Old Plod of Plympton

Olympic Outing For Met Police And Royal Marines

2012-01-27T12:34:00.004Z

A joint exercise involving the London Metropolitan Police and the British Royal Marines ahead of the Olympics has been hailed as a success by those responsible for Games security.

Officers from the Force's Marine Unit and military personnel rehearsed the skills and drills they will need to operate together in a week long package of manoeuvres.

The exercise focused on the River Thames, which will form an outer ring of security during the Games, and made use of assets including rigid boats and air support.

Assistant Commisioner Chris Allison, the National Olympic Security Co-ordinator, was satisfied at the results. He added: "There is no specific threat from the River but we would be failing in our duty if we did not consider this for Games time."

"All of the exercising is to get people to understand their roles and responsibilities – we need to know how we would work with those who would come and assist us if we have to deal with something beyond our capability and capacity.

AC Allison pointed out that the exercises not only focused on the practical capabilities of assets at his disposal during the Olympics, but also rules of engagement.

He said: "This is the wet-way into London and we need to make sure that we have tactics we can use on the River, many of which have been developed by the police."

The exercise saw a number of scenarios, ranging from a compliant stop to the use of armed officers boarding a moving vessel at speed, played out. Assets including police river launches plus rigid boats and landing craft from the Royal Marines were used along with a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter.

AC Allison said that the security of the Olympics remains the responsibility of the police, but that there will be niche military assets in support of that operation.

He concluded: "I know police officers will do their level best to ensure the Games pass off safely and securely. They will be the professionals they are, day in-day out."

Article Courtesy of: James Deller - www.PoliceOracle.com

The Beauty of Pollination

2012-01-13T15:59:00.007Z

Beautiful video to watch
TRULY AMAZING !
I'm sure you will enjoy.

Check out the hummingbird doing the barrel roll, and the bat carrying the baby
(is the shot of one on white catcus flower blossom).

This is an incredible little video, and the beauty of it will take your breath away.

I have never seen anything quite like this before. Slow motion captures each of these wondrous creatures at their best. Awesome! Make sure your speakers are turned on. Best viewed full screen.

Fuel Theft Is Latest Crime Trend

2011-12-29T12:39:00.003Z

Motorists whose cars refuse to start this Christmas could be victims of the latest austerity trend – fuel and catalytic converter theft.

Insurers and car rescue services are reporting a small but rising number of thefts, predominantly from commercial vehicles but increasingly from domestic cars. The AA says its officers are being called out about once a week to cars that have been damaged during a fuel theft, while police in North Lincolnshire have warned motorists to keep their vehicles secure after a spate of thefts in December.

In some areas of the country, motorists have been advised to get their catalytic converters marked to prevent thieves from selling the items on to scrap dealers.

Thieves steal fuel by cutting through fuel lines, smashing open fuel caps, removing petrol tanks or, in some cases, drilling into the fuel tanks and pumping out the contents. Big cars, such as people carriers and 4x4s, are particularly vulnerable because they are higher off the ground, giving easier access, and they have bigger fuel tanks.

Joe Hind – not his real name – from north London discovered his fuel had been stolen when he took his car, a 10-year-old people carrier, into the garage to have it checked because of a persistent smell of petrol.

"I had been smelling petrol for a couple of weeks, and the garage said the car was likely to need a new fuel tank. But when they looked at it, they found someone had tampered with the fuel lines, pulling them out to get at the fuel but not reinserting them properly," he said. "The garage said the petrol was unlikely to have ignited, but it's still worrying. It's even possible they did this more than once."

Martin Smith, technical claims manager for insurance company Aviva, said the theft of fuel was a "reaction to high fuel prices and the economic downturn". But he added that most people would not claim for the cost of repairs, because these were lower than or close to the value of the excess on their insurance policy.

Miranda Schunke, spokeswoman for recovery service Green Flag, said: "We were called out to a number of incidents earlier in the year, where the fuel lines had been cut. From our experience, the driver is unaware initially they have been involved in a fuel theft. Customers generally ring the call centre to say 'I have a fuel leak,' or 'I have run out of petrol."

Ms Schunke said most incidents involved the fuel line being cut or the petrol cap being prised off, and that older vehicles with a key-opened fuel cap were most at risk. "Drilling into the fuel tank is another potential access point but is very dangerous and could cause an explosion from one spark," she added.

Red diesel – fuel sold to farms that carries a lower tax duty than standard fuel – and domestic heating oil, another form of diesel, are also sometimes stolen for use in cars.

Figures collated by NFU Mutual, an insurer specialising in farm insurance, show the value of claims for heating oil theft increased by 153% in the first six months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. The east of England was the worst affected region.

Costs were partly due to an increase in the number of crimes, which doubled in the first six months of this year, but also due to the cost of cleaning up any environmental damage caused by thieves.

The most expensive claim dealt with by NFU Mutual this year for clean-up costs as a result of a damaged tank following an oil theft was over £30,000.

Will Howell, spokesman for the insurer, said that red diesel is sometimes mixed with heating oil and engine oil to disguise the dye, to prevent detection during spot checks by the police and Revenue & Customs.

Catalytic converters are stolen because they contain precious metals – platinum, palladium and rhodium – which can be recycled. The AA says it has seen an increase in thefts since the beginning of the credit crunch in 2008, when prices for precious metals started spiralling.

The catalytic converter was stolen from Jane Green's Land Rover Freelander while it was standing in a car park near her workplace in Wolverhampton. She said: "When I got back to my car, the police had left a note on the windscreen telling me not to turn the car on but to call them as soon as possible. I did and was told a witness had seen a man with a drill around my car."

Ms Green's catalytic converter had been removed with a saw and drill, causing damage that cost £900 to repair.

Aviva's Mr Smith advises that car owners should ideally use garages, or if that is not possible, park in busy, well-lit locations to deter thieves from tampering with their vehicles.

Article courtesy of: Guardian Unlimited and www.policeoracle.com

Christmas Greetings and New Year Good Wishes

2011-12-21T11:51:00.006Z

I would like to wish all my readers & bloggers everywhere a peaceful Christmas and a joyful New Year

May we all find peace and forgiveness in our hearts for troubles that may have happened during 2011, and may Christmas and 2012 bring you and your family all of our Great Creator’s blessings you so richly deserve.

Cancer: Lifestyle Changes Could Prevent 40% Of Tumours Each Year

2011-12-07T12:03:00.008Z

Making small lifestyle changes could dramatically reduce people's risk of cancer, according to new research.

Scientists found that four in 10 cancers could be prevented if people change their daily habits, with smoking, obesity, diet and alcohol the main contributors to the disease.

The findings by Cancer Research UK, which are based on 2010 figures, said that around 134,000 cancers diagnosed in Britain last year were attributable to lifestyle and environmental factors.

The study, which analysed hundreds of cases, calculated that 40% of cancers in men and 45% in women could have been averted, with smoking the biggest contributor, responsible for an estimated 61,000 diagnoses.

Poor diet is also a major contributor, with a lack of fruit and vegetables, as well as too much salt and red meat responsible for around 30,000 cases each year. According to the study, weight caused 17,000 cases a year, with bowel cancer the main type arising from obesity.

Alcohol led to 12,500 cases a year, particularly breast, mouth, throat and bowel cancers. Other contributing factors include sun exposure, occupational hazards, infections, hormone replacement therapy and not breast-feeding.

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, is likely to increase pressure on the government to do more to tackle the problems of obesity, binge drinking and smoking.

"If we could prevent 134,000 cancers every year this would lead to enormous savings in health costs, so there is a credible case to be made for more resources in prevention," said Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.

Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, called the figures a “wake-up call to the government”.

“The rising incidence of preventable cancers shows that the 'carrot' approach of voluntary agreements with industry is not enough to prompt healthy behaviours, and needs to be replaced by the 'stick' approach of legislative solutions, which includes increasing the price and reducing the availability of alcohol," he said.

Speaking to Sky News, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley‪, said: "What Cancer Research UK have quite rightly drawn attention to is that many cancers are preventable. For example, if people simply quit smoking - that is the largest and entirely preventable cause of cancers.”

Lansley said that the study is not a reflection on the quality of care being provided to cancer patients in the National Health Service.

Article courtesy of The Huffington Post & AOL.

Don't Mess With The Best Because The Best Don't Mess !

2011-11-10T13:14:00.004Z

After being married for 40 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, “Forty years ago we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 23-year-old girl.

Now ... I have a £500,000.00 home, a £35,000.00 car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV, but I’m sleeping with a 63-year-old woman. It seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 23-year-old girl and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV !!!!!!!!

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve an old guy's problems !!!!!

How To Deal With A Snotty Receptionist !

2011-11-05T12:35:00.004Z

An older gentleman had an appointment to see the urologist who shared offices with several other doctors. The waiting room was filled with patients.. As he approached the receptionist's desk, he noticed that the receptionist was a large unfriendly woman who looked like a Sumo wrestler. He gave her his name.

In a very loud voice, the receptionist said, "YES, I HAVE YOUR NAME HERE; YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT IMPOTENCE, RIGHT?"

All the patients in the waiting room snapped their heads around to look at the very embarrassed man. He recovered quickly, and in an equally loud voice replied, 'NO, I'VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, BUT I DON'T WANT THE SAME DOCTOR THAT DID YOURS.'

The room erupted in applause !!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T MESS WITH OLD FOLKS !!!!!!!!!

Driver's Miraculous Escape

2011-11-04T13:18:00.002Z

A Chinese driver escaped with barely a scratch after hundreds of steel bars crashed through the windscreen of his car.

Yang Junsheng, 24, ducked as the bars shot towards him and incredibly they all missed him.

He was left in shock - but with only a few scratches to his left cheek, following the accident in Taizhou, Zhejianag Province.

Yang admitted that the accident happened as he was trying to drive away from a police officer as the car was unregistered.

He smashed into a pick-up truck carrying a load of steel bars which were sent flying through his windscreen.

"My mind was very clear at that second, and I immediately dived down onto the passenger seat," Yang said.

"I heard an explosion and when the car stopped I couldn't move because the car was full of metal bars. They were everywhere."

He went to hospital for a check up but doctors said he had no injuries at all, apart from his scratches.

"It's pure magic that he could survive this," said one police officer. "When I saw the car I thought the driver had to be dead."

Article courtesy of ANANOVA and www.policeoracle.com

Bishop Tells St Paul's Protesters To Leave

2011-10-28T12:13:00.003+01:00

The Bishop of London has said it is time for anti-capitalist protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral to leave.

It is 11 days since the 'Occupy' campaigners set up their tents and forced the cathedral to shut, costing it thousands of pounds a day in lost revenue.

“The time has come for the protesters to leave, before the camp's presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address.”
The Rt. Rev'd Dr.Richard Chartres (pictured), the third most senior cleric in the Church of England, said in a statement: "This demonstration has undoubtedly raised a number of very important questions.

"The St Paul's Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.

"Nevertheless, the time has come for the protesters to leave, before the camp's presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address."

His comments came as the protest organisers denied suggestions that 90% of the tents are being left unoccupied overnight.

In a statement, Occupy London Stock Exchange said: "This is simply not the case. We try to keep vacancy to a minimum and operate a sign in/sign out system to help ensure this happens.

"When someone knows they will not be staying overnight, they offer their tent to someone else.

"We are ordinary people with jobs and families. We are occupying in order to register our objection to being shut out of the political process.

"The fact that we are camping out here shows how seriously we take our right to participate and be heard."

Police used infra-red imaging to establish how many of the tents were being slept in at night.

St Paul's is losing an estimated £20K a day after being forced to close over health and safety concerns about the camp on its doorstep.

Businesses in the area have also been suffering but the demonstrators say they have no intention of leaving for some time.

Article courtesy of ANANOVA and www.policeoracle.com

Priests In Pyjamas Sit On Burglar

2011-10-22T11:34:00.006+01:00

A burglar was nabbed in a scene that could have come straight out of TV's Father Ted – as three Catholic priests sat on him in their pyjamas.

Police were confronted by the unholy sight when they raced to the 2am break-in at a presbytery.

“Jimmy played a lot of rugby when he was younger – and floored him with a flying tackle. The chap was trying to break free and escape.”
The thug woke one of the clerics after spotting an open window and shimmying up a drainpipe into his room.

Father Jimmy Shiel, 67, leapt out of bed and chased him into a corridor – banging on housemates' doors.

He then bravely rugby-tackled the intruder – who battled desperately to get away in Dunstable, Beds.

But by then Father Kieran Magovern, 66, and Father Chacko Panathara, 61 – also in their jim-jams – had dashed to the aid of their fellow parish priest.

Father Magovern grinned yesterday: "Jimmy played a lot of rugby when he was younger – and floored him with a flying tackle. The chap was trying to break free and escape.

"But with the three of us on top of him he was going nowhere. I had my knee in his back. I rang 999 and told the police what was happening."

The trio continued to pin the burglar down until officers arrived at the presbytery next to the town's St Mary's Church – and hauled the offender away to pay for his sins.

Hours later on Sunday, the priests went about their normal church duties – with early morning mass, baptisms and meetings with parents of children preparing for their first communions.

The man, aged 28, was remanded in custody by a judge at Luton Magistrates' Court.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com and

A Doctor's Remedy For A Speedy Recovery !

2011-10-12T10:54:00.004+01:00

With thanks to my longstanding Internet friend Dean Eddy of Murphys, California, for sharing this amusing scenario with me ! I am glad I am not her hubby !!!!!!!LOL!!!!!

Cruise to Egypt & The Holy Land

2011-09-28T10:47:00.016+01:00

On September 12th I was fortunate enough to fly over to Turkey to embark on the Thomson cruise ship Celebration at Marmaris for a cruise to Egypt, The Holy Land & Cyprus.

Our first port of call was Alexandria where I was able to join an excursion to visit the War Cemetery at El Alamein. Whilst there I managed to locate the grave of a friend's relative and placed a couple of tributes from family members against the headstone.

He was Sergeant Albert John Coombes, affectionately known as Jackie, aged 20, from Plymouth, Devon, UK. He was a rear gunner in a Wellington bomber which was brought down by German anti-aircraft fire. He bailed out but sadly his parachute failed to open. A truly emotional experience considering I was the first person to pay homage on behalf of the family to his grave since the airman was laid to rest on October 6th. 1942 following the ferocious, but successful battle led by Field Marshall Montgomery to repel the Axis forces.

I also visited the War Museum and saw many of the armaments recovered from the desert battle. I must congratulate the British War Graves Commission for maintaining the cemetery in such immaculate condition honouring in perpetuity almost 8,000 Allied service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of freedom and democracy which we enjoy to this very day.

My next port of call was Port Said from where I travelled down to Cairo and visited the Egyption National Museum where I saw the artefacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun including the Golden Mask. I also saw the mummified bodies of ancient royals including Ramisees II and other Pharoahs, Kings & Queens. After the museum I visited the pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. A truly memorable experience which has given me the desire to learn much more of this ancient civilisation.

My next port of call was to Ashdod in Israel from where I travelled to Jerusalem and visited many of the Holy sites including the Western (or Wailing) Wall, the garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives,the Dome of The Rock or Temple Mount, the Via Dolorosa and the 14 Stations of the Cross leading up to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified and three days later resurrected. I also visited the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem in Palestine where Jesus Christ was born. This was a return visit for me as I had previously undertaken a pilgrimage to The Holy Land in 1996 and it was spiritually very uplifting for me to be back in the birthplace of Christianity, the faith of which I am so proud to profess.

After The Holy Land we sailed to Larnaca in Cyprus and finally to Alanya in Turkey before returning to Marmaris for disembarkation.

A tiring but extremely informative holiday which I would recommend to anyone interested in the history of civilisation as we perceive it today.

Finally, I would like to pay a huge tribute to the officers and crew of the Thomson Celebration. Their service throughout the cruise was fantastic. The cuisine was superb and the nightly Broadway style shows were magnificent. Special thanks to Ruli & Benny, both highly efficient waiters from Indonesia and also to Joel, a very cheerful barman in Horizons Bar, whom I had met on a previous cruise. He hails from the Phillipines. Congratulations and many thanks for a truly wonderful cruise.

Remember 9/11

2011-09-06T21:53:00.007+01:00

Never Again May Evil Prevail

Lest We Forget. Tenth Anniversary Commemoration

Commons Select Committee announce inquiry into policing large-scale disorder

2011-09-05T16:35:00.010+01:00

The Home Affairs Committee is holding an inquiry into the lessons that may be learned from the wide-scale rioting and looting by predominantly young people in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other cities in August 2011.

In particular, the Committee is interested in:

Police relations with the communities where violence took place before the riots, including similarities with and differences from previous public disorder events:
The role of social media in spreading disorder and in the response to it;
The role of organised groups in promoting disorder;
The role of the IPCC, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, and ACPO/NPIA public order guidance;
The techniques used by the police to quell the rioting, including: a) Decisions taken over the deployment of police officers (availability of officers, response times), b) The use of standard techniques: containment, dispersal, specialist public order officers, dogs, horses, c) The deployment of non-standard techniques: armoured police cars, baton rounds, water cannon, curfews
Variations in the responses of different police forces;
Lessons to be learned from the police response to previous public disorder incidents;
Training of officers to deal with riots;
Whether there were any constraints on the police such as limited resources or powers;
Whether there should be any changes to the legislation regulating normal policing processes during times of major disorder;
Whether the age of many of the rioters constrained the police in their use of anti-riot technique;
The application of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886; and
To revisit relevant recommendations made in previous Home Affairs Committee reports into Policing the G20 protests and Knife crime, and other relevant recommendations, to assess if they have been implemented by successive governments.

Call for evidence:-

Organisations and individuals interested in making written submissions are invited to do so by Friday 9 September 2011. Submissions must be no longer than 2,500 words.

Oral evidence sessions will be held: further announcements will be made in due course.

Committee Chairman Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP said:

"The Committee will begin an inquiry with a view to try and find out why these terrible sets of events have occurred and what steps will be taken to prevent this happening again.

Given that these matters are still ongoing it is important to give the police all the resources and powers they need. It is also clear that high police visibility has made a huge difference. The Committee hopes to be able to produce an informed response to enable Parliament to decide what further changes to law it requires. We will be meeting with Acting Commissioner Godwin at Scotland Yard next week".

Guidance on submitting evidence to the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry: Policing large-scale disorder: Lessons from the disturbances of August 2011.

Written evidence should if possible be in Word or rich text format—not PDF format—and sent by e-mail to:-

homeaffcom@parliament.uk

The use of colour and expensive-to-print material, e.g. photographs, should be avoided. The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.

Submissions must address the terms of reference. They should be in the format of a self-contained memorandum. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document must include an executive summary.

Image: Courtesy of iStockphoto

Article courtesy of www.parliament.uk (Also my thanks to Steve Bennett of The Thin Blue Line Blog for bringing this to my attention)

A Very Useful Badge

2011-09-03T12:41:00.003+01:00

The other day I needed to go to the local NHS (National Health Service) hospital but not wanting to sit there for 4 hours, I put on my blue jacket and pinned on a plastic ID card that I had made off the Internet onto the front of my jacket..

When I went into the hospital, I noticed that 3/4 of the people got up and left. I guess they decided that they weren't that sick after all. Cut at least 3 hours off my waiting time. Here’s the patch.

Feel free to use it the next time you're in need of quicker emergency service!

It also works at all supermarkets. It saves me hours.

At the Laundry, three minutes after entering, I had my choice of any machine, most still running!

Don't try it at McDonald's though...... The whole staff disappeared and I never got my order !!!!!

Also.......... never wear it while trying to get a taxi !!

My thanks to a former colleague of mine, Jim Doney, for sending me this humorous little gem.

DOGS IN AN ENGLISH PUB

2011-08-22T18:03:00.003+01:00

You will like this video about three German Shepherds in a British pub. You will smile at the antics of the bartender....watch to the end. Hilarious! It has been viewed by one and three quarter million people on YouTube! You can click to delete the adverts but will have to put up with the Dutch subtitles.

'Emotional' Pc tells of injured dog

2011-08-15T10:13:00.002+01:00

A police officer has said seeing his working dog suffer a fractured skull after being struck by a brick during the riots in Tottenham was like seeing his "best friend and closest colleague" injured.

Constable Phil Wells said it was "very emotional" when three-year-old German shepherd Obi was struck by a missile on Tottenham High Road last Saturday.

He said: "Obi is trained in public order, and that may be dispersing a crowd or pushing them back. We were on a stationary point when we came under heavy bombardment. There were lots of missiles coming at us, bottles, bricks, petrol bombs, street furniture, too many to count and one hit Obi on the top of the head."

He continued: "Initially he was a bit shocked but I gave him a checkover and tried to avoid any further injuries and after the initial shock he seemed fine so we carried on for another couple of hours.

"Afterwards he was assessed and and was showing signs he needed veterinary help. He was lethargic and was bleeding from the left nostril which could be a sign of head trauma so he was taken to the vets and assessed and the vet was not happy about the impact he had had so he was transferred to the Royal Veterinary School in Cambridge for a CT scan.

"That showed he had a fractured skull above the left eye socket."

Obi has lived in Surrey with Constable Wells, his wife Laura and children Abigail, seven, and Thomas, three, since he was eight weeks old and is seen as one of the family.

The officer said: "Although he is not a pet - he is a working dog - when he is at home it is family time and he is part of our family. To see your best friend and work colleague get injured while at work is difficult but he is getting a lot support from everyone and he will be back fighting fit.

"He is my best friend and to see him get injured, to see him on a theatre table and you're not sure what has happened and you're not sure if it's touch and go, of course it is very emotional."

Constable Wells said all of the eight dogs in his unit on Tottenham High Road on Saturday suffered cut pads on their paws from the broken glass and debris on the street and some suffered cuts and broken teeth. He added: "I have never experienced stuff coming at us from all sides like that before."

Article courtesy of AOL News.

The Tickle Me Elmo Toy Factory

2011-08-13T13:47:00.005+01:00

There is a factory in Essex which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.

Well, Shelley is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am.

The next day at 8:45 am there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee.

He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.

The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up.

At the end of the line stands Shelley surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush Red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.

The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.

The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Shelley.

'I'm sorry,' he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, 'but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday...'

'Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles!

The Thin Blue Line

2011-08-11T15:57:00.006+01:00

I recommend you take a look at the following items on this brilliant blog by Steve Bennett, a retired West Midlands Police Officer:-

http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com

Time to bring back national service? http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-it-time-to-bring-back-national.html

A SPOILED GENERATION IS SPOILING OUR SOCIETY http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/dr-aric-sigman-we-make-no-apology-for.html

NB. Copy & paste the links into your browser

Dolly Wallies !

2011-08-05T14:39:00.005+01:00

A police officer smashed a car window to save a "baby" left in the motor on a sweltering day - only to find it was a realistic doll.

Chanel Cristofis, five, left the doll called Sam in her dad Anastasi's Vauxhall Zafira when he dropped her off at school.

He then went to work at the fish and chip shop he owns.

But a passer-by in the chippie car park spotted the eerily lifelike £100 Reborn doll and called the police in Worksop, Notts. U.K.

Amid fears the "child" could die in the heat, officers broke into the car before realising their mistake.

Anastasi, 37, said: "I couldn't believe it when the police turned up holding the doll and told me what had happened. The officer told me not to leave it in the car again."

The detail-packed dolls are a hit with little girls. Artists work painstakingly to make them look like real babies - even giving them birthmarks and tiny veins.

Chanel's mum Victoria, 25, said: "She is inseparable from this doll but it has caused all sorts of problems.

"A woman in a supermarket saw Chanel shaking it and was horrified. She asked what sort of mother I thought I was to allow my baby to be treated like that. I can see why the police did it. If it had been real, everyone would be thanking them."

Police are to pay for more than £200 damage done to the car. Sgt Robert Holmes said: "The call was made in good faith. Drivers need to think about what they leave on view in their cars."

Article courtesy of The Sun & www.policeoracle.com

Officers Prepare To Remember The Fallen

2011-07-29T11:41:00.004+01:00

Police Officers from around the country are preparing to remember comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice on duty at the forthcoming National Police Memorial Day.

The annual event – which is in its eighth year – is being held at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on September 25 and is an opportunity to reflect the courage and commitment of the fallen.

The occasion is also a time for family members to remember their lost loved ones.

This year's congregation, which is expected to number some 2,000, is also set to include senior political figures as well as every chief constable in the UK.

Always dignified and sensitive, the service evokes a mixture of emotions, from sadness of loss to immense pride at the valour and ultimate sacrifice of fallen officers.

National Police Memorial Day was founded in 2004 by Sgt Joe Holness and is annually rotated around the UK. Last year's event was held in Northern Ireland (pictured above).

Attendees at the service in Belfast included Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford, Home Secretary Theresa May and PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott.

