an internal briefing which was sent to staff and officers last night.
Its message was clear – the force will carry on as usual and do so without “fear or favour”.
It added it was continuing to support the investigation by Sir Andy Cooke, the HMICFRS, whose interim letter prompted the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to say she no longer had confidence in the Chief Constable.
It acknowledged mistakes had been made and apologised for their impact. The briefing also reiterated the force’s contention that there had been “no intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination”.
It also set out suggested responses to questions the public might ask.
To the question “do you think the Chief Constable should be sacked?” it said “It would be inappropriate and unprofessional to discuss the future of anyone within the organisation. Our focus is on doing everything possible to protect the West Midlands and prevent crime.”
After allegations that senior officers had failed to speak to the Jewish community, and had pandered to pro-Palestinian Muslim hardliners, it pointedly added: “We are committed to serving our diverse communities equally, regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, faith, age, or gender”.