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Sunday 4 November 2018

ADAM SIMMONDS AND TRINITY LIFE CHURCH LEICESTER ONGOING CONCERNS

Adam Simmonds, Northamptonshire's first Police and Crime Commissioner, was elected on 15 November 2012. The events surrounding Simmonds' term as PCC were quite extraordinary to put it mildly. He quickly gained a reputation for cronyism and overspending. In particular, his questionable plan to sell Wootton Hall in Northampton at less than half its value was just one of his bad ideas. Thankfully this decision has finally been reversed by Stephen Mold, Simmonds successor. The BCC reported on the 29th of October that the sale of Northamptonshire Police HQ was cancelled because it "did not represent value for money".

"A report from the office of Northamptonshire PCC Stephen Mold criticised plans by his predecessor Adam Simmonds to sell Wootton Hall.

Mr Simmonds valued the site at £3.45m, but Mr Mold said it had been consistently valued at more than £7m.

The BBC has approached Mr Simmonds, also a Conservative, for a comment.
Mr Simmonds, who was the county's first PCC between 2012 until 2016, argued Wootton Hall was not fit-for-purpose and that selling it would save £40m over 25 years.

  Image caption Stephen Mold (left) revised the sell-off plans of his predecessor Adam Simmonds (right)

The decision to sell the building was signed-off on his final day in office.
'Concerned'

The land was acquired by the Education Funding Agency, with a view to it being used for Wootton Park School - a state-funded free school offering a specialised policing and public service-focused curriculum.

However, the terms of the deal were revised less than a year later by Mr Mold, although a section of the site - previously occupied by flats - was eventually sold for £2.85m to accommodate the school, which opened in 2016.

In a report published by the Office of the PCC, auditor KPMG said Mr Simmonds' plans were not supported by a detailed business case and had not been fully costed.

Mr Mold said he was "concerned" that "the operational impact on policing" from selling Wootton Hall "had not been fully understood or planned for, nor sufficient arrangements put in place for the relocation of police headquarters".

He said: "It was also clear to me that the sale did not represent value-for-money, either for the force or taxpayers."

Mr Mold said a new plan would see the site redeveloped as a joint police and fire headquarters." {1}





Stephen Mold also put an abrupt end to Simmonds' Interfaith Programme, the controversial Northamptonshire Police Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI). {2}

In 2016 the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigated claims that Simmonds had breached the Data Protection Act by disclosing "sensitive" information relating to a criminal investigation to third parties between November 7, 2013 and May 1, 2014. {3}The IPCC subsequently passed the findings of its inquiry to The Crown Prosecution Service and Simmonds was charged with breaching the Data Protection Act and misconduct in public office. {4} The jury at Southwark Crown Court failed to reach a verdict after more than 12 hours of deliberations. The CPS later determined it was "not in the public interest to hold a retrial", and Mr Justice Nicholas Green directed a not guilty verdict. {5} Simmonds did not stand for re-election in May of 2016, although he denied the IPCC inquiry was the reason.

Simmonds' term of unrighteousness lasted for 3 years 7 months, during which time there were at least four petitions against him as well as the No-more-Simmonds community on Facebook, {6} and also retired Northamptonshire Police Officer Justin Brown's former website, www.justintelligence.net.

Investigation in to the appointment of Assistant Police & Crime Commissioners in Northamptonshire
https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/47413
Vote of no confidence in Adam Simmonds PCC for Northamptonshire https://www.change.org/p/police-crime-panel-northamptonshire-vote-of-no-confidence-in-adam-simmonds-pcc-for-northamptonshire
Sack Adam Simmonds - Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire
https://www.change.org/p/david-cameron-sack-adam-simmonds-police-and-crime-commissioner-for-northamptonshire
Public Inquiry into Wootton Park School & The Northampton Free School Trust
https://www.change.org/p/keith-vaz-mp-chair-of-home-affairs-select-committee-public-inquiry-into-wootton-park-school-the-northampton-free-school-trust

Simmonds' claim to be a "committed Christian" in tatters!

Last but not least, Simmonds' former position as Director and Trustee of Trinity Life Church in Leicester was also very troubling. Open Hands Trust, the so called "compassion charity" of Trinity Life Church in Leicester, were "lucky" enough to receive, a large lottery award of £446626 in 2014. Was it a coincidence that Open Hands' lottery award was granted during Simmonds' position as Director and Trustee of TLC? TLC is a Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church claiming to be "biblical". However I have proved a number of times that TLC's dubious practices as a wannabe megachurch do not represent biblical Christianity at all! Open Hands' lottery grant has enabled TLC to gain a significant foothold over the vulnerable and homeless people of Leicester. This is very concerning considering the recent abuse cases against TLC's partner, the former Jesus Army cult, now Leicester Jesus Centre/Jesus Fellowship, an organisation that Simmonds also had connections with.

Following the publication of my posts concerning Open Hands' lottery award, Simmonds took the unprecedented action of removing two of my posts from Blogger. I believe that this action was illegal for a number of reasons. However, despite considerable efforts to obtain information both from the Police Complaints Commission and Google, I was unable to resolve this issue satisfactorily. After taking advice, I republished these two posts unedited without a further problem! It appears that I was not the only person who suffered from Simmonds censorship:

Justin Brown: "It seems my previous post about censorship by Adam Simmonds has itself been censored by Facebook. I have not been contacted by Facebook explaining the reasons why or who the request to remove the content was from.

Like many other folk I have had comments posted onto the on line version of the Chronicle and Echo removed in relation to Adam Simmonds. I have had no notification as to the reason why despite writing to the editor personally seeking clarification. From my previous FOIA request to the OPCC we know Simmonds office has requested the removal of such comments. I have submitted a new FOIA request to the OPCC seeking answers, along with a request to Facebook asking why posts on this forum are now being censored.

I also note blogs critical of Simmonds posted elsewhere on the web have recently been censored."

 Simmonds was once described as "A young man in a hurry", by the Guardian. {7}
In a hurry, no doubt, but his destination is debatable! (Matthew 23:33).

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Simmonds now seems to have found a position better suited to his ecumenical inclinations as Head of Logistics at St John the Baptist Church in Leicester (CofE). Disturbingly, he is currently Foundation Governor St John the Baptist Primary School also in Leicester. {8}

I look forward to critiquing Simmonds' book 'Being First' in due course.

Previous posts on this subject: https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/search/label/Adam%20Simmonds%20PCC%20Northampton
https://wordpress.com/view/periloustimesshallcome.wordpress.com

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