Today's activity from Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabularies (HMIC) and its huge error around their planned launched of "My Police" is another example of the poor exercise of statutory agency power (on the back of the recent BBC example).
To recap: HMIC is planning to launch an initiative called "My Police". The only problem being that the excellent @MyPolice already exists and works very effectively.
When I first heard the news I honestly assumed that HMIC didn't know @MyPolice existed. It wouldn't be the first time a statutory body was unaware of innovative practice beyond their usual sphere of engagement. But in this situation it became clear the case against HMIC is the worst possible: not only were they aware of @MyPolice, but they actively didn't care about the clear overlap once they became aware of it.
For me, the primary issue here is one of power. HMIC clearly doesn't believe in or value the idea of @MyPolice because (a) they're treading all over the @MyPolice brand, and (b) they didn't engage to understand how both could work together.
There's also the secondary issue of HMIC not understanding the value of such bottom-up initiatives as @MyPolice and how they can contribute to the police as a whole, fulfilling, for example, the (occasionally derided) policing pledge.
I hope the situation has a positive outcome, though I hold little hope. Sooner or later, public bodies are going to have to realise they can't continue to fail to engage with what is represented by @MyPolice; because if they do, this will represent their failure to engage with the people they are there to serve.
