Force Orders 1937

X No. 52. 21st Decewber,1937. CIRCIILATEDTO ALL BBI {5 OF TIE CHESHIRECONSTABULSRY. FAL3EHOODSAND F LSEENTRIES. The ChiefCoaetableregretsto haveto aay that he hae to-dayreducedan Officerholdiagthe raak of Inapaotorto the rank of Coastablefor.makingfa1eeentries3a his aote-bookaad caueingmaay otherOfficerato do likewiee.` The ChiefCoastabledirectethat every memberof the CheshireConstabularyw111 read GeneralOrderNo. 45 of the 3rd June1936,whioh sete out quiteclearlythe ChiefConztable'slows regardingfalseentries3n Journals,note- ooka,pa adebooks or any other official record.. The ChiefCoaatablecannotemphasizetoo stronglythat in his opinionaay Officerwho wi1fu11ymakeaa falseentryin his aote-bookor in the paradebook, or in any otherofficialrecordor any Officerwho corroboratesth3s fa1seeatryby a falseeatry in his aot�-bookis a dangerto the commimityand is not a fit aad proper per6onto be a memberof a PoliceForce. This deplorablecaserevealedthe factthat in y instancesConstablescouldnot rememberwhethera particulareatry waa false or not. .falseentryby a Constablemay mean the conviction of an innoceatperaon. X. may be aocusado� murder,a ca e 1a whioh therewaa an apparentmative,and otheroircuiostancestending to throweuspioioaoa 1dm. X. may pleadan alibi,statinghe saw ConstableY. at a plaoe fivemilesaway,at the time th� murder was committed. ConstableY' note-bookshowsthatX. couldnot have met him at that plaae,ae he was elsewhere. X' alibi,a true one is disbelieved,ae an offioialrecordwould be accepted ae correct� ConstableY. would have to rely oa his entryfor his evideaae. The entrywae false. This regrettableaase a1so broughtto lighthow a Conetablewho corroboratesa eeniorOfficer's �alaeentryby a falaeentry in his own note-bookmightwe11 be prooeededagalnst and convictedo� maliciousproaecutionand perjury. A Constableohargeda certainmao with ridiagwithout a light. If hia aota-bookhad been aakedfor it would have revealedthe fact that he met his eenioro�ficerosny miles away at the time the offenoewae a11�gedto have 000urred. That Conetablemightwe11 have beea convictedon the evidenceof the officialrecordof maliciousproeecutionand perjury,if the accusedhad deniedbeiagthe of�enderor had disputedthe time, eithero� whichwould have caueedthe productionof the note-book. The ChiefConetable as aet out the dangersof �alse entries,�or he believesthat the graveoonaequenceathat may aocruefron a falseentryare not appreciated. IF a Constableis told by a auperiorof�icerto make a�a1se eatryor 3a faotto do or recordanythingthat that Officerbelievesto be wrong,then the Coa t bleahouldobey his superioroffioerbut ahouldrendera reportto the ChiefConatable 3 for a rulingas to whetherhe has aoted rigi tlyo not. The ChiefConstableasks those servinguaderh1m to have ooafidenceia h3m, and to be aseuredof his protection under suchcircumstances. Thereis a wide gulf eeparatingtale-bearingoa trivialmattars,which is objectionable,and raportiagaa oldento� a crlmiaal,di honourablear of a dangerouecharacter. The reputationof the CheehireConstabularyhas been damaged. 1P this incidentbeoame'mownto the pub11c,they would losetheir confidenoe3a the iategrityof the po11c�. Let a11 of ue resolvethat this disgraceful e a o shallover occuragaia,and that the words aad the recordsof the CheshireConstabularycan be impl aitlyreli�doa.