Article Courtesy of: Cliff Caswell - www.policeoracle.com

My Condolences to the People of Norway

2011-07-25T11:38:00.005+01:00

Following the terrible news of the atrocities committed in Norway this past weekend I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and all the citizens of Norway at this time of extreme grief and distress. I am deeply saddened at the extent of the massacre of all those lovely young people. I watched the account on television by one of the survivors, Adrian Pracon, and was greatly impressed by his stoicism in the face of such a terrible experience.

How someone could become so crazed, evil and warped to perpetrate such a horrific crime is beyond human comprehension. I hope it will serve to help the people of Norway to know that many people in other nations feel for them greatly at this sad time and will be remembering them in thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks.

Extract From Max Hastings On The Phone Hacking Scandal

2011-07-18T11:52:00.006+01:00

Latest article http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/2011/07/if-power-corrupts-and-absolute-power.html

EXTRACT . . . .

Quote from Max Hastings: “When the dust settles from the phone-hacking row, the most serious reputational damage will almost certainly prove to have been sustained by the police. The public is justly cynical about Britain’s media underworld. People may be disgusted by the revelations of the past fortnight, but I doubt they are shocked.

The police, however, are a different kettle of fish. We need to believe that Britain’s law enforcers are honest and efficient. Yet this saga deals a body-blow to any such presumptions.

Whatever the findings of the judicial inquiry into phone-hacking and bribery, we can already see that some of Britain’s most senior officers had close and almost certainly improper relations with News International”.

Article courtesy of Steve Bennett. Retired West Midlands Police Officer. I recommend a visit to this truly excellent blog:-

http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com

Massive Impact Of Police Bail Ruling

2011-07-04T13:14:00.004+01:00

Senior ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) have urgently been considering the way forward after a court ruling effectively restricted length of time suspects can be released on police bail.

The ruling, which involved a case from Greater Manchester Police, means that officers can effectively no longer freeze the time a suspect is held without charge when they are bailed.

This could potentially mean that officers must conclude their initial investigation and reach the point of charge within a maximum time of 96 hours from the point of arrest. However, officers could theoretically re-arrest a suspect.

During a question-and-answer session during an event hosted by the think-tank Reform, Home Secretary Theresa May said the issue had caused "great concern".
about the matter and would not rule out considering the introduction of emergency legislation.

The situation arose following a GMP murder investigation, when the extension of a warrant for further detention of a suspect under Section 44 of PACE (Police & Criminal Evidence Act) was refused by City of Salford JPs.

The Force had sought an application for a judicial review of the decision, which was dismissed by Mr Justice McCombe during a hearing at the High Court in May. GMP is now seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Force spokesman ACC Terry Sweeney said that all staff are aware of the ruling and what the impact was likely to be on their day-to-day duties. He added: "This is an unprecedented police issue, the full implications of which are being assessed.

"This ruling affects how police forces nationally deal with people in custody and we have made an application to the Supreme Court to appeal it.

"We are working closely with various agencies and I want to reassure the public it will not affect the way we police Greater Manchester or services we provide."

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Adams, ACPO Lead for Custody, shared the concerns of his colleague.

He added: "As it stands, this ruling has a profound impact on how PACE has been interpreted and used during the last 25 years. This issue needs clarification so all those involved in the administration of justice can be clear about the impact and consequences.

"We are working in partnership with colleagues across the criminal justice system and have commissioned a QC to advise on the ruling and its impact on policing.

"The decision in this case has the potential for a wide reaching impact and ACPO has significant concerns as to the effect it will have on policing."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

'Drug Driving' Being Highlighted By Roadside Kits

2011-06-13T12:17:00.003+01:00

Police will soon be equipped with 'drugalysers' as part of a major clampdown on drug-driving.

It is believed that people getting behind the wheel after taking cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy is a widespread problem, but the offence is currently difficult to detect.

The fact only 253 people were prosecuted for drug-driving in 2008, compared with 73,000 for drink-driving, is thought to be down to the lack of an effective roadside test.

“Drug-drivers put the lives of responsible motorists at risk and we are determined to ensure the police have everything they need to tackle this menace”

That will soon change, as the Home Office is testing equipment that can detect traces of a whole range of illegal drugs in saliva samples, reports the Sunday Times.

It is thought some of the gadgets will be installed in police stations in the next few weeks, while trials of a handheld version for roadside use continue.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: 'Drug-drivers put the lives of responsible motorists at risk and we are determined to ensure the police have everything they need to tackle this menace.

'We have taken urgent action and intend drug-screening devices to be available for use in police stations this year, making it easier for offenders to be brought to justice.'

Roadside testing kits are already in use in Germany, where 34,500 people were prosecuted for drug-driving in 2008.

Article courtesy of Metro Newspaper and www.policeoracle.com

Drink And Drug Driving Campaign Begins

2011-06-03T15:58:00.006+01:00

With hopes high for a long hot summer this year, drivers are being reminded to enjoy the long evenings, but not to drink and drive. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is launching its annual month long crack down on drunk drivers this week.

Police officers will be out in force during the campaign in a bid to crack down on those who think they can drink or take drugs and drive and get away with it.

ACPO lead on drink and drug driving Chief Constable Phil Gormley said:

"Every year forces successfully concentrate their resources on preventing and detecting drink and drug drivers across the UK.

“In 2009, 17% of people killed on our roads died in a collision involving a drink driver and nearly 12,000 were injured.”
"We will carry out roadside checks at all times of the day and night and on all types of road. This means that if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, there is a good chance you will be stopped and tested."

Last year just under 101,000 people were stopped and tested during the 30-day summer campaign with 5.6 percent testing positive or refusing a test.

Chief Constable Phil Gormley said:

"Summer is a time for socialising and having fun and this year will be no exception. Our message is clear, have fun, drink if you want to, but don't then get behind the wheel and drive. If you take that risk you will be caught."

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:

"Drink and drug driving are serious offences and drivers should be in no doubt that if they are caught behind the wheel under the influence this summer they risk losing their licence as well as facing a fine and even a prison sentence.

"We are taking forward measures to make it easier for the police to tackle drink and drug driving and protect law abiding road users including plans for drug testing kits to help detect drug drivers and tightening the law on drink driving.

"The number of drink driving deaths has fallen by more than 75% since 1979. But drink and drug driving still kills hundreds of people, that is why we want to help the police take tough action to tackle these reckless drivers."

Article Courtesy of ACPO PRESS OFFICE & WWW.POLICEORACLE.COM

Abandoned Labrador Becomes A Police Dog

2011-05-28T11:59:00.004+01:00

Six-year-old Monty and his handler PC Rob Cooke were awarded the Terry Ball Award at the annual Labrador Rescue Ball last month.

The award is given every year to a neglected or abused Labrador who deserves special recognition for their achievements following a particularly difficult start to life.

Monty has been helping to police the county since he was rescued in 2007 when he was found starving to death at a deserted pub.

He'd been there for up to three weeks and had survived by drinking water from a toilet.

He was given a home at the East Midlands Labrador Rescue, where his carers recognised a potential in him to become a crime-fighting police dog.

PC Steve Abbott, a Home Office and ACPO accredited police dog instructor, helped guide Monty through the eight-week training process.

He said: "He certainly had lots issues when he first came to us. He was frightened to be in confined spaces and didn't trust anyone. But I took the time to show him lots of love, sit with him and make sure he knew he was safe.

"I took him for long walks and I saw that he had a great natural ability and had the potential to do really well – he just needed to get his confidence back again."

But training was not plain sailing for Monty.

PC Abbott continued: "He was just not getting it at first. But he had such a bad start to life, I was determined he was going to make it.

"So I put in extra time with him and pretty soon, he was not only getting it, he was one of the best we had."

Monty is able to easily locate a variety of weapons and illegal substances, including heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis.

Within days of his new job, he had discovered several thousands of pounds worth of cocaine, and his latest find was £3,000 worth of cannabis at a house in Worksop.

Monty lives with his handler PC Cooke and is treated like a member of the family.

PC Cooke said: "He's spoiled at home and gets lots of love and attention. But he lives to work – that's what he loves doing the most.

"He's a loveable rogue and I would not swap him for any other dog in the world. He is a bit boisterous, but if you give him a task, he does it perfectly.

"I am extremely honoured and proud to receive this award, not for me but for Monty because of where he came from and where he is now."

Sgt Donna Busuttil, from the dog section, said: "The work Steve and Rob have done with Monty cannot be underestimated.

"They make an excellent team and Monty is one of the best working dogs we have ever had in this department.

"We are extremely proud of what they have achieved and undoubtedly make a significant contribution to keeping the streets of Nottinghamshire safe."

Article courtesy of Nottinghamshire Police and www.policeoracle.com

Police, Crime & 999

2011-05-23T12:42:00.004+01:00

I have received the following request from John Donoghue, who is a serving police officer, requesting me to draw attention to a book he has written which will be published in August but currently available online. I am happy to oblige in the sincere belief that it is genuine and sounds very humorous and interesting. The purchase price online offers a considerable saving from the recommended retail price too! So here goes, this is what he said to me in his e-mail;

As a serving police officer too, I found your blog fantastic. You have a way with words! I loved the schnauzer joke too ...at least I HOPE it was a joke!!

Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be so kind as to give a mention on your excellent blog to my book Police, Crime & 999

It’s a look at a year in my life as a front line response officer, comes with the warning: CONTAINS HUMOUR AND TRACES OF NUTS and, amongst other things, answers those basic questions:

What REALLY happens behind the scenes in the police?

What bizarre 999 calls are made to the emergency services?

Why can wearing 2 pairs of socks make you a suspect?

What is the link between police and vampires?

Which Royal arrest never made news headlines?

What covert sign do officers make when they no longer wish to talk to you?

I’ve changed names and places to protect the guilty!

The book isn’t officially available until August, but it is available NOW for all readers of your blog via my website www.policecrime999.com where there is a 10% discount.

There is no publicity budget to speak of, so any help in spreading the word would be most appreciated.

I really look forward to hearing from you or if you want a photo of the book etc

Cheers

John

web: www.policecrime999.com

A Pharmaceutical Freudian Slip

2011-05-17T20:14:00.005+01:00

Time for a touch of light hearted humour folks:

My neighbour found out that her dog ( a Schnauzer) could hardly hear, so she took it to the veterinarian. The vet found that the problem was hair in the dog's ears. He cleaned both ears, and the dog could then hear fine. The vet then proceeded to tell the lady that, if she wanted to keep this from recurring, she should go to the chemist and get some "Nair" hair remover and rub it in the dog's ears once a month.

The lady went to the chemist and bought some "Nair" hair remover. At the cash register, the pharmacist told her, "If you're going to use this under your arms, don't use deodorant for a few days."

The lady said, "I'm not using it under my arms."

The pharmacist said, "If you're using it on your legs, don't shave for a couple of days."

The lady replied, "I'm not using it on my legs either. If you must know, I'm using it on my Schnauzer."

The pharmacist says, "Well Madam, in that case you had better stay off your bicycle for the next two weeks!"

Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras

2011-05-12T11:01:00.000+01:00

Devon and Cornwall Police claim revealing the locations of automatic number plate recognition cameras would hinder crime fighting. The force is fighting a legal ruling which could pave the way for thousands of secret traffic cameras across Britain to be revealed.

Devon and Cornwall Police claim revealing the locations of its 45 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras would hinder crime fighting.

Their locations were requested under Freedom of Information laws by Guardian Government Computing, which appealed to the Information Rights Tribunal (IRT).

The IRT found in favour of the publication, ordering the information be disclosed within 35 days.

More than 10,000 covert cameras photograph and record the registration numbers of motorists every day. The information is used against a national database to track criminals and has proved vital in tackling criminals.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said the force was appealing. "The force continues to take legal advice and is also consulting the Association of Chief Police Officers FOI Central Referral Unit as part of the process," he said.

"The force believes that revealing the exact location of ANPR sites will seriously reduce their impact as a crime-fighting tool in identifying suspects and offenders.

"There is no doubt that since the advent of ANPR the police's ability to proactively target criminals on the road network has increased dramatically.

"Showing a criminal the exact location of a camera will make those cameras easier to avoid and thus make capturing criminals more difficult.

"While the force accepts the need for transparency and the public's right to information whenever possible, revealing the location of covert policing resources goes far and beyond this."

Forcibly retired police officers invited to return as volunteers

2011-05-05T12:35:00.006+01:00

Labour says police forces are forcing 2,100 of the most experienced officers into early retirement, some of whom are then being asked to rejoin on a voluntary basis.

Police officers with more than 30 years experience who have been forcibly retired because of budget cuts are being asked to return as part-time volunteers, Labour has disclosed.

The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said 13 police forces have so far confirmed plans to force more than 2,100 of the most experienced police officers in England and Wales into early retirement by 2015. A further nine forces are considering similar action.

