News / Crime
PCC Sue Mountstevens apologises for name leak
The Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has apologised for revealing to the chief constable the name of someone who had made a complaint against him.
Sue Mountstevens said she had “made a mistake” and had “written to the individual concerned to apologise for the distress I caused”.
Chief Constable Nick Gargan was suspended earlier this year after allegations he made inappropriate advances to female staff.
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The following month, he was told he would not face a criminal inquiry in relation to those allegations.
Mr Gargan was also investigated over alleged data protection breaches, but the police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) later said it did not consider that he could have committed the offence.
Ms Mountstevens had raised the name of complainant with Gargan in a discussion before the wider allegations had been made.
In a statement, she said: “In May 2014 I was made aware by a member of my team that someone had approached them and made a verbal complaint against Chief Constable Nick Gargan. During a subsequent conversation with Mr Gargan I was discussing a concern I had around how that individual was coping generally, and I mentioned that a complaint had been made against him by that person.
“At the time of the conversation I was not aware of the full facts which became apparent subsequently. As soon as I became aware of the seriousness of the allegations I initiated the investigation process by voluntarily referring the matter to the IPCC and included details of my conversation with Mr Gargan.
“A complaint about the disclosure of the name was subsequently made to the Police and Crime Panel who looked into the matter and found that I had made a mistake. I agreed with their finding and I have already written to the individual concerned to apologise for the distress I caused.
“I firmly believe that everyone in public office needs to be held to the same high standard of conduct which is why I told the IPCC of my conversation before their investigation began. I have cooperated fully with the Police and Crime Panel’s investigation process. This was a new situation for me and, while I could have handled it better, I have learnt from it and employees within the Constabulary can feel confident approaching me or my team if they have issues they feel uncomfortable raising elsewhere.”
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