The elected head of Surrey’s police planned to sack the county’s chief constable just weeks before she was appointed to the top spot in the National Crime Agency, it has been revealed.
Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Kevin Hurley told Lynne Owens in a 10-page letter that she was personally responsible for a "litany of failures" and said vulnerable victims of crime were not sufficiently protected.
His concern deepened in the wake of investigations into the crimes of serial child abuser Jimmy Savile and how Surrey Police managed intelligence in similar cases, the letter shows.
The missive, sent last September, was one of a series of documents released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that showed the outspoken Mr Hurley had become dissatisfied by Mrs Owens' performance.
He told the BBC’s Today programme this week that he had "started the process to dismiss her".
In his letter he wrote: "You have failed to act decisively or speedily to address many areas of concern in relation to public protection.
"There was a continual trend by you of blaming constables, detectives, sergeants, inspectors, chief inspectors and superintendents.
"Moreover you also blamed the boundary changes of fifteen years ago for the lack of investigative expertise."
Outspoken: Kevin Hurley
He added: "Staff have told me that they cannot cope with demand, and that some of them break down in tears at the stress they face, whilst others go sick or resign.
"Many say they feel undervalued and unsupported by senior leadership. Others are seeking a route out of this area of work."
Mr Hurley said his specific worries included that:
- Surrey Police was ranked 38th of 43 forces in England and Wales in terms of "positive outcomes" in rape and sex offence cases
- Less than half - 48 per cent - of child protection-related crimes were "correctly flagged to allow appropriate decision making and action" in a June 2015 review
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary was "not reassured that the force [was] adequately protecting children"
- There were low levels of "positive outcomes" in domestic violence cases despite increased reporting by victims
- Intelligence available to detectives investigating child sexual exploitation was "inadequate"
Mrs Owens said in a statement that she was selected in her new role as head of the National Crime Agency after a "lengthy and thorough" process.
She added: "The documents disclosed through the FOIA also showed that the PCC was supportive of the force’s plans.
"In that context, the wider correspondence recently released and his latest comments are surprising."
But she also wrote to Mr Hurley last year and said she was "saddened" he felt the need to write in the terms he did without talking to her about his concerns, the released cache of documents shows.
Mrs Owens wrote in a 19-page rebuttal letter: "I have never, and will never, shirk my responsibilities as chief constable to run an efficient and effective police force.
"I am passionate about the support we provide to victims and have a determination that we relentlessly pursue criminals.
"I hope that this letter will reassure you of my unswerving commitment to public protection issues and my preparedness to lead the necessary cultural changes from the front.
"Following Surrey’s Jimmy Savile investigation and indeed some of the other high profile cases you cite, I quickly recognised the weaknesses in Surrey Police’s investigation of some cases historically.
"In an attempt to assure myself of the current state of affairs I requested a peer review from the College of Policing in March 2013.
"This reflected my unerring practice of seeking external review to assess how well the force is performing."
Training: More officers now have specialist skills to deal with child exploitation cases
She added in the September rebuttal: "I have numerous examples of good work in respect of domestic abuse investigations and am often contacted by victims who are grateful for the work we have done.
"I am pleased to say that significant numbers of our investigators have now completed the specialist child abuse investigation development programme, further increasing the force's capability to deal with these cases effectively."
Read more: Policing my way: exclusive interview with Surrey's new Police and Crime Commissioner Kevin Hurley
A Home Office spokesman said that Mrs Owens is "one of the exceptional policing leaders of her generation" and that professional references and due diligence checks were made when she was hired in a "rigorous" recruitment process.
Investment: Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged more cash for mental health services
Jim Gamble, former chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, which is now part of the NCA, questioned why Mr Hurley had only raised recently voiced his concerns.
He told the BBC: "If you want to dismiss your chief constable, you don't wait until after they are in a new job to do it.
"There has been plenty of time. Kevin has been a PCC since 2012.
"There is just something about this entire debate, this entire conversation, that doesn't seem right to me."
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