Chief constables have no legal powers to make police officers redundant, but can forcibly retire those with more than 30 years service with 28 days notice under an obscure A19 provision of the police pension regulations on grounds of efficiency of the force.

A Labour survey of current police budgets reveals that 13 out of the 43 forces, including the West Midlands, North Yorkshire and Surrey, have already decided that 2,124 officers should be compulsorily retired using the A19 regulation by 2015 in order to make up for 20% cuts in Whitehall police funding.

The issue was raised at prime minister's questions by the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, who cited the case of PC Martin Heard, who is being forcibly retired after 32 years as a neighbourhood officer in Wolverhampton.

Heard received the "Copper's copper" award from the Police Federation last year, and some weeks after he was forced to retire, he got a letter asking him to rejoin the force as a special constable on a part-time unpaid basis.

He was among a group of experienced officers being retired under A19 due to meet the home secretary, Theresa May, today. Others included Detective Constable Tim Kennedy, a recognised specialist in serious acquisitive crime, Sergeant Dave Hewitt, who is 48, with 32 years service, and is one of the youngest officers in the country to be retired, and Inspector Mark Stokes, a leading specialist in crime prevention.

Cooper said Heard was not alone in being asked to rejoin on a voluntary basis, adding: "You couldn't make this up.

"Senior, experienced officers are being forced out by the pace and scale of the Tory-led government's cuts, then asked to come back and do the same job for free because everyone knows they are needed in the fight against crime."

In the Commons, Miliband claimed the policing cuts demonstrated that the prime minister had broken his pre-election promise to send any cabinet minister who came to him with proposals to cut frontline services packing.

Cameron told Miliband: "Decisions about police numbers will depend on the decisions made by individual chief constables in individual parts of the country.

"The point I would make is that we see, in case after case, that there are far too many police officers in back-office jobs doing paperwork and carrying out corporate development work who should be on the front line.

"Responsible chief constables are getting these police officers out on the front line to fight crime, and crime under this government is falling."

He accused Labour of "complete and utter hypocrisy" over police numbers, citing Alan Johnson's admission when he was home secretary before the general election that he could not guarantee numbers would not fall in the event of the party remaining in power.

"The question is not should the budget be reduced – of course the budget has to be reduced," said Cameron.

"The question is who is going to cut the paperwork, who is going to get rid of the bureaucracy, who is going to trust the local managers to make sure we get police on the front line? These are steps we are taking, and steps his government never took."

Blue Line Comment My thanks to Steve Bennett for posting this article on his blog:http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/2011/05/would-you-retire-from-police-service.html

Forcing some of our most valued and experienced officers to retire is bad enough. With all due respect being paid to the good work of the specials, asking officers who have put 30+ years of commitment and experience into the job to come back on an unpaid basis is a really insulting and disrespectful kick in the teeth. It is also a measure of the arrogance and ignorance of senior officers who would even consider such an insulting proposition. Seems like more of a political gesture than a serious operational suggestion to us.

French Police in Uproar Over Lunchtime Booze Ban

2011-05-04T13:04:00.005+01:00

They might be lampooned as a bunch of truncheon-happy meatheads by leftwing street demonstrators, but that doesn't mean French riot police don't appreciate a nice glass of Burgundy with their lunch.

The notorious Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité, or CRS, are outraged at an official decree stating they can no longer drink wine or beer with their meals.

Until now, a civilised tipple was part of the daily lunch menu of the controversial force, lauded by Nicolas Sarkozy, whose trademark black body armour and riot shields are a regular feature on French streets.

A glass of wine, beer or cider – but not spirits – was always permitted with lunch, including while on duty. Even packed lunches provided out of riot vans while they were patrolling demonstrations came with a can of beer or glass of wine.

But in October last year, authorities were annoyed when pictures published on the website Bakchich showed uniformed riot police swigging beer from cans on the sidelines of a sixth-formers' street-protest against pension reforms in Perreux-sur-Marne, north of Paris. The website reported that having told locals it was too dangerous to go outside during the high-school demo, uniformed officers stopped for a beer on a street corner in full view of the public.

Police unions expressed their fury at the new decree. Paul Le Guennec, of the biggest riot police union, Unité Police SGP-FO, said the French public had not seemed shocked at the notion of a CRS officer drinking at lunch.

"Does the fact that having a glass of wine while eating prevent any kind of worker from carrying out their job? I don't think the chief of police drinks water when he's having a meal," Le Guennec told the paper Le JDD.

The union argued that the CRS did not have a higher incidence of alcohol problems than the rest of society, saying a small drink with lunch was in line with French labour law.

But unions warned that the row over lunchtime drinking should not be allowed to detract from their protests over cuts to the 14,000-strong force. Earlier this year, there was unprecedented strike action and protests by riot police over cuts to barracks and staff, with some CRS in Marseille going on hunger strike in an embarrassment to the security-minded Sarkozy.

Article courtesy of Guardian Unlimited and www.policeoracle.com

Blind Call Taker Nominated For National Award

2011-05-04T12:45:00.005+01:00

The outstanding achievements of a force call taker have been recognised, as she is short listed for a national award.

Carmen Glover, 39, is believed to be the first blind person in any police force in England and Wales to take 999 calls.

She will now represent Nottinghamshire Police in the Outstanding Achievement category at the Call Centre Management (UK)'s awards ceremony, which will take place in Manchester on 12 May.

Carmen joined the force in 2009, and had to wait almost a year before she could take both non-priority and 999 calls. Call operators usually have eight weeks of training and six weeks tutoring before starting in the control room.

The force invested in 'Jaws', a specialist screen-reading software, which talks to Carmen through her headset, navigating her around the computer screen while the caller speaks to her in her other ear.

Operators dealing with 999 calls need to be logged in to a different system and use a touch screen, which meant Carmen had to use a simple piece of plastic with holes in it, to 'feel' the screen.

Louise Ogden, a Control Room Manager who nominated Carmen for the award, said: "Carmen is a top performer on our shift, and last month took 100 more calls than her neighbouring colleague, which is a phenomenal achievement.

"She is an inspiration and is proof of what you can achieve if you really want something.

"Carmen is one in a million. She never gives up and is keen for someone to invent a way for blind people to read maps, as she wants to become a dispatcher who controls the radio operations for police officers.

"Whether she wins or not, her achievements are fantastic. I am extremely proud of all she has done, and the force is lucky to have her."

Speaking of her nomination, Carmen said: "I was really surprised to hear that Louise had nominated me, and I am really proud to be representing the force. Hopefully I can bring back the award for Nottinghamshire Police."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com and Nottinghamshire Police

The Power of Words

2011-04-13T17:11:00.004+01:00

Please watch this two minute video clip. It reminds us to watch our words. I suspect it is, of course, stage managed but the message is nevertheless very true. Almost 2 million people have viewed this powerful statement on YouTube.

Police Campaign For Wounded Troops - Help For Heroes

2011-04-02T12:08:00.007+01:00

The Sun Newspaper Backs Police Campaign For Wounded Troops (Sat, 26 March 2011)
Courtesy of: Karen Thomas - Police Oracle. The Sun has thrown its weight behind a Police Service campaign to Raise £1m for Help for Heroes after rallying A-list celebrities to their cause.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and glamour model Peta Todd are among the high-profile names that are now firmly behind police efforts to boost funds to support wounded Armed Forces personnel and their families.

Troops of all ranks, many of whom have been assisted by the charity, have also praised big-hearted officers for starting the campaign.

As reported on Police Oracle yesterday, personnel are being urged to contribute through a number of different channels from payroll giving, organising or participating in sponsored events and buying specially-commissioned items.

An official lapel pin - ACPO-approved to wear with the uniform - is available through Police Oracle and all the proceeds from each sale will go towards Help for Heroes.

AC Ian McPherson of the Metropolitan Police, who started the Service campaign to support the charity in 2009 while CC of Norfolk, urged officers and staff at the launch of The Sun initiative "to do their bit".

Click play to watch AC Ian McPherson explain why officers should "give an hour"

Supporting the initiative, a dedicated website - www.policeoracle.com/helpforheroes - will keep a tally of all the money raised by individual forces and monitor progress towards the £1m target.

Mark Elliott, the Head of External Operations for Help for Heroes, praised The Sun for getting involved with the campaign – and said the police had set an outstanding "benchmark" with the Raise £1m campaign.

He said: "Thank you for what you have done and what you are going to do. An hour is not a lot of time but it is invaluable to Help for Heroes.

"It is simple and something that we all can do - please spread the word."

Although many individual officers have already put a lot of time into raising almost £100,000 for the charity, a national committee has been formed to coordinate the grass-roots efforts.

This will ensure the police commitment to the cause is more widely recognised by colleagues and the public.

Click on the Help for Heroes logo anywhere on www.policeoracle.com/helpforheroes for all the details on how to get involved in Raising £1m for the brave men and women injured while serving their country.

Ex-US Police Pro: Direct Election 'Unsuitable'

2011-03-24T11:31:00.004Z

Government ministers and law enforcement analysts have clashed in their views on the introduction of Directly Elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

Addressing the Policing 2011 conference in London Jessica de Grazia (pictured), a former Chief Assistant District Attorney in New York, said the proposed system of governance would be unsuitable for the UK – and could pave the way for corruption.

She also admitted surprise at comments made by Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert, who said the introduction of direct election was not inspired by the American model.

Mr Herbert had pointed towards London – where the mayor is accountable for law enforcement – as the example of success in which the policy had its roots.

But Ms de Grazia said: "This is the first time I have heard that this model has not come from the USA – I am not aware of any other jurisdiction that uses it.

"The question is whether the Directly Elected Police and Crime Commissioner can remain independent and politically neutral – the short answer is no. This is a person who is going to have a huge amount of power over the police.

"Let us make this clear – this is not a police authority, it is a person who, with modest checks and balances is going to be able to appoint and fire the chief constable, the deputy chief constable and the assistant chief constable.

"On top of this they will be responsible for making sure a force is run effectively and efficiently – and we do not yet know who is going to run for office."

Ms de Grazia asserted that the cost of election campaigns would immediately preclude some would-be candidates from putting themselves forward. And she argued that the risk of an undesirable individual making it into the position needed to be countered by a robust package of checks and balances.

She also stressed that – in the US model – the prosecutor had far more power in deciding whether complex cases of organised crime should be investigated in the first instance, a check that did not exist in the proposed British model.

However, the views of the former Chief Assistant District Attorney were challenged by Lord Wasserman, a government advisor on policing and criminal justice who also has considerable practical experience of the American system.

The peer maintained that the policy of directly elected individuals "is not as radical as it sounds" and that chief constables would retain operational independence.

He also highlighted that senior officers are "not pushovers" and that there would be trouble if a directly elected commissioner needlessly overstepped the mark.

Lord Wasserman added: "I could not disagree more with Jessica – I believe that we are going to have Directly Elected Police and Crime Commissioners and they will be people who already have a standing in policing."

Meanwhile the debate also attracted strong views from Richard Kemp, Vice-Chair of the Local Government Association. He believed the policy of introducing the individuals was unsuitable and they would ultimately be scrapped in years to come.

Article courtesy of Cliff Caswell-www.policeoracle.com

Brain Scans 'To Predict Future Criminals'

2011-03-02T12:54:00.007Z

Courtesy of: Ananova and www.policeoracle.com

Scientists may soon be able to identify potential criminals using developments in brain research on children as young as six months, an expert has claimed.

Psychologist Dr Adrian Raine said recognising problems in a child's limbic system, which controls emotion, will allow scientists to predict future offenders and psychopaths.

"Seeds of sin are sown quite early in life," Dr Raine told a science conference in the US.

“People would have to decide whether or not to intervene at an early age to stop crime despite possible mistakes in predictions”
The British scientist, who is at the University of Pennsylvania, said three year olds with a poorly-functioning amygdala, a key part of the limbic system, were more likely to commit crime 20 years later.

Further research presented at the conference showed emotional problems, like "callous-unemotional" (CU), were hereditary.

CU traits are associated with a lack of emotion, empathy and guilt and are linked to persistent bad behaviour in young children.

After assessing more than 9,000 twins between the ages of four and 12, Dr Nathalie Fontaine concluded that genetics played a fundamental role in the emergence of CU traits, especially in young boys.

Dr Raine said that a time would come when "we are going to be able to predict reasonably well which individuals at a modest age say eight to 10 years old are predicated to become criminal offenders".

The scientist added people would have to decide whether or not to intervene at an early age to stop crime despite possible mistakes in predictions.

Omega 3 - a fatty acid that helps build brain cells - was identified as being able to reduce aggressive behaviour in children based on studies that have shown giving supplements to prison inmates cut serious offending by a third.

