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23
May
Knaresborough-based whistleblowing service for emergency workers to launch
A Knaresborough-based whistleblowing service for emergency workers will launch later this month.
Blue Light Whistle Blowers, a charity for those employed or recently employed by the fire, ambulance or police services in England and Wales, will safeguard those who have reported behaviour such as dishonesty, bullying and misogyny.
The charity said it hopes to "act as a bridge" and support emergency workers to make confidential disclosures about alleged inappropriate behaviour, and will aim to "quickly intervene before the issue, and the potential risk to others, has had chance to escalate".
Blue Light Whislte Blowers, which will be based at Abbey Court in Knaresborough, is chaired by North Yorkshire's former Tory crime commissioner Philip Allott.
Mr Allott resigned from the post in 2021 after he faced backlash over comments made in a BBC Radio York interview. At the time, Mr Allott said women need to be "streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can't be arrested" following the murder of Sarah Everard, who was adbucted and killed by a serving Met Police officer.
Mr Allott later apologised for his "insensitive" comments.
Blue Light Whistle Blowers will operate a phone helpline for emergency workers between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, through which they can make on-the-record or anonymous reports.
The charity’s website will also feature an online report form, which can be used at any time.
Mr Allott said:
The charity recognises that the vast majority of blue light workers are hardworking, honest, decent and law-abiding citizens. However, very sadly a very tiny minority of staff have been responsible for murder, rape, theft, bullying, along with coercive control, misogyny, racism and homophobia.
Many of the victims and those who witness some of the lower-level bad behaviours are afraid to speak out because of the fear they may not be believed by line managers or from the risk of being subsequently ostracised by work colleagues. Our aim is to give these people a safe reporting mechanism, so that issues can be quickly dealt with before they have the opportunity to escalate.
Later this year, Blue Light Whistle Blowers also plans to signpost people to other charities that offer counselling services and sexual assault referral centres.
Alongside Mr Allott, the charity’s trustees include Kathy Cox, Guy Phoenix and Jasbir Singh.
Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who represents Harrow East, is the charity’s Parliamentary spokesperson.
Blue Light Whistle Blowers will officially launch on May 28.
Sarah Everard. Photo: Met Police
Sarah Everard
Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was handed a whole-life sentence in 2021 after he admitted the kidnap, rape and murder of York woman Ms Everard.
Ms Everard was walking home from a friend’s house in Clapham, southwest London, at around 9.30pm on March 3 that year.
Couzens soon stopped her and used his police warrant card to falsely handcuff and arrest Ms Everard under the guise of breaching covid guidelines.
He then bundled her into a hire car he had collected before the attack and drove off, later raping and strangling Ms Everard to death.
The case has become one of the most notorious in recent years, and sparked national outrage over violence against women and girls in the UK.
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