A final Reply to my letter to the Chief Constable of derbyshire By TITVS ADVXAS

This is the 'final reply' to my letter to the Chief Constable of Derbyshire (left), that I posted via their online complaints procedure on Sunday 16th August 2009. The reply was from a sub-ordinate office, named as

H Veigas, Superintendent (Operations)

Mr T Aduxas MCMLX 4a Council-not-Social House The Acocks Green Council Estate Birmingham B27 FKU	Supt Veigas HVB/122/09/QU/381/09
	7 September 2009

Dear Mr Aduxas

Re: Letter to Chief Constable

Thank you for your letter its contents are noted. I am sorry that you were asked to reverse your car when trying to attend the BNP event on Saturday 15 August 2009.

I will answer some of your points and explain the rationale about why certain decisions needed to be made.

1. When the UAF protestors arrived at Breach Road, you are correct they did manage to block roads for a period of time. I attended that area myself at around 9.30am and by 10am officers had managed to move protestors clear of the junction and reopen that section. The fact you were asked to reverse would have been a precautionary measure. Thank you for your compliance, but other members of the public were affected by this temporary closure.

2. There were 19 arrests for a variety of offences and some of these are still under investigation it would therefore be wrong of me to comment further.

3. All the arrests were necessary and proportionate to what officers were experiencing at the time. No Home Office Police Force is allowed to use the devices you mention and this is a matter you should take up directly with the government.

4. Derbyshire Police had developed close working relationship with Ms Wendy Russell, the BNP event organiser. We were in contact with her during the event. At no time did she or anyone else comment on the use of the Police helicopter. I can reassure you that we were not acting under direct orders from the Home Office.

5. Finally, the number of arrests were, as stated earlier, necessary and proportionate. The Police are obliged to facilitate public lawful assembly. The majority of people attending the assembly did so in a lawful manner. It is regrettable that a small minority were intent to cause disruption and this affected not only BNP members but the local community.

6. On the whole Derbyshire Police have received many favourable comments about the successful manner in which we policed the event. This has come from the BNP, but also the left wing and the local community.

7. Thank you again for taking the time to write in but I now consider this matter closed.

Yours sincerely

H Veigas

Superintendent (Operations)

©TITVS-ADVXAS IX-IX-MMIX

As Published