"Its very simple - bad brain, bad behaviour... improve brain functioning and you will improve behaviour," Dr Raine said.

The Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin on Freemasonry

2011-02-18T10:27:00.003Z

Clampdown On Rogue Clampers

2011-02-12T11:01:00.004Z

Rogue firms face huge fines and even jail in a crackdown on wheel-clamping.

The Government will unveil plans this week to make it a criminal offence to clamp or tow away cars on private land.

Cowboy clampers rake in £55million a year from motorists.

The new law due to come in early next year will see them fined up to £5,000 by JPs.

Repeat offenders will be clobbered with unlimited crown court fines. If they refuse to pay they could be put behind bars.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone told The Sun: "For too long motorists have fallen victim to extortion and abuse from rogue clamping companies.

"I have been outraged by cases of drivers being frog-marched to cash points late at night or left stranded by rogue operators.

"This Government is committing rogue clampers to history and putting an end to intimidation and excessive charges once and for all."

Official figures show some 500,000 cars are clamped each year on private land. It costs drivers an average £112 to free their vehicle but some have been forced to fork out up to £500.

Ministers also plan to tighten up regulations for dishing out parking fines on private land to stop cowboys from simply switching tactics.

The measures will not affect the police or official bodies like the DVLA who will still have the power to clamp or tow away untaxed cars.

Last night a driver who beat car clampers with a 30-hour sit-in hailed the plans as "excellent news".

The Sun – which has exposed a string of rogue clampers – told last August how Haroon Zafaryab, 27, became the people's champion when he refused to budge from his clamped Toyota Prius for more than a day.

Clampers plastered his car with 40 orange "fine" stickers and the bill mushroomed to £4,000. But the stand-off ended when they caved in.

Mr Zafaryab – who had failed to spot a tiny "no parking" sign on private land in Wembley, North West London, said: "Mine was a single victory for the little man. This is a giant victory for the whole motoring nation.

"Drivers have been held to ransom by these parasites for years."

Article courtesy of and www.policeoracle.com

Deadly 'War On Cops' Sparks US Tactic Review

2011-02-04T12:00:00.006Z

Dept of Justice reviews whether training, behaviour or budget cuts are responsible for massive rise in killing of police officers...

US government officials are set to review a spate of deadly attacks on police officers that has been dubbed a "War on Cops".

A series of shootings has left 15 officers dead in January alone - with 11 killed in one 24-hour period alone.

The US Department of Justice said it will study whether the behaviour of officers, deficits in training or financial cut-backs could have contributed to the number of fatalities.

The crisis has been highlighted by extraordinary CCTV footage from a police station in Detroit showing a man opening fire on officers, injuring four.

The gunman, who was subsequently killed, struck because he was angry at a search of his home.

The shootings have taken place across the US and follow a dramatic rise in the number of officers killed in the line of duty last year.

Officer David Moore died after being shot in the head during a routine traffic stop on one of his first day shifts with the Indianapolis police department.

His mother Jo said: "What he didn't realise is that the day shift is more hazardous because, when something happens on day shifts, it's usually pretty ugly. Unfortunately, he met evil."

She said her son's organs were being donated: "Someone's getting a darn good heart."

Craig Floyd, of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, said: "I have never seen anything like it. These violent events have been detrimental to America's peace officers.

"We must do everything in our power to stop these senseless and heinous crimes against our law enforcement personnel."

The attacks, along with shootings earlier this month in Tucson, Arizona, have thrown the focus on the easy availability of firearms in the US.

It was noted that US President Barack Obama avoided the subject in his State of the Union address.

The right to bear arms, enshrined in the US constitution, remains an issue that divides Americans.

Some officers have voiced concerns that they are increasingly being "outgunned" by criminals desperate to avoid jail and armed with more high-power weapons - but unions point to a more familiar theme.

Rich Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations, said: "There's so much violence on entertainment media, internet, movies, TV, that people are less sensitive to it and more inclined to be confrontational."

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Police Dogs obey orders!

2011-01-26T13:45:00.004Z

Police Fail To Rescue Sex Dolls

2011-01-21T13:09:00.006Z

I am sure we have all been greatly moved by the images on television of the devastating floods in Eastern Australia. I have been extremely impressed by the stoicism of the victims in the face of horrendous hardship and disaster. However, on a lighter note, this story brought a smile to my face on the basis of incredulity.

Sex toy river stunt backfires as police pull couple from swollen river...

An Australian couple had to be rescued - after they tried to float down a flood-swollen river on two inflatable sex dolls.

The bizarre attempt to navigate the Yarra River in Queensland backfired when the woman lost her doll in rough water, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The incident prompted a warning from police that blow-up sex toys are "not recognised flotation devices".

Police and a State Emergency Services crew were called to the rescue when the pair, both 19, got into trouble at Warrandyte North.

They clung to a floating tree in the river, calling for help, and luckily a passer-by was on hand to call emergency services while a kayaker brought them life jackets.

Police and the SES crew eventually arrived to haul the thrill-seekers to safety.

With Queensland in the grip of its worst flooding in living memory, police said they were not amused at the pair's "stupid" actions.

"We've got people busy with rescues and to have to divert resources to that sort of thing is not ideal," said Senior Constable Wayne Wilson

"Most rescue organisations would frown on people behaving in such a manner because there are people out there who are in genuine need of assistance."

The rescued pair were checked by ambulance officers but did not require medical attention. "The fate of the inflatable dolls is unknown," added Senior Constable Wilson.

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Hampshire named as top 'Gay' Police Force

2011-01-16T13:11:00.003Z

Hampshire Constabulary has once again been named as the UK’s most ‘gay-friendly’ police force.

It came fourth overall in this year’s Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, who is the force’s lead on Fairness and Equality, said: “This is the fourth year in a row Hampshire Constabulary has been named as the UK’s top performing police force for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

“Not only is it a great honour, it’s also testament to our year-on-year commitment to providing an excellent service to every one of the diverse communities we serve.

“Naturally, having come second nationally in previous years, we would have liked to have made the top spot this time round, but to remain in the top five, and to do so consistently, is a huge achievement.”

‘Challenging times’

Although Hampshire Constabulary’s score increased this year, the competition was also much tougher.

A record number of organisations entered the index, up from 352 in 2010 to 378, and the threshold score to get into the top 100 increased from 66 to 73 per cent.

Mr Marshall continued: “The police service as whole is going through a period of significant change and will face many challenges over the coming years.

“I’m confident, however, that Hampshire Constabulary can continue to lead the way in delivering equality for LGB people and will remain an employer of choice for police officers and police staff regardless of sexual orientation.”

Achievements

For a fourth year running, Hampshire Constabulary’s police officers were permitted to march in uniform in the Brighton Pride parade. The force was represented at the event in August by police officers, police community support officers and police staff and led by Assistant Chief Constable Steve Dann.

Their involvement in the march was organised by the constabulary’s Hampshire Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) Resource Group, which was established in 2000.

The group was once again honoured by Stonewall as a Star Performer and chair, Inspector Julie Fry, said: “I’m proud of the achievements the Resource Group has made over the last decade. We’re the driving force that ensures the police service in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight continues to treat LGB&T people fairly and equally.

“It’s not about political correctness or bringing our personal lives to work: it’s about making sure staff can do their job to the best of their abilities and that LGB&T people who come into contact with the police, whether as a victim, witness or suspect, for example, are treated no differently than anyone else.

“We’ve got an extensive network of Lesbian and Gay Liaison officers (LAGLOs) across the force who work closely LGB&T communities and help get justice for the victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.

“Our continued success with Stonewall over the last few years prompted our partners in the fire service, military and other police forces to approach us for advice in developing their own services for LGB&T people.

“In the same way, we’ll be looking at those organisations who topped this year’s index to see how we can continue to improve our own standing.”

For more information about Hampshire Constabulary’s LAGLOs, and for details of how to report hate crime, log on to the website www.hampshire.police.uk

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Put Police ‘At Heart’ Of ASB Solution

2011-01-06T12:56:00.004Z

Federation trusts officers’ pivotal role will be recognised in new initiative ...

The Police Federation of England and Wales has thrown its support behind the new anti-social initiative to be piloted in eight forces but has stressed that officers need to be “at the heart” of the solution.

The seven-month trial aims to improve the protection of vulnerable victims of anti-social behaviour through better information sharing and changing the way complaints are handled.

The Federation welcomed the move that will implement changes to the IT and complaints logging systems to identify and support people subjected to the abuse.

“We totally support anything that tackles the evils of anti-social behaviour and recognises the blight it puts on many people's lives,” a Federation spokesman told PoliceOracle.com.

However, the Fed also highlighted that improving the use of IT must be complemented with the appropriate human resources if forces were going to be successful in protecting vulnerable victims.

“In order for these pilots to work effectively we need to ensure we have sufficient resources and police officers available to deal with this problem.

“IT is part of a solution to a problem that still requires men and women to deal with this issue face-to-face. We trust that this initiative recognises that and is a measured and considered approach that will place police officers at the heart of the solution,” the spokesman added.

ACPO have issued a statement outlining the key principles behind the pilot scheme that will run until July in Avon and Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, South Wales, Sussex and West Mercia.

In addition to technical and procedural changes, the trials will strengthen links between the police, their neighbourhoods and local agencies.

ACC Simon Edens, ACPO lead on anti-social behaviour, confirmed senior officers had been working with community partners to ensure a joined-up system was established.

In a statement he said: “The results of the pilot will help us shape a more consistent approach to dealing with the policing response to local concerns.

“Anti-social behaviour is not something that the police can tackle in isolation. We need to ensure that we are working with all local agencies and sharing information where necessary, and are fully in support of all approaches to encourage greater personal and community involvement in neighbourhoods.”

At a glance - The five key principles include:

1. Creating an effective call handling system where each individual has a log of complaints created from the very first call

2. Introducing risk assessment tools to quickly identify the most vulnerable victims

3. Installing off-the-shelf IT systems to share information on cases between agencies, removing the need for meetings

4. Agreeing a protocol across all local agencies setting out how they will manage cases

5. Engaging with the community to clearly set out the issues which are causing the most harm to individuals and neighbourhoods, and setting out how the police, other local agencies and the public can work together to address them

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Wishing Everyone a Happy Christmas & a prosperous New Year

2010-12-23T17:35:00.002Z

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

2010-12-15T12:04:00.003Z

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

2010-12-15T11:52:00.004Z

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

2010-12-08T12:21:00.004Z

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

2010-11-22T13:06:00.012Z

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

Advertisement or Award ?

2010-11-22T11:42:00.004Z

I have received the following e-mail which claims to be awarding me recognition for my blog which, considering I regularly plagiarize articles from www.policeoracle.com (with acknowledgement I might add) is a trifle bewildering. Is my blog merely being used as a medium to place an advertisement or am I being too cynical? Your constructive views are welcome before I decide to retain or delete the badge.

Dear David,

Congratulations! Natalie here, and your blog, Old Plod of Plympton, is an essential part of our resources!

As a website dedicated to help those consider a career in criminal justice,we only provide the best information available. Whether it's a resource directly relating to law enforcement, or one that highlights different aspects of law, we feel that it's necessary for those seeking to obtain this information. This is why we've featured your blog, as it is one of the best to teach our readers.

You can see your blog and others at:
www.criminaljusticedegree.net/features/police/

For recognition, we present you with an awards badge. You can get your badge here:
www.criminaljusticedegree.net/features/police/#badge

If you choose to accept or decline to be recognized, please let me know.

Please do not hesitate to call or email if you have any questions. Again, Congratulations, and keep up the awesome work!

Cheers,
Natalie Routs
(530)324-1865
www.criminaljusticedegree.net

CriminalJusticeDegree.net

Jail To Install Sunbeds For Inmates

2010-11-12T12:38:00.005Z

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

2010-11-04T15:40:00.002Z

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

2010-10-28T11:44:00.004+01:00

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%

2010-10-22T11:41:00.004+01:00

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

2010-10-15T12:03:00.002+01:00

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

2010-09-10T11:57:00.006+01:00

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"

2010-08-12T11:18:00.005+01:00

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

2010-07-31T10:26:00.004+01:00

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"

2010-07-10T13:13:00.004+01:00

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

2010-06-17T15:35:00.010+01:00

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

2010-06-10T13:14:00.006+01:00

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

2010-05-21T11:39:00.005+01:00

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 !

2010-05-19T12:13:00.007+01:00

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

2010-05-19T11:38:00.005+01:00

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

2010-05-06T11:42:00.004+01:00

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 !!!!

2010-05-01T13:13:00.004+01:00

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

2010-04-26T12:20:00.004+01:00

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 ?

2010-04-17T11:24:00.009+01:00

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"

2010-04-09T12:44:00.002+01:00

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 ?

2010-03-25T12:37:00.004Z

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

2010-03-06T10:33:00.005Z

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!

2010-02-22T11:15:00.006Z

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

2010-02-18T13:28:00.003Z

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

The Disgrace of Dizaei

2010-02-12T13:00:00.007Z

Following the 'Guilty' verdict and subsequent sentence of 4 years imprisonment of Commander Ali Dizaei the parties involved in the investigation have been quick to issue statements explaining their respective positions.

MPS Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, said "Commander Ali Dizaei has been a police officer for nearly 25 years. It is extremely disappointing and concerning that this very senior officer has been found guilty of abusing his position and power.

The public expect the police to treat them fairly and honestly and we are resolved to tackle corruption at every opportunity. He has breached that trust and damaged not only his own reputation but that of the entire police service. I am proud of the officers who gave evidence in this case and supported the IPCC investigation.

Bearing in mind his rank and disgraceful behaviour he should not be surprised at the severity of his sentence."

A Metropolitan Police Authority spokesperson said "The MPA has a statutory duty to consider all complaints and allegations of misconduct against senior MPS officers and takes this responsibility very seriously. The MPA’s Professional Standards Cases Sub-committee (PSCSC) considers all cases in full accordance with the Police Reform Act 2002 and associated Regulations.

Following consideration of a complaint by a member of the public against Commander Ali Dizaei, the PSCSC referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The IPCC determined to conduct an independent investigation. Having investigated the complaint the IPCC then referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In May 2009, the CPS advised the IPCC that there was sufficient evidence to charge Commander Dizaei with misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice in relation to events that took place on Friday 18 July 2008.

The trial concerning these charges has now concluded and found Commander Dizaei guilty on both charges.

At this time the matter remains an IPCC independent investigation. Therefore, the MPA is not in a position to comment further.

In due course the IPCC will refer it back to the MPA, at which time the PSCSC will consider what action (if any) is required.

The PSCSC continues, in line with its statutory duty, to review the decision previously taken to suspend Commander Dizaei."

Nick Hardwick, Chair of the IPCC said "When Mr Al Baghdadi tried to get Commander Dizaei to pay him the money he owed him, Dizaei assaulted and then arrested him. He went on to lie about what had happened and, if he had been successful, Mr Al Baghdadi may have been sent to prison.

Dizaei behaved like a bully and the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them. Mr Al Baghdadi has shown tremendous strength of character throughout this case – from the moment he was confronted by Ali Dizaei, throughout our investigation, and finally when giving evidence at court. We are grateful for the confidence he placed in the IPCC and, as a result of that, justice has been done today.

The greatest threat to the reputation of the police service is criminals in uniform like Dizaei. Corruption comes in many forms and remains a threat to the police service. It requires constant vigilance to fight it. Integrity must not be negotiable. I think the public will now be looking to police leadership for reassurance that they will not allow political and financial pressures to prevent them from robustly tackling corruption.

The behaviour of Dizaei contrasts with that of the Met officers who spoke out and gave evidence in court against him. This verdict should send a message to any other corrupt officer that nobody is untouchable but I hope it will strengthen the resolve of all those decent officers whose responsibilities require them to combat or speak out against corruption.

I want to say thank you to the team of IPCC investigators who have worked incredibly hard on this case. They have shown a professionalism and determination in gathering all the available evidence which stood up to intense scrutiny over the last few weeks. They deserve our thanks and praise.”

Article courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

The ultimate in political spin!

2010-02-05T12:47:00.008Z

No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, this story, if true, is no surprise and extremely revealing of our politicians!

It simply depends on how you look at some things !!!!!!...,

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California , was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

On the back of the picture which Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'

So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle.

Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

Now that's how it's done, Folks! That's real POLITICAL SPIN !!!!!!!!!

Postscript Monday 8th. February,2010: My apologies to my Californian friend Dean Eddy for failing to give him thanks for sending me this item when I first posted it on my blog. I am usually more circumspect in giving credits but on this occasion it unfortunately slipped my mind.Please forgive your old limey friend. Another of my more frequent senior moments !!!!!

Dean's website can be found at this address;

http://community-1.webtv.net/dapcs5/httpcommunitywebtv/

Pharmacolgy - A new name for Viagra just announced!

2010-01-23T11:40:00.006Z

Postings have been a little too serious of late so I thought it was about time I introduced an item of humour. This is a little risque but I hope it makes you smile nevertheless.

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Panadol also has a generic name of Paracetamol. Amoxil is also called Amoxicillin and Nurofen is also called Ibuprofen.

The National Drugs Agency has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corporation announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink,and it gives new meaning to the names of 'cocktails', 'highballs' and just a good old-fashioned 'stiff drink'. Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040,there should be a large elderly population with perky Boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them!!!!!!!

Patrick Henry Hughes - A great Inspiration to us all!

2010-01-21T14:08:00.004Z

My thanks to Dean Eddy for drawing my attention to this incredible young man who has been blind and crippled from birth. He has, however, been gifted with great musical talent and his ability at the piano and with a trumpet is truly astounding. Thanks to the dedication and devotion of his father, Patrick is a member of the Louisville University Marching Band in Kentucky, USA, and regularly plays in front of thousands of spectators. He brought tears to my eyes when he said, " God has given me 'abilities' not disabilities!"

His piano solo playing Claude Debussy's Claire de Lume (Light of the Moon) is worthy of worldwide recognition. May God continue to bless you Patrick and your wonderful family. A pure genius if ever there was one ! I was always pro-life and this young man certainly proves my point!.

Thank you so much Dean for sharing this video clip with me.

Lost Generation

2010-01-13T13:00:00.005Z

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.

This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

8,506,592 views Five star Rating.

The Price of Bail

2009-12-30T14:33:00.006Z

24 murders and 9 rapes in 32 months committed by suspects on bail in just one county...

In two and a half years suspects let out on bail committed 24 murders and 9 rapes in one county alone, it was revealed last night.

The shocking statistics from Lancashire Police caused outrage - with one MP demanding a "far more vigorous system".

The figures showed that people on bail were responsible for 11,171 crimes across Lancashire between January 2007 and September 2009.

As well as the murders and rapes, they included 62 attempted murders, 63 other sexual offences, 45 arsons, 283 robberies, 667 burglaries and 3,100 shoplifting incidents.

Stunned local Tory MP Nigel Evans "The figures are very large indeed. These are obviously people who are repeat offenders."

Calling for a more rigorous system, he added: "They should be kept under lock and key in the future."

Kirk Bullen, of the Make Lancashire Safer charity, said "people are losing faith" in the system.

But police chiefs said far more people were being released on bail, while officers continued investigations and waited for forensic tests.

And Justice Secretary Jack Straw, whose constituency is in Lancashire, said courts were "toughening up" on bail. "They face a difficult decision but they get it right most of the time." he said

Story courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL BLOGGERS

2009-12-09T08:40:00.005Z

I do not know how they do this, but I do know it is absolutely brilliant. Make sure your speakers are turned on. Enjoy!

Wise old Henrietta!

2009-11-27T12:25:00.005Z

How to decrease your carbon footprint and help prevent climate change!

Tribute to Constable Bill Barker of Cumbria Police

2009-11-20T23:04:00.007Z

Cumbrian police have confirmed that the body found on a beach on the county's west coast is that of 44-year-old Pc Bill Barker, who was swept away by torrential floods early this morning. Resisdents of the village of Cockermouth are seen being rescued from their homes by members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the R.A.F Rescue Helicopters.

A man was rescued in Cockermouth in Cumbria after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks. Almost 15 inches of rain fell in 36 hours non-stop.

Cumbria Police chief constable Craig Mackey said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that the body found on a beach at Allonby this afternoon is that of our friend and colleague Pc Bill Barker."

Father-of-four Pc Barker had worked for the force for 25 years as a traffic policeman and family liaison officer looking after bereaved families. Now, the day before they were due to celebrate his 45th birthday, his family are now mourning his loss.
"Pc Bill Barker, who has served the communities of Cumbria with the Constabulary for 25 years and currently works as a Roads Policing officer in Workington. He was directing motorists off the bridge, saving lives, when the tragic incident occurred," ACC Graham said.

"He is a valued colleague and friend of many officers and staff within the constabulary - and to those in West Cumbria where he lives and serves."

More than 250mm (9.8 inches) of rain fell in little over 24 hours in the area, causing the Rivers Derwent and Cocker to burst their banks.

Four bridges have now collapsed, main roads are blocked, schools are closed and more than 200 people have been forced to leave their homes in nearby Cockermouth overnight after the deluge struck.

PC Barker disappeared after Northside bridge, one of the main routes into Workington, collapsed in the early hours of this morning.

RNLI lifeboat operations manager Captain Brian Ashbridge said: "There is a massive current coming down through the Derwent so, although the sea isn't very rough, conditions for the RNLI volunteers searching in the river basin have been very challenging.

"It's absolutely horrendous. There is a huge amount of debris around in the water at the moment as well, which adds to the difficulties."

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, said the downpour may have resulted in "the wettest day ever recorded" in famously rainy Cumbria.

He claimed the resulting flood in worst-hit town Cockermouth was "a one in a thousand year" occurence which could not have been prevented by the town's flood defences.

Police and fire services, the RNLI and RAF staff worked throughout the night, using lifeboats and wading chest-deep in water to rescue residents trapped in their homes in Cockermouth, Workington and Keswick. One worker finishing his shift this morning described the scene as close to "armageddon".

In Cockermouth, a tourist attraction because it is the birthplace of William Wordsworth but also a historic flooding hotspot because it sits between the rivers Cocker and Derwent, around 1,000 properties were thought to have been flooded and 50 people had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter.

A lifeboat commander told The Times that firemen had to break into a bank on Main Street to rescue two women trapped inside by flood waters of up to eight feet.

"There was a massive torrent going past the front of the building and they were on the first floor behind barred windows, said Sarah Nimmo-Scott, deputy divisional commander in the RNLI.

"In the end we had to get the fire brigade to basically break into Barclays Bank and they we shipped them out."

Gwenda Davies said was staying at a friend's home and both were trapped in upstairs. She described a "raging torrent" around six feet high in the lane outside the house.

"The water is now up to the downstairs ceiling and I can hear the furniture downstairs knocking on the ceiling," she said by phone. "The River Cocker is apparently one of the fastest flowing in the country apparently and we certainly know it now."

Tony Cunningham, MP for Workington, suggested the flood was “of biblical proportions” to be able to take down the Northside Bridge.

“I went down to the bridge last night and I’ve never seen the River Derwent as wide as it was," he said. “The force of the river was absolutely incredible. This is a stone bridge, to wash away a bridge of that size and dimension is incredible.”

The Army has now been called out to help the civilian emergency services to rescue people still trapped in their homes and begin to clean up as the water levels abate.

Mr Benn, who is in Cockermouth, said the while flood defences there had been strengthened recently, they were only built to withstand a "one-in-100-years flood".

"What we dealt with last night was probably more like one-in-a-1,000, so even the very best defences, if you have such quantities of rain in such a short space of time, can be over-topped," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, contacted the chief constable of Cumbria Police to offer any Government assistance he needs.

"Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted by these floods and our thanks go out to the emergency services who continue in their extraordinary efforts to help the people affected," he said.

Flooding has also been reported in Cork where the River Lee has burst its banks, and there were reports that a family of five including an 87-year-old woman had to be airlifted to safety from their home in the early hours of the morning.

Flooding was also reported in north-west Wales and in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, and the inclement weather caused widespread distruption on trains and roads around the country as well as at sea, where gale force seven winds raged.

The Environment Agency Floodline service has received more than 12,000 calls from members of the public over the last 48 hours and issued more than 43,000 flood alerts via phone, text, email and fax.

It currently has six severe flood warnings in place - all in Cumbria - 29 flood warnings, and 65 less serious flood watches.

Julian Mayes, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said the rainfall in Cumbria was an "historical event".

Mr Mayes said the levels of rain were equivalent to five or six months of rainfall typically experienced over London and the south east of England.

"The fact that there's eight feet of water in some places is not that surprising," he said.

"Primarily, it's the sheer quantity in the last 36 hours that has caused the flooding.

"But in November the ground is saturated. The rain can't get into the soil, it just runs off.

"That means rivers rise very quickly and suddenly."

T'was the month before Christmas

2009-11-18T10:49:00.005Z

They say what happens in America happens here eventually.........oh hang on! It seems in many areas it already has!

