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"Robocop" on the Campaign Trail
By Kevin Bocquet
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Nominations close this week for the position of Mayor of Middlesbrough. Among those standing will be former Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon, the man once known as Robocop. His ambition now is to become Middlesbrough's first elected Mayor, but he faces bitter competition from the town's ruling Labour group.
Out on the streets, campaigning, Ray Mallon looks every inch a politician with his smart suit, charming manner and boundless energy. But Mr Mallon's critics say he doesn't really want to be Mayor, they say he wants to be the sheriff.
He made his name as head of Cleveland CID, for his policy of zero policy policing, based on the American model. Under his direction the streets of Middlesbrough were flooded with police, stop and search rates soared, and crime rates plummeted. For a time he was wooed by senior politicians of all parties.
But Mr Mallon's police career ended in a welter of accusations that in order to obtain results, he hadn't just bent the rules, he'd twisted them out of shape.
A high-level enquiry, Operation Lancet, investigated claims that officers under his command had given heroin to a suspect in return for a confession, and that known drug dealers had been tipped off in advance of a police raid.
At a disciplinary hearing of Cleveland police last month, Mr Mallon admitted 14 charges of neglect of duty, falsehood and misconduct. He says he did so only so that the proceedings could be brought to an end, thus enabling him to leave the police force, and to be free to stand for the Mayoralty. Despite his admissions to the police tribunal, Mr Mallon, who's already spent four years under investigation, continues to deny all the charges against him.
"I acted honourably," he insists. "I gave an undertaking to the people of Middlesbrough that I would stand as their Mayor. That made it necessary to admit certain charges of which I was innocent. I see nothing wrong in that."
The charges against Mr Mallon have now been referred back to the Crown Prosecutors, so he could still face criminal charges. But in the meantime, the man once known as Robocop is pursuing his ambition to achieve political office.
The other candidates for Middlesbrough mayoral election are:
Ron Darby - Conservative
Joe Michna – Liberal Democrat
Rod Jones - Independent
Jeffrey Fowler - Socialist Alliance
Bernie Slaven - Independent
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Ray Mallon wants to pursue a political career |
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Mallon was required to resign from the police force |
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