CIPR and PRCA respond to IPCC attack on Met Police

The police regulator released a statement yesterday that ‘there was a case to answer’ in relation to misconduct by former director of public affairs, Dick Fedorcio, and his appointment of former News of the World senior executive Neil Wallis.

Neither the PRCA or CIPR would be drawn on whether they support the IPCC’s findings.

CIPR director of policy and comms Phil Morgan told PRWeek: ‘While it is clear that no corruption was involved in either case, the IPCC has identified the problem as one of public confidence going forward. The focus for the MPS now should be in rebuilding that confidence, which must start within the service itself.’

PRCA chief executive Francis Ingham added: ‘Regardless of the IPCC judgement on Dick’s procurement processes, I continue to be proud professionally that he is a PRCA Fellow; and personally that he is a friend.’

In the IPCC’s statement, released yesterday, deputy chair Deborah Glass said that ‘professional boundaries became blurred, imprudent decisions were taken and poor judgement shown by senior police personnel’, although she said that allegations of corruption were unfounded.

University of Westminster visiting professor of PR Trevor Morris suggested that the Met Police can now adopt a ’that was then this is now’ line as all the main names within the Met Police who were alleged to have been too close to the Murdoch empire have now gone.

Morris added: ‘What is interesting about this is how uninteresting the public seem to find it. They were understandably outraged by Milly Dowler’s phone being hacked, but seemed rather unsurprised by the news that politicians, police and journalists know each other and have a tendency to scratch each other’s backs.’

The IPCC’s findings come after allegations around Fedorcio’s appointment of Wallis’ company Chamy Media to work for the Met in 2009.

This article was first published on prweek.com