Outgoing Chief Executive speaks out about CEOP merger plans

by ufercoffy 13.10.10 11:57

by Darren Allan
Outgoing Chief Executive speaks out about CEOP merger plans Internet-2

Last week, Jim Gamble resigned his position as Chief Executive of CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre, in protest at the government’s plans for the body (he’s set to leave in four months time).
The government is currently considering merging CEOP into the new National Crime Agency (NCA), and Gamble tendered his resignation because he felt that child protection was such an important issue, it needed its own dedicated organisation.
Now Gamble has been further discussing the ramifications of such a merger. He’s said that vulnerable children are bound to be worse off, and won’t be able to compete with terrorism, drugs, and other weighty issues which the National Crime Agency will deal with.
A number of supporters have backed Gamble’s views in this respect, such as the Shadow Home Secretary, Kate and Gerry McCann, the mother of Sarah Payne, and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Also, Gamble has now drawn attention to the fact that CEOP costs will likely increase under the new scheme of things. ISPs who provide assistance in tracking offenders for free to CEOP at the moment might charge a larger body such as the NCA an administration fee.
Furthermore, current philanthropic backers may pull their support from the organisation. According to a ZDNet UK report, Microsoft is considering pulling its money if CEOP is merged.
ZDNet stated that Gamble told the Home Affairs Select Committee: “I have a statement from Microsoft… they feel it extremely unlikely that they will continue philanthropic support of CEOP.”
A quarter of CEOP’s current budget comes from donors such as Microsoft and AOL.
Story link: Outgoing Chief Executive speaks out about CEOP merger plans

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http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2010/10/12/outgoing-chief-executive-speaks-out-about-ceop-merger-plans/

by Judge Mental 13.10.10 14:37

The man is a menace and CEOP is not at all cost effective, therefore it should be merged with other policing departments.

Gamble has effectively ignored three members of the public who expressed concern about McCann and Payne. He has taken the unprecedented step of cosying up to two people who are suspects in their daughter's disappearance. Therefore, one has no confidence whatsoever in Gamble's methods and approach to combatting child abuse.

by aiyoyo 13.10.10 17:33

CEOP doesnt have to be independent or quango to serve the same purpose, that of combating paedophile against children.
If Jim Gamble's prime concern was children's welfare he could work hand in hand with new agency NCA to build a better system to improve work done at CEOP.
It's all about power, and more precisely the curtailment of his free rein power that he's moaning about.

The committee would obviously have viewed it from a broader picture when making considerations.
Now that he'd faced the committee and given a fair chance to have his say, he could not longer bleat on about there wasnt any prior consultation with CEOP and hence views of CEOP not heard. The committee was probably formed so as to be seen to have followed procedures whcih would allow HO to close the chapter on his resignation without being accused operating outside rules.

HO and NCA might have good and valid reason when they didnt pre consult or consult him about the merger.
I suspect not consulting him migh have something to do dissatisfaction of him, or aspects of CEOP had become contentious that needed to be addressed and merger is a roundabout way to resolve that problem without having to fire him directly which can bring about a tribunal/abitrary inquiry because they must have taken into consideration he's not going to go down without a fight.
If he chooses to quit, so be it, so much better whiich fits in with plan.

He may have fallen on his on arrogant sword when he bleated on about the merger and refusing to accept it citing it as reason for his resignation.

We shall see which organisation he joins after this, if speculation is right about an offer laying in waiting.

by Guest 13.10.10 18:42

Perhaps Clarence is being given the push and Gamble will be the Mccanns new spokesman thinking

by littlepixie 13.10.10 22:40

"The man is a menace and CEOP is not at all cost effective, therefore it should be merged with other policing departments. "[i]

I agree. I can't remember the exact figure Jim Gamble quoted but wasn't it something like 8 million from the Government and 3 million from other Companies plus the million he said they earned themselves.

122 staff spending 12 million pounds a year. He gave the figures for how many children they had helped 700 or something and a thousand/fourteen hundred prosecutions. I would be interested in how many arrests/prosecutions the normal Police had carried out and how many children they had saved, plus how much that cost.

12 million pounds and he still thinks Maddie was abducted!

by aiyoyo 14.10.10 12:35

littlepixie wrote:"The man is a menace and CEOP is not at all cost effective, therefore it should be merged with other policing departments. "[i]

I agree. I can't remember the exact figure Jim Gamble quoted but wasn't it something like 8 million from the Government and 3 million from other Companies plus the million he said they earned themselves.

122 staff spending 12 million pounds a year. He gave the figures for how many children they had helped 700 or something and a thousand/fourteen hundred prosecutions. I would be interested in how many arrests/prosecutions the normal Police had carried out and how many children they had saved, plus how much that cost.

12 million pounds and he still thinks Maddie was abducted!

The committee members didnt look impress with him.

by Guest 14.10.10 16:07

Francis Maude was interviewed this morning about the quangos and the newscaster asked him about CEOP and what Gamble had said, Maude did not look impressed he said something along the lines that the concept that CEOP could only do their work if remaining totally independent and not accountable to anyone and that it means the government dont care about child protection - was a childish one. He used the word childish on two occasions - I think he was more than likely referring to Gamble throwing his toys out the pram.