A new report has just been published about the management of SO. I've not read all of it yet, but this first paragraph struck me as revealing straight away.

"My background and career history are in policing, and I am the first to recognise that there are some very dangerous, evil, and manipulative people living freely in communities across England and Wales. These include those convicted for a wide range of criminal behaviour, and those who offend but for a variety of reasons escape justice.....Some of these people are amongst the most dangerous and their offending revolts, corrupts, and often ruins lives and families. We should not hide from this reality."

Nice to see he is coming it at with an open mind!!  Why not focus on all the low risk offenders, trying to rebuild their shattered lives and being prevented from doing so, by heavy handed policing, instead?

Its not truly independent. It is the police investigating themselves.