T'was the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd!*
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
*At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
*Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me..*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !*
Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet

***HAPPY CHRISTMAS***

Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !

2009-11-14T13:32:00.004Z

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein
I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against.. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay..

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you read this message, you will not tell many of your friends about it because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for drawing attention to it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Tell others about it if you think it has merit.

If not, then just disregard it... no one will know you did. But, if you disregard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

My thanks to my cousin Elfrieda in Florida for drawing my attention to this statement with much of which I fully concur!

Love & Sorrow with the Sparrows

2009-11-09T13:14:00.010Z

I know this is anthropomorphic but nonetheless I liked it and hope you do as well

Here a female mate is injured and the condition is soon fatal.She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead.

He tried to move her ... a rarely-seen effort for swallows! Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again, He cries with adoring love.

He stood beside her, saddened by her death.

Finally aware she would never return to him, he stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

Millions of people cried after seeing these photos in America, Europe, Australia, and even India. The photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France. All copies of that edition were sold out on the day these pictures were published.

And many people think animals don't have brains or feelings? You have just witnessed Love and Sorrow felt by God's creatures. The Bible says God knows when a sparrow falls & how much more He cares for us. Matthew 10:29 & 6:26

We WILL remember them!

2009-11-06T12:26:00.011Z

The average British soldier is 19 years old…..he is a short haired, well built lad who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears and just old enough to buy a round of drinks but old enough to die for his country – and for you and for me. He’s not particularly keen on hard work but he’d rather be grafting in Afghanistan than unemployed in the UK . He recently left comprehensive school where he was probably an average student, played some form of sport, drove a ten year old rust bucket, and knew a girl that either broke up with him when he left, or swore to be waiting when he returns home. He moves easily to rock and roll or hip-hop or to the rattle of a 7.62mm machine gun.

He is about a stone lighter than when he left home because he is working or fighting from dawn to dusk and well beyond. He has trouble spelling, so letter writing is a pain for him, but he can strip a rifle in 25 seconds and reassemble it in the dark. He can recite every detail of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either effectively if he has to. He digs trenches and latrines without the aid of machines and can apply first aid like a professional paramedic. He can march until he is told to stop, or stay dead still until he is told to move.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation but he is not without a rebellious spirit or a sense of personal dignity. He is confidently self-sufficient. He has two sets of uniform with him: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his water bottle full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never forgets to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes and fix his own hurts. If you are thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food is your food. He'll even share his life-saving ammunition with you in the heat of a firefight if you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and regards his weapon as an extension of his own hands. He can save your life or he can take it, because that is his job - it's what a soldier does. He often works twice as long and hard as a civilian, draw half the pay and have nowhere to spend it, and can still find black ironic humour in it all. There's an old saying in the British Army: 'If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined!'

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and he is unashamed to show it or admit it. He feels every bugle note of the 'Last Post' or 'Sunset' vibrate through his body while standing rigidly to attention. He's not afraid to 'Bollock' anyone who shows disrespect when the Regimental Colours are on display or the National Anthem is played; yet in an odd twist, he would defend anyone's right to be an individual. Just as with generations of young people before him, he is paying the price for our freedom. Clean shaven and baby faced he may be, but be prepared to defend yourself if you treat him like a kid.

He is the latest in a long thin line of British Fighting Men that have kept this country free for hundreds of years. He asks for nothing from us except our respect, friendship and understanding. We may not like what he does, but sometimes he doesn't like it either - he just has it to do.. Remember him always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have brave young women putting themselves in harm's way, doing their part in this tradition of going to war when our nation's politicians call on us to do so.

Police Officers march for Royal Marines' charity

2009-10-28T14:34:00.007Z

British Royal Marines turned cops are digging out their marching boots for charity.

More than 80 officers from around the UK are joining forces under the banner of Commando Cops to perform a half-marathon speed-march.

Nearly a third of the ex Royal Marines taking part are officers from my former force namely the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary.

The Royal Marine Association hopes to raise enough funds to send 62 Royal Marines, all of whom have suffered life-changing injuries, to the 2010 Winter Paralympics and the 2012 London Paralympics.

Originally setting a target of £40,000, the Commando Cops have already raised £60,000 with a significant proportion of the sum raised by two local officers from Devon. Detective Chief Inspector Ken Lamont and Detective Constable Peter Boorn have already raised over £6,000 between them.

Det. Chief Inspector Lamont said; "Support has been fantastic. The generosity of colleagues and local people from Devon has made us proud."

The speed-march will take place in Central London on Saturday, November 7th, the day before Remembrance Sunday.

If you would like to donate please visit; www.bmycharity.com/commandocops
and sponsor any officer's name you may choose from the list provided.

Police win data deletion appeal

2009-10-22T11:58:00.008+01:00

My thanks to my former colleague Andy Pierce for drawing my attention to this news report and I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments as follows; A sensible decision by the Court of Appeal which must leave some like me, who constantly and consistenly argued the toss with the Data Protection / Freedom of Information lobby, feeling quite smug.

The rules state information must be relevant, up to date and not excessive
Five police forces which challenged a ruling that they should delete records on criminal convictions from their database have won their appeal.

The court of appeal said convictions, however old and however minor, can be of value in the fight against crime.

The court said that as a result the retention of that information should not be denied to the police.

The forces said if they had lost, they may have been forced to delete details of as many as one million people.

The police added if the original ruling had been upheld, the result would have been a "liars' charter" - where people would be able to deny criminal convictions on job applications if they knew the deletion deadline had passed.

'However old or minor'

Three judges ruled that retaining information was far easier to justify than actually disclosing the information to others.

"If the police say rationally and reasonably that convictions, however old or minor, have a value in the work that they do, that should, in effect, be the end of the matter," said Lord Justice Waller, sitting with Lord Justices Carnwath and Hughes.

The appeal was made by the chief constables of the Humberside, Staffordshire, Northumbria, West Midlands and Greater Manchester forces.

"This data assists police officers in their work in preventing crime and protecting the public" Quote from ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers.

The five convicted people who had contested the case were refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) welcomed the ruling, adding that "the ramifications of losing the appeal were potentially huge".

Ian Readhead, Acpo director of information, told the BBC: "This data assists police officers in their work in preventing crime and protecting the public and the loss of such valuable information would have been detrimental to that.

"Although principally used for police purposes, these records are also critical to the courts, the Criminal Records Bureau, the Independent Safeguarding Agency, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office, who all supported this appeal."

But Anna Fairclough, a lawyer for the civil rights group Liberty, said the judgement "forgets the privacy rights of millions of people".

She said: "Exceptions to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and the net of employment vetting are being cast so wide that people will be forever haunted by the minor indiscretions of their youth.

"We need a tighter rein on the circumstances when spent convictions can be disclosed."

Held for 100 years

The original ruling came about after five people complained to the information commissioner because their criminal records showed up when they applied for jobs.

One of the cases was a record held by Humberside Police about the theft of a 99p packet of meat in 1984. The person involved, who was under 18 at the time, was fined £15.

Another, held by West Midlands Police, referred to a theft which took place more than 25 years ago, for which the individual was fined £25.

And a third, held by Staffordshire Police, related to someone under 14 who was cautioned for a minor assault.

Under current policy, criminal records remain on the police national computer for up to 100 years.

Information courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8314032.stm

Lloyd Gardner - A remarkable young man from Devon

2009-10-15T13:46:00.007+01:00

A good Samaritan given a £10,000 reward for helping catch a brutal rapist has handed all the money to the stunned victim.

Big-hearted Lloyd Gardner, 22, said the woman had far more need of the cash as she was left crippled by the savage attack.

The 48-year-old, who can not be named, was left for dead, unconscious and naked, in the centre of Exeter, Devon, and still uses a wheelchair over three years later.

Lloyd, a restaurant manager, gave cops vital information which helped them track down sex beast Jakub Tomczak to Poland.

The 24-year-old fugitive monster was arrested and brought back to the UK and given two life sentences in January 2008.

Lloyd responded to a TV appeal over the attack when he recognised two Polish girls spotted on CCTV with Tomczak.

He had worked with them before they returned to Poland but he told detectives where they came from and they led officers to the rapist in Poznan.

Modest Lloyd told police he wanted the victim to have all the money and said: "I didn't feel like I'd earned it.

"The fact that such a horrific thing happened to that lady, I thought it would benefit her life more than it would mine.

"I just wanted to try and improve her standard of life.

"It's a huge amount of money but I've been lucky throughout my life - she nearly died and was left in a horrendous state after the attack.

"I thought the money would go a lot further to improve her situation. I just wanted to help in any way possible and I hope this has done that."

Lloyd, of Ottery St. Mary, Devon, added: "I thought what I told police was quite minor at the time but they told me it was what they needed and had been a vital part of the case."

Lloyd has now been chosen by police in Ottery St. Mary to officially open their new station next week.

Local Sergeant Nick Harper said: "Lloyd's act of kindness was unbelievable. He is an outstanding member of the community."

Tomczak was working as a hotel night porter when he struck and left his badly injured victim under a van.

He was brought back to the UK under a European arrest warrant and convicted on DNA evidence which matched his semen with samples found at the scene.

He told the court: "I do not know the truth of what happened to her."

He was given two life sentences for rape and grievous bodily harm, to run concurrently, and was sent back to Poland to serve them.

Story courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Dr. Kent Holtorf - Fox News "Tracking H1N1" (Swine Flu)

2009-09-29T19:29:00.004+01:00

Dr. Kent Holtorf talks with Fox News about the symptoms and treatment of H1N1 (Swine Flu). He is an expert on infectious diseases and his views on the new vaccine coming to the market in October are very alarming to say the least.

I am aware that other medical experts disagree with him but who are we to believe? I am in an "at risk" group being a heart patient, so I am confused as to what to do if or when I am offered this vaccination by my medical surgery. Annually, I receive the normal winter flu jab and have never suffered any ill effects but this is an additional vaccination with questionable trial research.

Your considered views and informed opinions would be most welcome.

Police Apprenticeship Scheme

2009-09-25T12:28:00.006+01:00

Seven young people have been awarded qualifications through an apprenticeship scheme run by Avon and Somerset Constabulary, many of whom have joined the force as full time employees.

The apprentices completed the business administration level 2 apprenticeship scheme, which has been giving young people the opportunity to earn while they learn for over 10 years. The apprentices have now attained a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).

Jake Lambert, 17, who completed a 12 month placement in the Criminal Justice Unit, in addition to his NVQ was also recognised for his outstanding contribution and dedication with an award for 'Apprentice of the Year.' He has accepted a full time position with the force as a clerical officer.

Two others received certificates for successfully completing their second year apprenticeship for light vehicle technicians. They will go on to complete the remainder of their course in Cabot Park in Avonmouth, where they will continue to service, maintain and repair police vehicles.

Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen, who presented the awards, said: "Apprenticeships are hugely important for young people, as they offer them the chance to benefit from salaried employment with sector-specific training. These bright young individuals are our workforce of the future and we are very pleased to celebrate their achievements.

"The apprenticeship scheme is a way for us to support the local community and economy, as well as giving us the opportunity to interact with the young people of today – something which is vitally important for an organisation such as ours."

The business administration apprentices completed placements in various departments across Avon and Somerset Constabulary including; Bath and Yeovil Police Stations, the Criminal Justice Unit, Legal Services Department and in the Administration Department at the Force's Headquarters in Portishead.

Many have subsequently been offered permanent positions including Sophie, 20, who has joined the Force as a National Criminal Records Bureau Research Officer and also volunteers her time as a Special Constable.

Sophie said: "I'm very excited and proud to join Avon and Somerset Police as a full time employee. It's been a fantastic year and not only have I gained a qualification but also now secured a really excellent job. My career aspiration is to stay within the force and maybe one day apply to be a full time police officer."

Another apprentice has gained employment as PA to Head of Communications and a further one has joined the HR communications team as an administration assistant.

Vicky Evans, Human Resources Planning Manager for Avon and Somerset Police, said: "The apprenticeship schemes have been such a success that we are looking to expand our apprenticeship programme. In such a tough economic climate we are really pleased to be able to help young people gain the skills they need to enter employment, and also earn at the same time.

For further information about Avon and Somerset Constabulary's apprenticeship scheme contact Rose Tucker, Senior HR Planning Officer, on 01275 816542

Supplied courtesy of www.policeoracle.com

Why we are in Afghanistan

2009-09-07T14:16:00.004+01:00

Below is a copy of an e-mail circulating to members of the Conservative Party from the Leader of the Party, the Rt.Hon. David Cameron, M.P. I believe his sentiments are entirely correct.

