A COLLEGE of Policing review which found the "heroic model" of leadership is a barrier to reform has been criticised by Merseyside's crime commissioner.

The review said the service needed to address issues of hierarchy, culture and consistency.

And it concludes a major obstacle is what it describes as the "heroic model" of leadership at the top of the service in which officers are expected to carry out the will of the chief constable, who acts as their figurehead.

There should instead be more emphasis on teamwork, it says.

Jane Kennedy, Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has taken issue with the findings.

She said: "I am surprised and disappointed by an apparent lack of understanding of the importance of the quality of person leading a disciplined uniformed organisation such as a police force.

“The review recommends more emphasis on a model in which ‘leaders are there to ensure the success of their teams’, rather than a ‘heroic’ style of leader.

“Surely the best leaders ensure the success of their teams and thereby become heroes. #

"It must be possible – and indeed clearly is possible as current chiefs demonstrate – to combine a good team leader with heroism.

“In these difficult times, our police forces are almost entirely comprised of heroes and heroines.”

The review said: "The distance between the majority of the workforce and senior leaders created by the rank hierarchy can reduce the willingness of some to adhere to best practice or seek development opportunities." 

The document calls for a new model of leadership and management training within the service.