ADAM SIMMONDS PCC NORTHAMPTONSHIRE UNACCOUNTABLE? DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE REQUESTED FROM THE MAN HIMSELF!

Email Received 4th July 2014

From James Edmunds

Democratic Services Assistant Manager and Statutory Scrutiny Officer
Northamptonshire County Council

 "The way in which the Complaints Sub Committee deals with complaints is governed by legislation, which sets the parameters within which it can act. This legislation sets specific requirements relating to the investigation of complaints. As stated in the Police & Crime Panel’s Informal Resolution protocol: 'In accordance with Regulations the Complaints Sub Committee may not conduct an investigation. The Sub Committee may use its delegated powers to require the person complained against to provide information or documents or attend before it to answer questions, as this will not be regarded as an investigation. However, any other step intended to gather information about the complaint, other than inviting the comments of the complainant and the person complained against, will be likely to amount to investigation and will not therefore be undertaken.'"

It appears that the difference between "consideration" and "investigation" is a little blurred. The whole point of a complaint surely is to consider the facts? How can the Panel "consider" any complaint without the facts at its disposal?  The Panel are not only impotent to deal with any complaint against the PCC, it is also impotent to ascertain the facts due to unrealistic parameters in the favour of the PCC. The question is therefore what is the point of a Panel that has no power to ascertain the facts and therefore make an informed decision? This means that in effect that Simmonds is unaccountable!

There really is no reason why Simmonds should decline to provide documentary evidence in order to prove his claim that he had my posts removed in his own name - EXCEPT ONE.... that he has something to hide! Why didn't he offer such evidence to the Panel in the 'interests of transparency'? 

Documentary Evidence Requested From Adam Simmonds on the 1st July 2014

Email:  commissioner@northantspcc.pnn.police.uk

Dear Adam Simmonds

Further to the removal of my posts from Blogger which was considered by the Northamptonshire Police & Crime Panel Complaints Sub Committee on the 20th of June. As you are no doubt aware, their response to me was as follows:

"The Sub Committee considered the information that you provided to it in support of the
complaint and information received from Mr Simmonds in response to it. The information
received from Mr Simmonds indicated to the satisfaction of the Sub Committee that he had
complained to Google in a private capacity and had made no reference to his public role
when doing so. The Sub Committee was also satisfied that Mr Simmonds made the
complaint to Google outside of working hours using personal, not official, IT equipment.
The Sub Committee therefore resolved that it needed to take no further action in relation to
this complaint." 

My question is: Are you prepared to provide documentary evidence that you had my posts removed under your own name and in your own time?

In the absence of such evidence there is still doubt in minds.

Regards
Treena Gisborn

UPDATE: http://standfirminthelord.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/the-trouble-with-adam-simmonds-pcc-northamptonshire/