Norman Brennan

Norman Brennan was a serving police officer in the British Transport Police, based in London, England who retired in 2009 after 31 years service, in which time he was awarded 9 commendations for bravery and outstanding police work. His roles included frontline policing, shield unit, advanced police response driving and Criminal Investigation Department for 14 years. For six years he worked on the robbery squad covering North London.

Career

During his career Brennan was assaulted on multiple occasions and decided he did not want any colleague to go through the types of assault and consequences that he had. He therefore launched a campaign group called "Protect the Protectors", calling for better protection for all frontline police officers. In doing so he held a press conference and was a regular contributor to all sections of the national media on police protection issues. He claims he was also regularly stopped by victims of crime and the public who were impressed with his views on law and order and urged him to speak up for them too . To this end he also set up Victims of Crime Trust registered as a charity in 1994, which gave a voice for victims of crime and specialised in helping families bereaved through murder or manslaughter. The trust failed to submit returns to the Charity Commission from 2005 onwards, and its registration was removed in 2010 on the grounds that it had "ceased to exist".[1]

Brennan claims that his position allowed him to obtain support from frontline police officers, victims of crime and the public alike . His first hand experience of dealing with victims of crime, the general public, criminals and the judiciary gave him a wealth of first hand experience and knowledge of what he spoke about.

Reactions to his work

Some members of the Police Federation, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Home Office were critical of Brennan's outspoken positions. One Police Federation member was quoted as saying that Brennan "gives outrageous soundbites and simplistic solutions to complex issues. I don't think he represents the views of many officers."[2]

Police Review described Brennan as probably being the best known face and voice in British policing and said that "Protect the Protectors" was the primary reason the government of the day reversed its policy on issuing police officers with a side-handled baton which had been originally refused.

The Independent offered critical coverage questioning whether Brennan is a convenient "rent-a-mouth" for the media pointing out his propensity to comment on a wide array of unrelated policing matters ranging from asylum-seekers to prison gyms. The newspaper also noted that some in the police force viewed Brennan as "an unelected, unrepresentative, hardline reactionary."[2]

References
  1. Charity Commission Register: 1032867 - VICTIMS OF CRIME TRUST
  2. "PC Brennan, the victims' champion or a rent-a-mouth?". The Independent. 2003-10-18. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
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