Wishing Everyone a Happy Christmas & a prosperous New Year

Jesus is the reason for the season. Happy Birthday to my Lord & Saviour

Enquiry desks cuts will keep more officers on the beat, say police

Devon and Cornwall Police had to choose between "front counters and constables", a senior officer said yesterday, as the force announced the closure of more than half of its enquiry desks.

Front offices at 34 stations, manned by civilians, are to close by June next year in a move which will save the force £5.4 million over the next four years. The number of posts will be halved from 120 to 60.

It follows a major review of the service, which Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton said revealed falling footfall at its front desks as people increasingly contacted the police by phone or the Internet.

"Over a year ago we began a review of our front offices, what people used them for, what the footfall was, to see how we could improve the service," Mr Netherton said.

"That review was taking place, then half way through we had the comprehensive spending review which added finance and efficiency into the mix."

Mr Netherton said the review had revealed "a dramatic change" in the way people contacted the force ,with 90 per cent of inquiries being made over the phone. Only four per cent of callers at front desks, he explained, were actually reporting a crime.

"The footfall survey showed that a significant number of offices got less than 10 callers a day," Mr Netherton said. "One station, Redruth, got an average of less than two callers a day, which means that each single inquiry cost £95-100."

He said wall phones connecting to the police control room would continue to be provided. Members of the public could also request appointments with officers, or contact them through 'beat surgeries' and public meetings.

In all 34 front counters, mainly in smaller towns, will be closed. Only 23 are being retained – chosen to ensure people are less than 15 minutes away from their nearest front desk – with differing opening times to better suit the demands of the public. .

Mr Netherton admitted that the closures would be "sensitive" issues in the affected communities and conceded that the "onus" was on the force to make sure the public knew how to reach them.

"It is not just about closures," he added. "It is about providing a service which meets modern expectations and changing the way we do business. Do you want someone sitting behind a desk when no-one goes in or do we want them out on the ground, being seen, being visible? Those are the decisions we are having to make to meet the budget challenges."

The office closures are part of a package of measures being introduced by the force to meet budgets cuts of around £47 million over the next four years.

On Friday, the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority, which governs the force, discussed both the closures and implementing a controversial clause which will force officers to retire after their 30-year term of service. Its chairman Mike Bull said: "It makes sense to optimise our opening hours, using the resources available, to better meet local needs and provide in a way that offers best value for money for our communities

Article courtesy of http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news

Forced Retirement of 700 Police Officers in Devon & Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall Police are to forcibly retire 700 officers over the next four years after invoking a controversial clause to meet a £47 million budget cut imposed by the Government.

Members of Devon and Cornwall Police Authority (DCPA) yesterday approved use of a rarely-used pensions rule which will compel officers to retire after their 30-year standard term of service.

Chief Constable Stephen Otter said it was the only option available if the force was to achieve £47 million in cuts by 2015 – £3 million higher than previously estimated.

He also revealed that civilian job losses will also be heavier than predicted, with an extra 75 posts to be cut on top of the 300 which had already been announced. In all, 700 police officers are to be axed, from the force's compliment of 3,500, reducing the force to levels last seen in 1983. A recruitment freeze is also in place.

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said that would lead to a "future policing crisis" in which the force didn't have sufficient resources to deal with major incidents.

"We will have less officers able to respond to emergencies in the future," federation chairman Sergeant Nigel Rabbitts said. "The chances are that we will be faced by a number of serious incidents when we are able to resource the first properly but not the second."

Sgt Rabbitts said officers were "disappointed" that the clause – known as Regulation A19 – had been invoked but recognised that the measure that been "forced" by the cuts handed down from central Government.

However, he warned that the blow would hit the frontline hardest.

A report before the police authority showed 100 officers will be forced to retire next year followed by a further 398 by 2015. Another 148 officers who reach the age of 60 over the same period, but have less than 30 years' service, will also go.

Around 60 officers who currently have 30 years service or more are likely to receive 90-day consultation notices early in the New Year and be forced to retire on April 1.

Members spent 45 minutes discussing the move in secret, for legal reasons, before voting overwhelmingly to approve it. They are only to fourth authority out of the 43 in England and Wales to vote for the cost-saving measure.

Chief Constable Stephen Otter told the meeting: "This does raise huge emotions within the force.

"A19 will lead to the loss of some very experienced people that we wouldn't have lost," he said. "But there are a lot who would have retired and we would have lost anyway."

After the meeting, Mr Otter admitted that he had "never felt we could do this without affecting the frontline". But he said the force should be measured on what it delivered "rather than the number of people we have".

He added: "This is not a decision we have made lightly and we have spent a great deal of time considering the options available to us.

"We understand that for those officers who have planned their career around staying with the force beyond 30 years, this will be a very difficult time.

"However, unfortunately when faced with the magnitude of the cuts we have been asked to make we simply do not have other options open to us which would ensure that we could deliver savings over the next four years while still continuing to provide a policing service to the people of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly."

Mike Bull, the DCPA chairman, added: "The police authority deliberated long and hard but fully supports the constabulary's recommendation to invoke regulation A19.

"We are not the first police authority in the country to agree to use this regulation and we believe many others will be following suit over the coming months."

Article courtesy of http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news

SEASONAL GREETINGS TO BLOGGERS EVERYWHERE

I send warmest seasonal greetings to all Bloggers everywhere and wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Prosperous New Year.

Rank and Pension of Soldiers Killed on Active Service

Early Day Motion [EDM 1053]
Rank and Pension of Soldiers Killed on Active Service

Sergeant Matthew Telford of the Grenadier Guards was promoted to that rank in June 2009.

In November of that same year, Sergeant Telford was one of 5 British soldiers killed when a rogue Afghan policeman opened fire on them.

His wife and family will only receive a Corporal's pension since he only held his rank of Sergeant for less than a year.

However, he was killed on operations by the enemy whilst wearing three stripes of a Sergeant on active service.

Please sign the Early Day Motion petition below to support a change in the rules that deny a hero’s widow the pension she deserves.

http://soldiers-pensions.co.uk/?q=petition
(copy & paste into your browser)

30,632 signatures up to 1pm Monday, 22nd. November,2010. Let us more than treble that number by the end of the month. Please pass this on to all your family, friends and associates. As President Barrack Obama said in his Presidential Address, "Together we can" I say, Together we must !

