From playing Santa to CONKERS! How police chief who was under fire over Gatwick drone chaos has history of dodging tough questions (but is happy to pose for positive PR shots)
- Sussex Police boss Giles York has a long history of ducking tough interviews
- On six occasions in just over two years he let criticism be answered by a deputy
- He remained silent over two bungled murder investigations by his force
- But the £200,000-a-year police chief is happy to pose for positive press stories
On six occasions in two years Sussex Chief Constable Giles York has let bad press be dealt with by a deputy
The chief constable of the police force under fire for its handling of the Gatwick drone crisis has a long history of ducking the press when his force is in trouble, MailOnline can reveal.
Three weeks on from the incident, Sussex Police has still not announced any progress towards catching the drone operator who brought London’s second-largest airport to a standstill over December 19, 20 and 21 leaving 140,000 holidaymakers inconvenienced.
Last night at Heathrow, reported drone activity grounded all departures from the UK’s busiest airport, sparking fresh concerns over airport security. Flights resumed after an hour and the MoD said it was deploying specialist equipment at the request of the Met Police.
On the one occasion Sussex Police chief constable Giles York has spoken to the press about the Gatwick incident – 10 days after it began – he stopped short of apologising over Sussex Police’s actions but said he ‘felt really sorry’ for the innocent couple his force held for 36 hours.
But on at least six occasions in just over two years when Sussex Police has faced serious criticism, been slammed by the police watchdog, or has had to apologise over seriously mishandling a major investigation, Mr York has not spoken to the press at all.
On each of those occasions, including two bungled murder investigations, apologies have been issued by a spokesman or in the name of one of Mr York’s deputies.
During the same period the Chief Constable, who gets around £196,000 a year in pay and pension to run the country’s 20th-largest police force, has been happy to pose for the cameras for positive PR stories including police donations to charity, and sponsorship of a large statue of a cartoon dog in Brighton.
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Three weeks ago 140,000 travellers’ flights were delayed when unauthorised drone activity caused the closure of Gatwick Airport
It was not until 36 hours had passed over December 19, 20 and 21 – with many Christmas holidays ruined – that the police and army working together brought down the drone
Military and police on the roof of Gatwick airport with anti drone tracking and blocking equipment. Sussex Police chief constable Giles York has only spoken about the incident once
Mr York has even starred in a arty black-and-white Youtube film about competing in the 2017 World Conker Championships.
Andy Stenning, Unison union organiser for police and justice in Sussex insisted the chief constable was not unpopular among the rank and file, saying: ‘Mr York may not have a high media profile but he leads from the front and is getting the job done.’
MURDERS OF CAROLINE DEVLIN AND SUSAN NICHOLSON
In February 2018 a review by a neighbouring force identified potential missed opportunities in Sussex Police’s investigations of the murders of Caroline Devlin in 2006, and Susan Nicholson in 2011, by Robert Trigg.
Trigg was in a relationship with both women when he killed them in their homes in Worthing.
But Sussex Police did not find the similarities between the cases suspicious and treated Trigg like a bereaved lover rather than a suspect.
Caroline Devlin, left, and Susan Nicholson, right, were murdered by the same man five years apart. Murderer Robert Trigg was in a relationship with each women at the time of their death but Sussex Police treated him as a bereaved lover, not a suspect.
Susan Nicholson’s 81-year-old mother had a mild heart attack during her six-year fight to bring her daughter’s killer, Robert Trigg, pictured above, to justice
Ms Nicholson’s parents, Elizabeth and Peter Skelton, pictured, spent six years and more than £10,000 of their savings trying to convince the police to reopen the investigation. Mrs Skelton, 81, said: ‘We wrote to the chief constable personally and asked for help. The chief constable should be coming out and answering questions’
Three internal Sussex Police investigations into its own officers concluded they had handled Ms Nicholson’s murder without fault – but the IOPC is now investigating.
The force put out a statement from Assistant Chief Constable Laurence Taylor who said: ‘I am sorry it has taken so long to get the justice they wanted.’
Susan Nicholson’s mother Elizabeth Skelton, 81, who had a mild heart attack during the couple’s six-year fight to bring their daughter’s killer to justice, said: ‘We wrote to the chief constable personally and asked for help.
‘The chief constable should be coming out and answering questions.’
Mrs Skelton added: ‘When anything bad happens the police want to distance themselves from it.’
She described Giles York’s response to such incidents as ‘going into hiding’.
MURDER OF SHANA GRICE
In August 2016, 19-year-old student Shana Grice was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Michael Lane.
Before her killing Ms Grice contacted Sussex Police on at least four occasions to report Lane’s threatening and abusive stalking behaviour.
Her mother Sharon said Shana’s murder could have been prevented had police taken her seriously.
Nineteen-year-old student Shana Grice was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Michael Lane despite contacting Sussex Police at least four times to report his staling and threatening behaviour
The force issued an apology in the name of Deputy Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly, who said: ‘I would like to extend my sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Shana Grice, who was murdered by Michael Lane.
‘When we looked at the circumstances leading to Shana’s murder, we felt we may not have done the very best we could.’
WRONGLY CLAIMED BRIGHTON ALBION FANS BROUGHT WEAPONS TO A GAME
Last December Sussex Police incorrectly claimed weapons were found at the Amex Stadium at match between Brighton and Hove Albion and derby-rivals Crystal Palace, risking the further inflammation of tensions between the two sets of fans.
Police officers routinely appear in large numbers to keep the peace when Brighton and Hove Albion play their closest geographical rivals Crystal Palace (pictured here December 2018) but in December 2017 tensions were inflamed when Sussex Police incorrectly claimed to have found weapons at the derby game
It later emerged no weapons had been found and Albion chief executive spoke of his ‘extreme disappointment with various communications from Sussex Police leading up to, immediately after, and since Crystal Palace’s visit to the Amex.’
Mr York declined to be interviewed by the local paper.
A spokesman said: ‘We have made a statement and an apology in relation to this matter, along with a further response to The Argus’s request for information. We do not wish to add to that.’
CRITICISED FOR USING A SPIT HOOD ON A CHILD
In August 2016 the police watchdog criticised Sussex Police’s use of a controversial ‘spit hood’ on an 11-year-old, who had behavioural problems arising from a developmental disorder and spent 60 hours in custody in 2012.
Sussex Police was criticised by a watchdog for the way it dealt with a disabled 11-year-old with behavioural difficulties, including restraining the child with a spit hood (stock image of spit hood in use by police on an adult, above)
Her disability had not been diagnosed at the time of the police contact, but her mother had told officers she believed she had autism spectrum disorder.
Despite this, the IPCC found she had twice been held overnight in police cells, without a parent, guardian or social worker present to support her.
On that occasion it was Deputy Chief Constable Smith who said: ‘The mother called us in the first instance. We responded in the way we thought was appropriate at the time. So hear me now saying I’m sorry for the distress that that’s caused.’
CRITICISED FOR FAILING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE
In March 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary found Sussex Police had risked harm to vulnerable victims by dealing with some domestic abuse risk assessments over the phone and not sending an officer when one was required.
HMIC downgraded the force from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’ in the report.
In a 2017 report which downgraded the force from Good to Requires Improvement, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary found failings in the way Sussex Police dealt with victims of domestic abuse
In two cases, an abuser was allowed to return home after a night in custody without being interviewed, leaving the victim ‘potentially at risk from further incidents’.
The report also queried why the domestic abuse arrest rate had fallen.
Deputy Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly was put forward to say: ‘If anyone feels we have let them down and thought our service was not the best it could have been, I am sorry.’
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CROWD MANAGEMENT AT BRIGHTON PRIDE
Last summer Sussex Police were criticised for closing the gates to Brighton station when thousands of revellers at the city’s Pride weekend headed home after the end of Britney Spears’ concert in a city park.
Thousands of people were caught in a crush at Brighton station after Pride finished this year when a Sussex Police officers decided to close the gates to the station. It took the force three days to admit responsibility for the decision
It caused chaotic scenes which those caught in the crush of people described as ‘potentially deadly’, ‘mayhem, and the most unsafe experience of their lives.
Three days after denying responsibility, Sussex Police accepted the order to close the gates had come from them. Mr York again declined to be interviewed by the local press.
BUT… SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
However the chief constable, who took the top job in Sussex in June 2014 after eight years as Deputy, following service in the Kent and South Wales forces, is not always so camera-shy.
In December 2016 he posed for pictures with one of several large sculptures of a cartoon dog which were erected in Brighton and Hove as part of a charity campaign.
Chief Constable Giles York, pictured right with Bobby, one of several sculptures of the ‘snowdog’ from the film The Snowman And The Snowdog which were erected in Brighton
In May 2017, two months after his deputy spoke on behalf of Sussex Police when they were downgraded by the police watchdog, Mr York was photographed by his media team watering a tree at a hospice
The force raised £35,000 for children’s hospice Chestnut Tree House. It was Mr York who appeared in the publicity photographs issued by the force last April
Two Christmases ago Mr York dressed up as Santa Claus for the force’s facebook page
He said Bobby the Snowdog would ‘champion our commitment to encouraging people from a diverse range of social groups and backgrounds, more representative of the community we police, to work or volunteer for us.’
Last April he was photographed handing over an oversized cheque to a local hospice charity, saying he was ‘delighted to support Chestnut Tree House as his charity of the year’
In May 2017 the force’s press office released a photograph of Mr York watering a tree at a children’s hospice, with a quote from Mr York saying: ‘Planting this tree is a constant reminder for us in HQ to keep doing all we can to help.’
The chief constable publicly took part in the ice bucket challenge in the summer of 2014
In an arty black-and-white video released by Sussex Police Mr York spoke of his love of conkers
Perhaps most bizarrely, in May of last year he released a minute-long youtube video, featuring interviews and slow-motion black and white footage, of his preparations to undertake that year’s World Conker Championship.
He said: ‘I’ve been a conker enthusiast since I was a young boy growing up in Kent and despite is not yet being prime conker season, my training is going exceedingly well.
‘I think I could definitely be in with a chance of placing.’
Asked about the chief constable’s long history of press availability, a spokeswoman for Sussex Police told MailOnline: ‘The Chief Constable has been fully involved from the start of this unprecedented illegal drone incident, liaising with strategic partners, including GAL, the Met and Government throughout.
‘It is routine for other senior officers to talk to the media regarding operational updates on significant incidents such as this.’
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