The report into Wayne Couzens’ dreadful crimes is shameful – and exposes wider issues
A while ago I interviewed a new police recruit, a personable young man called Tom Fontyn, who used to serve me a white americano in my local cafe before he decided to get what he considered a more meaningful career.
He had been rejected in his first application but was so determined to become a copper that he persevered and was finally accepted by Sussex Police.
He’d finished his probation and had just made his first arrest, but his sense of pride and achievement had been dented by the scandal of Wayne Couzens, who raped and murdered of Sarah Everard in 2021.
Mr Fonteyn told me: “Whenever the police mess up, it’s always straight on the news, but people like Wayne Couzens are just individuals, they don’t represent policing.”
But Couzens’ dreadful crimes did expose wider issues: terrible failings in vetting procedures, tolerance of bad attitudes and missed opportunities to sack a rogue officer.
The Angiolini report has unearthed even more shameful details of what went wrong and not just at the Metropolitan Police.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley probably agrees with Mr Fontyn’s thoughts on singling out one officer, but he can’t say so because – rightly or wrongly – PC Couzens really did become the poster boy for bad policing.
Sir Mark’s mission has been to tear down those posters and restore public confidence in policing. I think he’s doing his best, but Lady Angiolini’s findings will further damn his force in the public’s mind.
I’m sure the commissioner would also agree with what Mr Fontyn told me about his own police training: “We are taught to respect people, treat them like you would your mum and dad, or your brother. Just being human is the really important thing. I want to help people.
“If you are called to deal with someone really struggling, and you’re the only person they see that day, in the time you are with them you can try and make a good impact on them, maybe guide them, even change their views on the police.”
That’s about as far from what Wayne Couzens did to his victim Sarah Everard as it’s possible to get.