33,469 signatures up to 1pm on Wednesday, 24th. November, 2011.
51,507 signatures up to 11pm. on Monday, 6th. December,2010.
56,705 signatures up to 12nn on Wednesday, 15th. December, 2010. There is still time to sign so if you haven't already done so please do so now.

The Royal British Legion

Jail To Install Sunbeds For Inmates

At first glance I thought this story was a joke or spoof, but apparently it is true!

A Russian prison is to install sunbeds and mud baths to improve the health of its inmates.

Sergei Telyatnikov, head of Moscow's Butyrka remand prison, said inmates would also be allowed to use Skype to make voice and video calls to relatives.

And he said ultrasound systems would be used to give prisoners health checks.

Russia's prisons have been criticised as being overcrowded and badly managed with poor medical facilities.

Mr Telyatnikov was quoted as telling the Vesti FM radio station: "We are developing additional medical services... and even sunbeds will be put in place."

He said the sunbeds would be installed by the end of the year, but that prisoners would have to apply for permission before using them, and would be charged for doing so.

Butyrka has held several notable figures behind its bars, including writers Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Isaak Babel, and Adolf Hitler's nephew Heinrich.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Trainee Detectives Study Facebook

Detectives will be taught how to track down killers and other criminals on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, senior officers have said.

Sweeping changes have been made to training for thousands of student investigators to bring their work into the 21st century.

They include new information on how to track down suspects through social networking sites, where wanted people may reveal valuable clues.

Updated training exercises also examine how to gather the best information from computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices.

Senior officers have been forced to keep pace with the rapidly evolving online world to gather intelligence on suspects from street gangs to fraudsters. Earlier this year escaped prisoner Craig Lynch mocked police with clues about his whereabouts on Facebook during four months on the run. In London, detectives are examining posts on Facebook and Twitter relating to the murder of 17-year-old Marvin Henry during a suspected fight between rival gangs.

Deputy Chief Constable Nick Gargan, acting head of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), said updated training is vital.

He said: "This programme is a vital part of the career pathway for detectives and the new training covers sensitive areas of policing where limited guidance existed previously. These improvements are exactly what detectives need to tackle the challenges and complexities of modern policing effectively.

"The changes underline the importance to having a national agency to provide guidance and train detectives to a single high standard so they can work on investigations in any part of the country and give their colleagues and the public the best quality service in fighting crime."

Around 3,500 student detectives take the initial crime investigator's development programme each year.

The revised training also includes new guidance on how best to investigate honour-based violence, record evidence of domestic abuse and tackle rape. There is material linking to a national collection of footprints made by specific shoes as well as how to collect financial information.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

National Police Air Service Announced

A new National Police Air Service (NPAS) could be up and running within the next 18 months if police authorities rubber stamp the plans, ACPO has confirmed today.

Under a radical blueprint, the current air support cover supplied by individual forces would be amalgamated and would operate across force borders throughout the UK.

The current 29 bases and 33 aircraft would be reduced by around a third – with 20 bases and 23 aircraft operational and a further three held back as spares.

The plans would see Sussex and Surrey reducing to a single aircraft and relocating to a new base at Dunsfold, while cover in Merseyside, South Yorkshire and Cambridge would be withdrawn to allow other bases in the area to provide the coverage.

Hampshire Chief Alex Marshall – ACPO Lead for the NPIAS – told PoliceOracle.com that the new structure would be the first national collaboration venture of its type.

He believed the new model would save in the region of £15 million – 23 per cent – compared with the status quo and would introduce greater flexibility and efficiency.

CC Marshall added: “While the current service is capable of doing its day job, artificial boundaries have meant that helicopters are restricted to operating in their own force area.

“A national service will ensure effective coverage of both urban and rural areas. We expect to be able to reach 97 per cent of the population within 20 minutes, giving 24-hour support coverage with the roll out beginning in 2012.”

Under the new structure, the NPIA would take ownership of the aircraft, which would later be passed to the new National Crime Agency when it is formed.

Calls for assistance would be made through a local air support contact, with British Transport Police given responsibility for the scrambling and despatch of aircraft.

“We felt that this would be appropriate as BTP is already a national Police Force,” said CC Marshall. “Clearly with the reductions in airframes, we are going to have fewer pilots and fewer of our people involved. Police officers will be redeployed and we may see a small number of redundancies among staff.”

CC Marshall said that he would now be seeking approval for the move from police authorities. If given the green light, the NPAS could be operating a shadow service – with forces operating their own air support assets but as if they were working nationally – next year.

DCC Nick Gargan, acting Chief Executive of the NPIA, shared the enthusiasm for the introduction of the new initiative. He said: “This will be a truly national policing service that will be at the heart of improving public safety.

“The NPIA has played a substantial role in helping to set up the new service, which will bring operational efficiencies and allow for the introduction of innovative contracts that offer better value for money for the service and the taxpayer.”

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

CSR: Police Funding Reduced 20%

Over the course of the Spending Review period, the Home Office will reduce overall resource spending by 23% in real terms, and capital spending by 49% in real terms.

The police service must play their part in reducing the nation's deficit. Central government police funding will reduce by 20% in real terms by 2014-15. If Police Authorities were to choose to increase precept, part of council tax, at the level forecast by the Office of Budget Responsibility, the SR settlement means that on average police budgets would reduce by 14% in real terms over the next four years.

The department’s central administration budget will be reduced by 33% in real terms over the same period.

The Home Office will manage these reductions by focusing spending where it matters most – protecting the public, and ensuring the security of our border.

The reforms we are introducing will make police forces more efficient and more effective. We will drive out wasteful spending and increase efficiency and productivity in the back office. We will end central bureaucracy and targets, such as the Policing Pledge, reduce the reporting requirements for Stop and Search and scrap the 'stop' form in its entirety. We will also modernise pay and conditions.

By cutting out costs and scrapping bureaucracy we are saving hundreds of millions of pounds and hundreds of thousands of man hours – so this settlement should not lead to any reduction in police officers visible and available on the streets.

The introduction of directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners will make forces truly accountable to the communities they serve and ensure that resources are properly targeted to where they are needed most.

