Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council inviting the police to attend a Council meeting. We do not the complainant has suffered sufficient personal injustice to warrant our involvement. And we cannot achieve one of the outcomes he is seeking.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the Council’s Chief Executive invited the police to attend a public Council meeting to ensure he left the Council chamber. He says this questions his integrity.
2. He wants the Council to issue a public apology and for the Chief Executive to consider their position.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X which includes the Council’s responses to his concerns.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X says the Chief Executive asked for police to attend a Council meeting to ensure he left the Council chamber. He has received conflicting responses from the Council and the police on the matter.
7. I understand Mr X feels his integrity has been called into question and the Council has lied him.
8. However, the Council confirms no names were mentioned when it contacted the police. And the police have not advised they were asked to attend the meeting because of any named individual(s).
9. While I understand Mr X is dissatisfied with the Council’s responses to his concerns, I do not consider he has suffered sufficient personal injustice to warrant our involvement.
10. Also, Mr X wants the Council’s Chief Executive to consider their position. This is not something the Ombudsman can achieve.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because:
• we do not consider he has suffered sufficient personal injustice; and
• we cannot achieve the outcome he is seeking.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman