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UK: CPS to rule on Paddick drugs charge
Vikram Dodd The Guardian
Tuesday 17 Sep 2002 Brian Paddick's job as Brixton's top policeman could be scrapped, The Guardian has learned, as prosecutors consider bringing charges over allegations that he smoked cannabis. The controversial officer who pioneered the police's "softly softly" approach to cannabis in Lambeth, south London, was moved from the post after drug allegations made by his former partner. Yesterday it emerged that a report from an investigation into Commander Paddick had gone to the crown prosecution service. They are expected to decide whether he should be charged within a fortnight and a CPS spokesman described the sending of the report to them as "routine". The issue of whether the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir John Stevens should allow Mr Paddick to return to his old post has been seen as highly sensitive within the force. After the allegations surfaced in a tabloid newspaper which paid Mr Paddick's partner of five years £100,000 for his story, the commander was moved to a desk job at Scotland Yard's headquarters. Sir John will outline his thinking today at a private meeting about the restructuring of the force's top posts. A senior Scotland Yard source told The Guardian that downgrading the rank of the top policing job in Lambeth from a commander to the lower rank of chief superintendent was being considered. The top police officers in 30 London boroughs are of chief superintendent rank; only Lambeth and Westminster have leading police officers of a higher rank because of their special policing needs. The Scotland Yard source said: "This is an oddity and does not match where we need to be in the future." Nicholas Long, who represents Lambeth on the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "The size of the command is sufficiently great that you need to have a more senior officer at that level." Lee Jasper, chair of the Lambeth police consultative committee, said downgrading the post would be seen as a way of removing Mr Paddick: "If such a move was being done with out consulting the community to get rid of Brian Paddick, there would be uproar." Yesterday the MPA decided to postpone a decision on whether Mr Paddick should face disciplinary charges until the CPS reaches its decision. The investigation into the Met's most senior openly gay officer was led by Gordon Clark, deputy chief constable of Humberside. He personally interviewed Mr Paddick once under criminal caution. As part of the investigation, The Guardian understands that Mr Clark's officers interviewed a worker at an off-licence near the Westminster home that 42-year-old Mr Paddick shared with his partner, the former male model James Renolleau. They were investigating a claim that Mr Paddick had bought Rizla papers for his partner to roll a cannabis joint with. Mr Clark looked into allegations that Mr Paddick, 43, smoked cannabis and allowed his home to be used by others for taking and storing the drug. Mr Paddick denies the allegations, though admits being present when his former partner smoked cannabis. He also investigated whether the commander broke police guidelines by not telling his superiors that Mr Renolleau, was on bail for an alleged fraud offence when they met. Mr Paddick pioneered a pilot scheme where people caught with small amounts of cannabis were cautioned rather than taken to court. Supporters say this saved police time and resources which were then redirected to tackle heroin and crack selling, which wreaked far more havoc in the community. Supporters say he is facing a witch hunt because of his sexuality and outspokenness. Lee Jasper called for Mr Paddick to be reinstated: "The current investigation has taken far too long. Mr Paddick enjoys unprecedented levels of support from the Lambeth community and the sooner Commander Paddick is back behind his desk in Brixton the better for all of us."
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