We will ensure that the UK retains its capabilities to tackle the terrorist threat. Counter-terrorism specific policing will be protected with a smaller percentage cut than overall police funding of 10% in real terms and we will ensure the right funding is in place to deliver a safe and secure Olympic Games in 2012.

The UK Border Agency’s budget will be cut by up to 20% over the next four years. The agency will save around £500 million in efficiencies by reducing support costs; improving productivity and value for money from commercial suppliers. It will also invest in new technologies to secure the border and control migration at a lower cost. An increasing proportion of the costs of controlling immigration and securing our border will be met by migrants and visitors to the UK.

We will abolish the National Policing Improvement Agency saving at least £50m. Some of its functions will be absorbed into the National Crime Agency which will lead the fight against organised crime, protect our border, and provide services best delivered at a national level.

In addition, the department will be adopting two ideas suggested by the public through the Spending Challenge process. We will make it possible for employers to share CRB checks, reducing the need for multiple checks. We will also ensure police forces can make procurement savings by acting together when buying goods and services.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, said: “My absolute priority, as Home Secretary, is to ensure that the UK retains its capabilities to protect the public, secure the border and tackle the terrorist threat. We also have a responsibility to reduce the budget deficit and the Home Office must play its part in this.

“I believe that by improving efficiency, driving out waste, and increasing productivity we can maintain a strong police service, a secure border and effective counter terrorism capabilities whilst delivering significant savings.”

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Police Facing 'Deep Cuts' To Frontline Officers

Britain's police forces are expected to have to make deep cuts in officer numbers after a Treasury decision to protect Home Office spending on counter-terrorism above all else, the Guardian has learned.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is believed to be very close to a final settlement on her budget that protects counter-terrorism funding from immediate cuts, though not from the effects of inflation over the next four years.

Police forces have been drawing up cost reduction plans in anticipation of next week's comprehensive spending review announcement. So far the chief constables of West Midlands, Lancashire, Hampshire, Kent and North Wales have indicated to their authorities that they plan to cut a total of 6,467 police jobs over the next four years.

The decision to protect counter-terrorism funding follows reports in July that Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism chief, John Yates, had told a private gathering of chief constables that "eyewatering" cuts of £150m to the budget to fight terrorism could imperil national security.

It is expected that the decision to exempt counter-terrorism from the cuts of up to 25% demanded by the Treasury will mean deeper cuts in other parts of the £10.2bn Home Office annual budget.

May has dismissed Police Federation claims that up to 40,000 police jobs are at risk as "pure speculation". She has also said that back office, bureaucracy and procurement costs rather than frontline policing should be the first source for savings.

But a CSR submission leaked by the Association of Chief Police Officers to the Home Office says the scale of the 25% indicative savings envisaged can only be delivered by "a significant reduction in headcount of police forces".

The document says "undue emphasis" has been placed on uncontroversial areas such as procurement, which account for only 10% of police budgets. "Even an optimistic 10% saving [in procurement] could not realise more than an overall 1% budget reduction," it argues.

The chief constables have also told the Home Secretary that the "new economic reality" will make a number of forces unviable – "some sooner than others" – and the issue of police mergers will be back on the table. ACPO suggests that guidelines for the move from 43 police forces in England and Wales to a "smaller number of strategically sized forces" is needed.

Most forces have already imposed recruitment freezes. Police officers are currently protected from the risk of redundancy by statute. Legal advice obtained by several chief constables, however, has cleared the way for them to compulsorily retire officers after 30 years' service. Regulations say officers can be "required to retire" after 30 years if their continued employment would not be in the interests of efficiency. Already 250 officers in North Wales have been told they may be "retired in this way" and the Police Federation fears it could open the floodgates to thousands of officers – often among the most skilled and working in specialist units – leaving the police service.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation, yesterday renewed his plea to ministers not to "throw the bobby out with the bathwater".

Graham Maxwell of ACPO said it was a fallacy to claim that the required savings could be realised without any impact on frontline services. "The sums simply do not add up," he said. Acpo has warned that there is a doubt over the future of specialist units such as those covering domestic violence, rape, hate crime and child protection.

Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "Senior people in the police service should know better than to make irresponsible statements like that on the basis of information that hasn't been settled yet, in terms of how much money they are going to get."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Christmas for Criminals

Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation of England & Wales
A plea for the future of policing from Federation Chairman Paul McKeever....

http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/2010/09/christmas-for-criminals-impassioned.html --- (NB. This is not a "live" link. Please copy & paste into your browser)

We are distributing this across the police forums and blogs. I’ve also reprinted Pauls e-mail below.

Worth a read, he's spot on. Feel free to distribute as you think fit.

Supplied courtesy of Steve Bennett

‘CHRISTMAS FOR CRIMINALS’

It has struck me that many people seem unaware that although the Governments Comprehensive Spending Review is published on the 20th October, budgets are actually starting to be set now in some government departments. The Treasury ‘Star Chamber’ that will sit and decide departmental budgets is chaired by George Osborne (Con) the Chancellor, with Danny Alexander (LibDem) First Secretary to the Treasury, sitting as his deputy. William Hague, Francis Maude and Oliver Letwin will all be full members of the ‘Star Chamber’. As each minister agrees their departments budget with the Treasury that minister then joins ‘The Star Chamber’ to sit in judgement on their peers who are yet to set their budgets. So if you are a minister there is an incentive to settle your budget early.

It is thought that the Home Office won’t agree their budget with the Treasury until towards the end of this month, or maybe even later at the Conservative Conference at the start of October. Either way, there is little time left to pursued and influence in relation to the cuts.

So, it looks like those that care about the British way of policing have got a month to save the public from impending peril and to prevent the police service from facing meltdown

The questions and points that haven’t yet been put or asked are

· The first duty of any government is the protection of its citizens

· Any government that fails in their duty is unfit to govern

· Why isn’t the police service being given priority treatment by the government in the same way that the NHS and Education departments have been prioritised? We recognise the government has got to make cuts but they have clearly decided that some areas are more important than others. So why does it appear they care so little about crime and anti-social behaviour when it is given such a high priority by the public? Is the government badly advised, or out of touch with the world ordinary people live in? We think they’re badly advised.

· Public Safety is at real risk due to the proposed 25% - 40% cuts. Those at greatest risk will be the most vulnerable in society.

· The government risks putting the public at substantially greater risk of experiencing violent crime, anti-social behaviour, a rise in crime generally and a dramatically reduced policing service. This position is compounded by the apparent desire of Ken Clarke, Justice Minister, to empty the prisons and deal with serious criminals through the failing community service orders.

· There are examples emerging across the country that indicate the size of what is to come if nothing changes. Mersey-side Police is set to lose 800 officers, Kent Police 500. Dr Tim Brain has estimated the police service will lose 60,000 if the cuts are implemented.

· Police professionals throughout England and Wales recognise that if the cuts go ahead at the proposed level many forces will be offering a very basic service and some forces might actually fail. There is no doubt that the public will be put at much greater risk. Yet very few members of ACPO appear ready to question the cuts. It appears they are following the same line as the story about the Kings new clothes. However, we know privately that many chief officers are talking about what amounts to the destruction of the British Police Service as we know it

· The government appears to unwittingly be creating a very volatile mix that can be described as ‘Christmas for Criminals’

· Nick Herbert, the police minister is a man who we like and respect but the government seems to believe completely the very poor advice emanating from some think tanks, chief constables and business gurus about how savings can be made without any detrimental effect on policing. Those of us who work in the real world rather than within think tanks, no matter how brilliant the minds employed there, recognise the risks. Therefore, it is our duty to do something about it because ACPO, a private limited company, won’t. The Police Federation doesn’t want to see a government with good intentions sunk through the absence of any-one telling them of the peril they face. We are police officers, we are expected to tell the truth and we will do that. ACPO’s extraordinary ‘solution’ to the conundrum of budget reductions is simple but crude and totally unrealistic; reduce costs by destroying the pay and conditions of police officers (but not ACPO officers). How the CABAL within ACPO, the so called leaders of the service could show such disregard for their own officers is beyond belief, especially when they seem intent on ensuring those holding ACPO rank won’t experience any of the pain their own officers will be facing.

· I fear that if the government doesn’t step back from the precipice they will be answering some very difficult questions from their constituents in the next few years as the consequences of their actions start to bite them very hard indeed.

It’s one month to save the police, or it will be ‘Christmas for Criminals’

Paul McKEEVER

Met Police Chief is "Rather Fond Of Villains Going To Prison"

The Metropolitan police commissioner, Paul Stephenson, has waded into the debate about Britain's prison population by opposing government proposals to lock up fewer criminals.

Stephenson also expressed his support for handing out short-term prison sentences for offences such as burglary, contradicting the justice secretary Kenneth Clarke's recent comments that it was "virtually impossible" to rehabilitate offenders on short-term sentences.

The government has launched a review of sentencing policy, with Clarke indicating that he favours a greater emphasis on community sentences rather than putting more criminals behind bars.

Asked if he agreed that fewer people should go to prison, Stephenson told radio station LBC 97.3: "Don't forget what my mission in life is: save life, prevent crime. I'm rather fond of villains going to prison. I rather like it.

"I've said on many occasions, I think I've said it on this show before, that before a burglar burgles a house, he should anticipate a period of imprisonment if and when he's caught.

"I'm a fan of that and I also think that victims of serious crime would actually think that prison works."

Burglary can carry sentences of less than a year.

In comments that provoked discomfort on the Tory right, Clarke said: "Banging up more and more people for longer without actively seeking to change them is what you would expect of Victorian England."

He called for a "rehabilitation revolution", with sentencing policy focused on targeting the causes of reoffending.

Stephenson said there was a need for a "balance between retribution and rehabilitation" in the justice system. "I believe in both," he said.

Stephenson's predecessor as Met commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, is taking part in an inquiry examining short-term prison sentences, set up by Make Justice Work, which hopes to find workable alternatives to locking people up.

Clarke's comments directly signalled the abandonment of the "prison works" orthodoxy, launched by the former home secretary, Michael Howard. The justice secretary faces mounting pressure to halt Britain's £4bn prison-building programme, the largest in Europe. Howard said he was "not convinced" by Clarke's position and that "serious and persistent criminals need to be put in prison".

The Tory MP Philip Davies said many Conservative supporters would be disappointed by the justice secretary's plans.

"Disappointed because I think lots of them will feel that it's the wrong thing to do but also disappointed because many of them voted for the Conservative party at the last election on the basis that we would send more people to prison, not fewer."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Police Federation: Cuts Could Endanger Officers

The chairman of the Police Federation’s Constables Central Committee has warned ministers of severe knock-on effects with personnel if Forces cut staffing levels to the bone.

In a speech promoting the Federation’s Real Policing Pledge in London, PC Paul Lewis stressed that assaults on police, increased sickness levels and a far less flexible service to the public are likely outcomes should the front line be hit.

And he warned both chief officers and politicians that they risked a serious situation if they did not consider the bigger picture when deciding where cuts should fall.

PC Lewis added: “Looking ahead we know that money is tight – very tight.

“But we would also warn the government against acting in haste – they may find that if they act in haste, then they will be repenting at their leisure.”

While accepting that politicians had difficult decisions to make, PC Lewis said a joint report by HMIC and the Audit Commission published this week had identified that £1 billion of funding could be made without harming service.

The report had suggested that more collaboration, shared procurement and a reduction in back room costs could make the savings – but also warned that cuts of more than 12per cent would impact on the sharp end of policing.

But PC Lewis said it was “infuriating” that commentators failed to focus on these practicalities and insisted instead on talking about cuts to officer numbers.

He added: “More infuriating is when Chief Officers’ jump to this all too easy solution for fear that looking at other moves to make savings should prove too difficult.

“We know that with 80 per cent of the police budget going on staff costs there is a temptation for the axe to fall on personnel. But in past years officer sickness records have improved and any decline in numbers is likely to see rates increase again.

“The level of assaults on police is still high – it is a difficult and demanding job that we do. That is why we must ensure we have sufficient police officers, with the appropriate safety equipment and training not only to protect the public but to protect and support each other.”

PC Lewis said that the Federation needed to work with politicians as well other organisations such as ACPO and the Superintendents’ Association to ensure that any financial decisions did not have a detrimental impact on the public.

He concluded: “It is all very well saying that we need to do more for less, but should that equate to more work with less officers, the strain on those at the sharp end will be immense.”

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Police Recruits "Should work for free"

At first sight I thought this must be a joke from April Fool's Day. However, it is a deadly serious prospect as you will gather from reading on. Thank God I am retired. I would never be recruited today!

Chief Constables are planning to introduce a national scheme that would see people wanting to become police officers working for free before they can join the force.

The move is part of their response to the large budget cuts they will have to make as part of the government's slashing of public spending.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has asked the National Policing Improvement Agency for guidance on a scheme to be introduced across all 43 forces, senior sources have confirmed.

Critics say it means policing on the cheap and could deter recruits from poorer backgrounds. Police chiefs believe it could save £40m-£50m.

ACPO held its annual conference last week in Manchester, where police chiefs discussed in public and private how to maintain their ability to fight crime while coping with the biggest budget cuts in recent history. Police chiefs believe they can build support for the changes, and bypass or neutralise opposition from within the service, by selling it as a move towards greater professionalism.

They will also argue that it puts aspiring police officers on the same footing as other public sector professions, such as nurses, who are expected to fund their training themselves unless they can win a bursary.

Three models for a national scheme are being studied. One is operated by Lancashire police, in which those wanting to join the force first have to attend a university offering a two-year course. This teaches recruits law and policing in diverse communities. During the course, students work as special constables. Only after completing it can they apply to become full police constables.

Lancashire accepts the scheme has helped cut its training costs. There is no guarantee of a job at the end of it.

Scotland Yard is proposing to introduce a scheme that was passed by its watchdog last week. Potential recruits would have to work for up to a year as special constables before being allowed to apply to Britain's largest force.

The third model is that operated by Surrey police, which sees recruits pay £700 for training. Mark Rowley, Chief Constable of Surrey police, said it does more than save money: "We are getting better recruits, because they have committed their own time to learning and progressing further their career in the police."

Rowley said the scheme means once people join his force they have "better practical skills than before".

Simon Reed, vice-chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: "We're not convinced. We may find the cost of it deters people from ethnic minorities and from working-class backgrounds, people we want to see joining. It is putting another barrier in their way. We hope they will not replace police officers with specials."

He said people from the armed forces are not allowed to serve as special constables, so they could in effect be barred from joining the police. Reed added that some police forces were not recruiting, meaning people who work for free or pay for training courses could end up having wasted their time and money.

In London, Labour is opposing the Metropolitan police scheme. Joanne McCartney, a Labour member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "If the Met can get this through, then other forces will follow suit. It's unfair and will disadvantage anyone with caring responsibilities, anyone already in work, and anyone who can't afford to work unpaid for a year or more.

"We know this is a financially driven decision and not one taken in the best long-term interests of the Met. Specials are an invaluable asset, but they are an addition to full-time officers. They do not offer the same resilience as they can't be compelled to work, and nor should they."

The Policing Minister, Nick Herbert, spent three days – an unusually large time for someone in government – at the ACPO Conference. He told the Guardian that money could also be saved by buying items centrally, such as information technology systems.

Herbert said the days of 43 forces in England and Wales doing their own thing, regardless of cost, were over. "There have been 43 fiefdoms and when money was around that could go on. Money is much tighter and we cannot be relaxed about inefficiency."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

HM The Queen's Birthday Honours

Police officers are well represented with plethora of awards from Her Majesty…...

The Chief Inspector of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary leads an impressive array of accolades for the police in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Sir Denis O’Connor, who is already a CBE, is knighted for his services to law enforcement in the latest list. Most recently he has been responsible for leading key initiatives to make the police more accountable with the HMIC Report Card scheme.

Other personalities of note in the honours line up include Catherine Crawford, CEO of the Metropolitan Police Authority, ACC Jeremy Harris of the PSNI and Martin Tiplady, Director of Human Resources at the Met, who receive OBEs.

Colonel (Rtd) Robert GILLIAT, Chairman, Crime Prevention Panel, Devon and Cornwall, for voluntary service to the Police receives the MBE. Many congratulations Bob!

A number of other officers and their civilian counterparts throughout the Nation are also recognised with MBEs while the list for the Queen’s Police Medal is also well represented.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

UK sends ACC & 12 expert football officers to South Africa to assist policing Football World Cup

A small team of UK football policing officers will head to South Africa next week as part of an international policing contingent to assist local authorities during the World Cup tournament.

Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on football, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt will lead a team of 12 officers heading to South Africa for the World Cup.

A member of the team will be based in the international police co-ordination centre which will be managing security and policing issues for all World Cup matches.

The officers will fly to Johannesburg in time for England’s first game against the US in Rustenburg on June 12.

ACC Holt said “Officers heading to South Africa will be deployed in full uniform and will act as both intelligence gatherers and as ambassadors. These officers are experienced in policing football matches in the UK and will act as a direct link into the South African Police Service to ensure that it’s a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.”

ACC Holt said police were not anticipating mass disorder at the event, but warned any fans who were arrested would be dealt with under South African laws.

“The reality is that the overwhelming majority of England fans heading to South Africa are there to support the national team and the game of football.

“Those who do decide to engage in any trouble must realise that as guests in South Africa they will feel the full force of local policing laws. The South African police have a fast-track courts system in place and we will ensure that any of those who get caught up in football-related trouble can also expect to face a football banning order when they return to the UK.”

In response to concerns about crime rates, ACC Holt said fans were advised to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for tips on keeping safe during the tournament.

The Football Supporters Federation has also produced a useful free guide for fans heading to South Africa.

Nick Hawkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Hampshire and Isle of Wight and national football lead said “CPS will be working closely with the UK policing team and South African prosecutors during the World Cup. A key aim will be to ensure that any evidence of violence or disorder gathered against English nationals is made available to secure football banning orders in the UK.”

ACC Holt said along with policing arrangements in South Africa, police were also planning a national policing operation to ensure safety in town centres for those fans remaining at home.

During the World Cup campaign police in England and Wales will be stepping up patrols in city centres to tackle any alcohol-related disorder as well as to manage any crowds at proposed big screen events.

Police last week kicked off a national awareness campaign around domestic abuse, following an ACPO study which showed a 30 per cent increase in reports of domestic abuse on England match days during the 2006 World Cup.

The campaign includes posters showing a blood stained football shirt tagged “Strikeher” and calls on people to blow the whistle on domestic abuse.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Communion on the Moon

How many of us knew this? Too bad this type of news doesn't travel as fast as bad!
Communion on the Moon: July 20th, 1969
(This is an article by Eric Metaxas). I have checked the authenticity of this item on Snopes and found it to be true. Here is the Snopes reference if you want to check it yourself; http://www.snopes.com/glurge/communion.asp


Forty years ago two human beings changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it. I'm talking about the fact that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface of the moon. Some months after his return, he wrote about it in Guideposts magazine.

And a few years ago I had the privilege of meeting him myself. I asked him about it and he confirmed the story to me, and I wrote about in my book "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask)". The background to the story is that Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian Church in Texas during this period in his life, and knowing that he would soon be doing something unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion somehow, and he asked his minister to help him. And so the minister consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine. And Buzz Aldrin took them with him out of the Earth's orbit and on to the surface of the moon.

He and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Aldrin made the following public statement: "This is the LM pilot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way." He then ended radio communication and there, on the silent surface of the moon, 250,000 miles from home, he read a verse from the Gospel of John, and he took communion. Here is his own account of what happened:

"In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup.Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.'

I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute [they] had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly.

I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements.

And of course, it's interesting to think that some of the first words spoken on the moon were the words of Jesus Christ, who made the Earth and the moon - and Who, in the immortal words of Dante, is Himself the "Love that moves the Sun and other stars."

Spanish logic - now you have it !

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a
little longer, you could have got yourself a better model.

The women won !!!!!!

Make the most of your cell phone

5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO

There are quite a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.
Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out what you can do with it:

FIRST
Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.

If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you. This number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This information may come in handy someday. If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, just call someone at home and ask them to get your spare key and their mobile phone. Then hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at home press the unlock button on the spare key, holding it near their mobile phone. Your car will unlock and saves someone from having to drive your keys to you.

Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away but if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' key or your car, you can unlock the doors (or the boot/trunk).

Postcript: It works well! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!'

THIRD
Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To reactivate, press the keys *3370# and y our mobile will restart with this reserve and will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you next recharge your mobile.

FOURTH
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is stolen you can telephone your service provider by landline and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use it or sell it either! If everybody did this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

FIFTH
ATM - PIN Number Reversal - Good to Know
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse . For example, if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM system recognizes that your PIN number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested but, unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to the location.

This information was recently broadcast on CTV by Crime Stoppers however it is seldom used because people just don't know about it.

POSTSCRIPT May 20th, 2010.
My thanks to a blogger called Charlie who notified me that Item 5 above is totally false. Please read the story as verified by SNOPES by copying this link into your browser: http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp

Police Force Collaboration Beckons As Finances Squeezed

It has become a common theme across Police Forces throughout the UK – the mantra of having to save money and provide more in an increasingly difficult economic environment.

Despite the promises to put more officers on the streets in the manifestos of the three main political parties, the reality is that money available to Chief Constables is already tight and the situation will become tougher in the years ahead. With the realisation that savings are needed, senior officers are already resorting to more draconian measures in a move to balance the books.

With the Treasury’s edict to increase efficiency gains from 3 to 4 per cent, there are now concerns that cash savings alone will not be enough to address police budget shortfalls. The gravity of the problem was outlined by Andy Hayman, a former Assistant Commissioner with the Met, when he told a conference in London that fundamental structures may need to be reconsidered.

“New initiatives such as neighbourhood policing have brought considerable benefits,” he maintained. “But continually extending the boundaries of policing is not sustainable if Forces are to deliver on the interdiction of crime, be it antisocial behaviour, organised crime or acts of terrorism.

“Chief Constables, struggling to address the deluge of performance indicators from central Government, need to re-think policing structures and reform, or else face having it done for them by a future Home Secretary.”

For one group of Forces in the North of England, however, an evolving formal collaboration arrangement involving both the constabularies and the Police Authorities is providing a possible example for how both working practices can be made more efficient and cash could be saved in the years to come.

Ironically, however, the Policing Yorkshire and the Humber initiative – which involves the North, West and South Yorkshire Forces as well as Humberside Constabulary – had its roots in firmly in controversial proposals made by the last Labour Government to merge the Forces six years ago.

Although the plans were shelved in 2006, the quartet of Forces recognised that they had identified areas where they could share resources. Forming a Regional Chief Constables Group from all four Forces and a Joint Police Authority Committee, they have been pressing ahead with their own initiative.

A Regional Programme Team is managing joint projects and a Regional Protective Services Improvement Plan sets out the stall for the coming three years. The document looks at areas where the Forces could work together such as homicide and witness protection and a mobilisation plan to test fast time response.

Moves to look at how other processes can formally be regionalised are also being investigated. Among them is a procurement plan and a joint custody project with an agreed model of prisoner handling across all four Forces. Investigating the viability of each of the ideas is split between the constabulary quartet, while the Joint Police Authority Committee have called in external consultancy firm Deloittes to scrutinise future proposals.

Co-ordinating the project is Head of Collaboration DCC Mark Whyman, a liaison point for those involved in the scheme, who admits a huge sense of enthusiasm for the project.

“I think there were a number of reasons why those involved took the view that they needed to continue to explore a formal system of working collaboratively,” he said. “The Chief Constables all knew each others’ areas and there was recognition that you are stronger if you work together. Ultimately, why do you want to do things four times over if you can do them once?”

“Having said that, however, the journey is still in progress – the project team has changed in shape and membership as we have progressed and the harmonisation of policies and procedures is going to take time. But my appointment in itself is evidence of the investment those involved are prepared to make.”

Recent successes of collaboration between the Forces have included the seizing of £6 million worth of criminal assets by the Roads Policing Team targeting cross-border criminals with 650 arrests made in the process.
Meanwhile in the hunt for missing Claudia Lawrence and the Cau Guan Chen murder investigation, West Yorkshire’s Underwater Search Unit and Humberside’s air support officers provided assistance along with detectives from across the region.

With the four Forces training together, officers have also been honing common tactics, which proved useful during the Operation Nix action – policing a series of demonstrations at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in North Killingholme.

Although the original aims of the collaborative working were operational rather than financial, Whyman admitted that the structures would help with cost savings needed amid the pressures created by the hole in public finances.

“We are currently reviewing everything that we do closely, and trying to second guess how we think a newly-elected Government is likely to act,” Whyman PoliceOracle.com. “In making savings the challenge that all of us are facing is to make them in such a way that they don’t disrupt services.”

But the collaboration project has the potential to provide a firm base to help reduce costs. Jeremy Holderness, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Police Authority, is convinced that formal sharing of resources will be a feature of policing in future, and that it will be accelerated the economic outlook.

“Finances were never the prime driver for any of us in the project, but in the last two-and-a-half years we have seen the reality that public expenditure will be cut in the medium to long-term,” he said. “Not only do we need to work collaboratively, but we must focus on economies of scale and efficiency.

“There is work to be done still to achieve the long-term objectives that we have. The first two or three years of the process are all about each Force making themselves fit for purpose to work together. Starting from four different positions would be an impediment to collaboration rather than a driver.”

Whatever the aspirations of the Government and the Prime Minister who will prepare for power tomorrow morning, the future challenges facing the Police Service will not take long to overshadow the celebrations. The morning after the night before for newly elected politicians promises to be a sobering experience; deciding the way forward for public services must be swift.

Formal collaboration, and potentially mergers, offers a possible way forward for constabularies, but the processes faced by the Yorkshire and the Humber show that the integration of different procedures and methodologies does take time and effort to achieve. And ultimately, any merger or collaboration must still be achieved against the pressures of operations

Article courtesy of www.PoliceOracle.com

I bet you didn't know this little fact about the brain of man !!!!

A little known fact....

The first testicular guard "Cup" was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.

That means it took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important !!

My thanks to my friend Dean Eddy in California for this little gem. Dean's web site:
http://community-1.webtv.net/dapcs5/httpcommunitywebtv/

World War II tank recovered after 62 years

WW II Russian tank with German markings uncovered after 62 years. WW II Buffs will find this interesting. Even after 62 years (and a little tinkering), they were able to fire up the diesel engine!

A Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer pulled the abandoned tank from its tomb under the boggy bank of a lake near Johvi, Estonia. The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years. According to its specifications, it's a 27-ton machine with a top speed of 53km/hr.

From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva front in the northeastern part of Estonia. Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there.

During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank's exterior.) On 19th September, 1944, German troops began an organized retreat along the Narva front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake to conceal it when its captors left the area.

At that time, a local boy walking by the lake, Kurtna Matasjarv, noticed tank tracks leading into the lake but not coming out anywhere. For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake. This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armoured vehicle at the lake's bottom. A few years ago, he told the story to the leader of the local war history club 'Otsing'. Together with other club members, Mr. Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago. At the depth of 7 metres they discovered the tank resting under a 3 metre layer of peat.

Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr Shedunov's leadership, decided to pull the tank out. In September of 2000 they turned to Mr. Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva open pit company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company's Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer. (Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was manufactured in 1995, and has recorded 19,000 operating hours without major repairs.)

The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks. The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made for a pulling operation that required significant muscle. The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style. The weight of the fully-armed tank was around 30 tons, so the active force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement for the 68-ton dozer was to have enough weight to prevent slippage while moving up the hill.

After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a "trophy tank" that had been captured by the German army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake. Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with NO RUST, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition. This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. Plans are underway to fully restore the tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum in the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narv.

What is worn under a man's kilt ?

Warning; finish your coffee and biscuits before looking at these pictures because otherwise you may choke! I hope they make you smile or blush with embarrassment! I have often been told to take pictures you receive on the Internet with a pinch of salt as they may have been air-brushed or doctored in some other way. I will leave you to make up your own mind about these!

Politicians "Face Tough Choices on Policing"

Professional bodies warn that custodian of Number 10 keys must square up to difficult decisions on law enforcement issues…...

Tough choices will need to be made about crucial policing issues –whoever holds the keys to Number 10 Downing Street next month, it has been claimed.

In a statement after Gordon Brown announced that he would go to the country on May 6, the Police Federation said any PM would have to balance the demands of financial pressures while dealing with home affairs concerns.

Brown admitted that the election announcement had been “the worst kept secret in recent years” when – at 1100hrs on Tuesday (April 6) – he revealed he was going to the country.

All three parties have already discussed the broad direction in which they would take the police, should they take power, both in and out of Parliament.

Among the policies, Labour has said it will ring fence the Community Policing budget, ensuring there is cash for Police Community Support Officers for 2010-11.

The Tories are planning to introduce directly elected police chiefs which, the party claims, would improve accountability and cut down on bureaucracy.

The Liberal Democrats have maintained that chief officers should have greater discretion to manage their force in deciding key staff changes and rewarding specialists.

But a spokesman for the Police Federation said: “From our point of view we recognise that there are a number of issues in the police that need to be faced – whoever finds themselves in power in a month or so.

“We understand that the economic climate is not good and the Prime Minister will have to maximise investment in each of the public services.”

The spokesman believed that the “workforce mix” in the police would need to be examined to see how PCs and PCSOs could be deployed for best effect.

He also called for better collaboration between Forces to be explored where viable, Police IT to be better organised and a more “joined up criminal justice system”.

Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, believed that a more radical approach was required to meet the needs of difficult times.

The senior officer and former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, again called for a top-down review of the whole law enforcement system, which, he stressed, had not been done for nearly five decades.

He said: “We would like to see a review of all areas of policing including the number of forces, national structures which pull things together in times of emergency and the manner in which the police are held to account.

“Police chiefs make hard choices on how to carve up their resources from anti-social behaviour at one end of the spectrum through to combating the threat from international terrorism at the other. It is now time to review the structures which govern our role in this increasingly complex landscape.”

However the Association of Police Authorities did not believe that an overhaul of policing was needed – and stressed that politicians needed to keep priorities in perspective.

APA Chairman Rob Garnham said: “Police authorities have the power, on behalf of local communities, to ensure that policing continues to improve. We do not need an expensive and time consuming review to look at how to do this.

“Policing is at an immensely important stage – we are already seeing a significant drive to improve public confidence in the Service, which is beginning to grow steadily and we are in the run up to the Olympics,” he added.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Time for a Royal Commission into British Policing ?

My apologies for the lack of postings of late but I have been on holiday in the Canary Islands and am only now getting back to my normal pattern of daily routine.

A comprehensive review of policing needs to be carried out to equip both senior officers and front line PCs with the powers they need for the 21st Century, according to the Chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Sir Hugh Orde said the last time a fundamental overhaul had been carried out was nearly 50 years ago, when the demands on officers and the dynamic of society were very different.

Orde’s views were shared by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, who believed that current structures and procedures, set up in the wake of the 1962 Royal Commission, were not up to scratch for the modern era.

The Commission’s findings, which led to the Police Act 1964, form the foundation of current law enforcement. The legislation reduced the number of forces through amalgamation and created new Police Authorities among other far-reaching changes.

However, in an interview with the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, Orde maintained that terrorism, new technology and social change meant that a new approach was needed.

He said: “Policing has moved on – with the international threat, the national threat and cyber crime, we are in a different place. We need an independent assessment.”

Orde said that leaders were making tough decisions about how to balance resources with “anti-social behaviour at one end, international terrorism at the other” on a regular basis.

He added: “I think it is important that we step back and look at this now rather than wait for some crisis that will drive change – it could be a multi-site terrorist attack.

“I would be more comfortable knowing that we have the best structure possible to deal with that threat because we’ve looked at it before the crisis, not on the back of it.”

Sir Ian Blair was also worried that the last review of policing was set up during an era that pre-dated even he threat posed by Irish Republican terrorism – and he pointed out that there had been vast technological and social changes since.

He believed that there needed to be “a situation in which policing is assessed again for the 21st Century”. Speaking at the PoliceOracle.com backed Future of Policing seminar in London, Blair added: “We have not had a review in a holistic way since 1962. Then the police did not have radios. There was no internet and no terrorism.

“The people that created the last Royal Commission took their recommendations to the Home Office. We have had three separate Home Office buildings since then.”

“I rest my case.”

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

England my England

Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend

Your days are numbered, being brought to an end

To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine

But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.

The French and the Germans may call themselves such

So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch

You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane

But don't say you're English ever again.

At Broadcasting House the word is taboo

In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too

Even schools are affected. Staff do as they're told

They must not teach children about England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw

The pupils don't learn about them anymore

How about Agincourt, Hastings, Arnhem or Mons ?

When England lost hosts of her very brave sons.

We are not Europeans, how can we be?

Europe is miles away, over the sea

We're the English from England, let's all be proud

Stand up and be counted - Shout it out loud!

Let's tell our Government and Brussels too

We're proud of our heritage and the Red, White and Blue

Fly the flag of Saint George or the Union Jack

Let the world know - WE WANT OUR ENGLAND BACK!!!!

The Farmer and his beloved old Rooster!

A FARMER DECIDED HE WANTED TO GO TO TOWN AND SEE A MOVIE. THE TICKET AGENT ASKED,

"SIR, WHAT'S THAT ON YOUR SHOULDER?" THE OLD FARMER SAID, "THAT'S MY PET ROOSTER, CHUCK. WHEREVER I GO, CHUCK GOES."

"I'M SORRY SIR," SAID THE TICKET AGENT. "WE CAN'T ALLOW ANIMALS IN THE THEATRE."

THE OLD FARMER WENT AROUND THE CORNER AND STUFFED CHUCK DOWN HIS OVERALLS. THEN HE RETURNED TO THE BOOTH, BOUGHT A TICKET, AND ENTERED THE THEATRE.

HE SAT DOWN NEXT TO TWO OLD WIDOWS NAMED MILDRED AND MARGE.



THE MOVIE STARTED AND THE ROOSTER BEGAN TO SQUIRM. THE OLD FARMER UNBUTTONED HIS TROUSERS SO CHUCK COULD STICK HIS HEAD OUT AND WATCH THE MOVIE.

"MARGE!..." WHISPERED MILDRED.
"WHAT?..." SAID MARGE.
"I THINK THE GUY NEXT TO ME IS A PERVERT!...."
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK SO?" ASKED MARGE?
"HE UNDID HIS PANTS AND HE HAS HIS THING OUT!....", WHISPERED MILDRED...
"WELL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT", SAID MARGE.. "AT OUR AGE WE'VE SEEN 'EM ALL"

"I THOUGHT SO TOO", SAID MILDRED, "BUT THIS ONE'S EATING MY POPCORN !!!!!!!!!...."

Death of PCSO Mark Marshall in Afghanistan

It is with deep regret that Devon & Cornwall constabulary has announced the death of Police Community Support Officer Mark Marshall on 14 February 2010, while on active service in Afghanistan. He leaves his mother, a sister and a brother.

Mark was born on 24 March 1980 and joined the Force on 24 April 2006. He served in Exeter within the Priory and latterly Countess Wear and Topsham neighbourhood policing teams.

He was a member of the Territorial Army and was killed by an explosion on patrol in Afghanistan on Sunday.

Devon district commander Chief Superintendent Jo Tennant said: "Mark was one of our most experienced PCSOs and will be hugely missed by all his colleagues across Exeter and by the communities he was so proud to serve.

“His work with young people was very much appreciated by all those he came into contact with; he had the ability to motivate and inspire youngsters and he really enjoyed his work with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.

“Mark was a great character and an important part of our team. We would like to send our sincere condolences to Mark's family at this very sad time."

Exeter Neighbourhood Inspector Brent Davison said: “Mark was an absolute gentleman who always surpassed expectations. He was an excellent PCSO and would have made a superb Police Officer which he aspired to.

“Mark was always smiling and particularly enjoyed helping young people. I remember being present at a Duke Of Edinburgh awards ceremony, where the recipients were young people from Mark`s patch who Mark and colleagues had mentored.

“He made such a difference to those young people and his legacy will go on with them. He was rightly proud of these young people and they, in common with the rest of Mark's community, thoroughly respected him. Mark will be very sadly missed by all who had the pleasure of meeting him.”

Article courtesy of:www.policeoracle.com