This week was the seventieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. It's a time to remember all those who fought, died and sacrificed for Britain. But it's a time, too, to remember the lessons.

Some of those lessons apply in Afghanistan today. We're fighting a ferocious war and after eight years there still seems to be no end in sight. Our troops lack vital equipment, especially helicopters. Many people want Ministers to explain more clearly what our troops are fighting for. And that anxiety is now really affecting the Government, with the resignation of an aide to the Defence Secretary. It's clear we cannot go on as we are.

We need to make it clear to the British people why we're in Afghanistan. It's simple - to stop terrorism here in Britain. We must help the Afghans to stop their country from once again hosting the world's most dangerous terrorists. So we need to train and equip the Afghan army to root out terrorists, and to support them until they can do this for themselves.

We must make sure our soldiers have the tools they need - more counter-IED capability, more helicopters, more surveillance drones, more heavily armoured vehicles, and more transport aircraft. We must support their families here in Britain, and give every assistance to the injured.

And to do all these things we need one thing more than anything else - leadership. That's something that's been desperately lacking. We've had four defence secretaries in as many years; the last one was part-time and the current one ranks 21st out of 23 in the Cabinet. That's not a great starting point when we're fighting a conflict thousands of miles away. This is a new kind of war, it's a necessary war, and we need strong leadership and relentless focus to explain that to people in Britain.

The lessons of 1939 show that Britain can turn things around in war. Six years of effort later, we won the war. I'm confident we can see success in Afghanistan. I've been out there and seen what a tremendous job our servicemen and women do. It's time they got the right kind of support from the Government at home.

Signed: David Cameron

The Bear - Film by Jean-Jacques Annaud

2009-09-02T20:13:00.006+01:00

"The Bear" is an unusually involving film about animals that will give you a fresh perspective on their world. I found this film totally captivating and recommend you take a few moments to view it. It will be well worth the time. The cougar versus the bear!"

Special thanks to my friend Dean Eddy for drawing this amazing video clip to my attention. It has been viewed by over 10.5 million internet users worldwide.

A return to the bad old days?

2009-08-27T14:49:00.003+01:00

Police and football club officials are scanning CCTV footage to idenitfy those responsible for mass violence which broke out between rival fans during Tuesday night's Carling Cup match between West Ham and Milwall, resulting in a man being stabbed in the chest.

There were running battles before and after the match at Upton Park and the game was held up when home supporters invaded the pitch after West Ham took the lead in extra time.

At least 10 people were arrested as bitter rivalry between rival supporters erupted into what police described as "large-scale" violence before game in east London.

A man was stabbed in the chest and two others taken to hospital following clashes between hundreds of rival football supporters in east London.

The 44-year-old man was stabbed in Priory Road, just yards from West Ham's ground, before the game. He was said by police to be in a stable condition last night. The other two were last night being treated in hospital for non-lifethreatening injuries. One man was found in Rancliffe Road suffering head injuries, while another was taken to hospital following an alleged assault at a pub in Green Street.

Onlookers described how bricks and bottles were lobbed as hundreds of supporters rioted.

And inside the ground fans fought with police and stewards and play was suspended when scores of supporters invaded the pitch.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said officers were now scanning CCTV footage to identify those behind the clashes."We will be reviewing all the events, looking at CCTV both inside and outside the ground to identify offences and offenders."

The Football Association said last night it would investigate the violence and said anyone involved would be banned from football for life.

A spokesman said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park both inside and outside of the ground.

"We will be working with all parties, including the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding (last night's) events.

"We strongly expect all culprits to be banned from football for life. They have no place in our game."

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola said the scenes were unlike anything he had seen before. "I've been involved in difficult games and things happened. Here, I've played seven years and I've never seen it like this.

"It's certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked. Totally.

"I knew it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn't imagine it like this."

Millwall boss Kenny Jackett added: "I wasn't aware of the stabbing outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that.

"We've got a passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark then things have to be done."

The fighting started shortly after 6pm as thousands of fans made their way to the ground. One West Ham fan who went to the match said the District Line underground train from Barking stopped just before Upton Park at 7.20pm and did not move for around 15 minutes. "Tempers flared on board as kick-off approached, people tried breaking open the doors," he said. The atmosphere was tense in surrounding streets, the police helicopter was up and riot police were everywhere."

The fan said he saw about 30 police with shields and batons "storm" towards the nearby Boleyn pub.

A 29-year-old man, who runs a kebab shop in Green Street said: "All hell broke loose, it was very frightening. It's not every day you see stuff like that."

National Police Memorial Day

2009-08-27T14:19:00.006+01:00

Sunday 27th September 2009 marks the sixth National Police Memorial Day, an annual event that honours police officers throughout the United Kingdom who have given their lives in the line of duty.

National Police Memorial Day is designed to remember every officer killed on duty since modern policing began more than 175 years ago and aims to recognise the courage and dedication shown by all police officers across the UK every day.

As with the previous five years, the Police Federation of England and Wales is working in partnership with the Home Offices and other police associations across the UK to ensure the day is memorable for everyone attending particularly the widows, family and friends of fallen officers.

Paul McKeever, Chairman, Police Federation of England and Wales says,

“this day is a way for the nation to recognise the best of all human qualities – selfless and devoted courage – and the example and valour of those officers who died on duty acts as an inspiration to us all."

I will be particularly remembering a fellow officer from my Police Force, the late Police Constable Dennis Smith of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, who was murdered on duty at Torquay several years ago now by a crazed gunman who went on the rampage in the town killing several people.

Details of formal events marking National Police Memorial Day will be posted on this blog as they become known to me.

Congratulations to Stephen Wray - my music maestro!

2009-08-17T20:18:00.004+01:00

Steve Wray is the 23 year old son of a lifelong friend of mine who lives in Pennsylvania, USA. He has a keen interest in acoustic guitars and recently entered an Accent Music Guitar Solo Contest in Wilmington, Newark, and won second place. His father said in an e-mail to me;

My son Stephen won 2nd prize in a lead guitar contest at Accent Music, where he takes lessons. (a $50.00 gift card) Here is the link to his performance. He had to choose from 8 tracks the song he wanted to play lead to. Then he had to improvise the lead. He got the track list on Wednesday and the contest was Saturday. He did a great job and I am very proud of him.

I too am proud of you Steve. Your father's influence has clearly rubbed off on you! The next time your family put on a Hootenanny may be I shall be there to congratulate you in person. Mark Winfree eat your heart out. You now have serious competition from a true professional to contend with! Well done Steve and keep up the good work.

I want my England!

2009-08-14T18:27:00.004+01:00

ENGLAND I think this really sums it all up.

After hearing that many cities did not want to offend other cultures by putting up Christmas lights, so DIDN'T!

After learning that the British Red Cross shops were instructed not to display Christmas decorations lest they cause offence. (A move which cost them my support thereafter.)

After hearing that the Birmingham council changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver's licence with her face covered. You try it!

After hearing of a Primary School in Birmingham where a boy was told that for PE they could wear Football League shirts (Aston Villa, Birmingham, West Brom etc) but NOT an England shirt as it could offend others !

This prompted the editorial below written by a UK citizen,and published in a British newspaper.

IMMIGRANTS. NOT BRITONS, MUST ADAPT

Take it or leave it. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on London , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Brits.

However, the dust from the attacks has barely settled and the 'politically correct' crowd begin complaining about the possibility that our patriotism is offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Britain . However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.

This idea of England being a multicultural centre for community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Britons, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of wars, struggles, trials and victories fought by the untold masses of men and women who laid down their lives and of the millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. If St.George's cross offends you, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.

We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this.

But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our Way of Life, I encourage you take advantage of one other great British freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.

We didn't force you to come here. If you don't like it GO HOME!!

You asked to be here.. So accept the country that accepted YOU. Pretty easy really, when you think about it.

First it was politicians now it's policemen - Abuse of expense claims. Who will be next?

2009-08-14T12:10:00.004+01:00

Scotland Yard chiefs have agreed a secret amnesty for more than 1,000 officers and staff who misused corporate credit cards, it has been revealed.

An internal audit discovered 1,183 Metropolitan Police employees broke rules governing the use of American Express charge cards.

Senior officers were so overwhelmed by the number of cases they decided the card holders would not be punished - deciding instead that the staff, the vast majority of whom worked in counter terrorism and other specialist crime inquiries, would be given "training and guidance".

More than 300 people were initially referred to anti-corruption detectives when evidence emerged their claims were potentially fraudulent.

Of these cases, 50 were passed to independent investigators. Three officers have since been convicted of criminal offences and two more await trial.

Jenny Jones, of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said training and guidance is "not enough" and some disciplinary action should be taken. She said: "I find it unacceptable that the police have just let these officers go with guidance. They must have known what they were doing was wrong."

Members of the MPA, the force watchdog, have been told privately how an initial sift of accounts exposed the scale of the problem.

Internal auditors decided 1,183 people who used a card, but did not break the law, should be put to one side and labelled "category B". These cases included those who purchased personal items and later repaid the money or bought equipment that should have been purchased by other means.

Meanwhile, claims found to be "potentially unacceptable", including cases of suspected fraud, were labelled "category A" and passed to anti-corruption detectives. Inquiries into abuse of the credit card system by officers are expected to continue until next March, two and a half years after they first began.

A total of 3,533 officers and staff were issued with the cards and at one point £3.7 million of public money was unaccounted for. The majority of this money has been paid back, but legal action is expected against two officers who owe £82,000 and £1,100.

Puritanical, pragmatic, proselytizing pratt!?

2009-08-10T17:16:00.005+01:00

I have just been paid the biggest compliment of my blogosphere experience! Robert "Bob" Mercer of South Australia has been moved to post the below item on his blog with the title has shown above. I have been called some names in my time but nothing as interesting as this! I believe he expected me to censor his link but, on the contrary, I was pleased to publish it within my comments section. I have never had a full posting devoted to me on any blog so far! It resulted in greatly increased traffic to my site. I rarely reach a hundred hits per week but already I have received 144 visits and there is still tomorrow to go before I receive my weekly update. Thanks very much Bob! This is what he wrote;

Came across a blog which I found interesting particularly the page ….link http://old-plod-of-plympton.blogspot.com/2009/08/this-man-would-get-my-vote.html More people like this mayor are needed not only in the UK but also in Australia…….please!

Unfortunately whilst some of the articles were interesting the “discussion” options were somewhat limited by the somewhat puritanical attitude of the “Old Plod” the ex-policeman who owns the blog. His profile includes the statement

” I consider myself to be a pragmatic and deeply spiritual person. I will endeavour to avoid unnecessary censorship on this Blog. However; I will not accept any xenophobic, homophobic, racist, sexist or indeed any other form of extreme bigotry within comments posted on this blog. Measures to prevent postings of this nature are in place.”

Well, what a puritanical, pragmatic pratt! His listing is in itself a form of bigotry, since the word means intolerance or narrow-mindedness. Perhaps as an ex-plod he has become mired in the upper echelon bigotry that exists within the police forces of the world. One can be xenophobic, racist, sexist etc., without being a bigot! [I do not include the non-word "homophobic" since it is the most stupid meaningless concoction ever. A mishmash of homo meaning "the same" and phobia meaning "fear" hence a fear of the same!? Rubbish!]. Perhaps his spirituality is obtained from a bottle of sorts. However, that being said, how come he allowed the article to which I referred originally, namely “This man would get my vote” since it is definitely anti-pervert [I refuse to use the word "gay" and say it as it is!] and is surely xenophobic since he is advocating telling the EU where to stick it!

If he is so sensitive [and after 33 professed years as a copper I doubt that] and becomes lachrymose when people post such anti-pervert or xenophobic comments, has he never heard of censoring comments? If he so desired he could edit or delete what he deems “unsuitable” wording.

He does have a suggestion to link to his blog or any particular page but……………somehow I don’t think my link would be too welcome!

If you would like to view Bob Mercer's blog and leave him a comment in defence of me or support of him here is the address;

http://rhmercer.com/blog/?p=398

I feel we could develop an interesting debate here. LOL! I warn you though he has some pretty strong views on many subjects. I shall certainly be paying him a few return visits in the future! G'day Bob!!!!!

A Pastor with great courage!

2009-08-07T11:47:00.005+01:00

This took courage (although it shouldn't have) It is absolutely great ! ! !There might be hope yet!

A Pastor with GUTS!
I thought you might enjoy reading this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask
Your forgiveness and to seek your direction and
Guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those
Who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we
Have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed
Our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it
The lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it
Welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it
Choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it
Justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our
Children and called it building self esteem..

We have abused power and called it
Politics.

We have coveted our neighbour's possessions
And called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and
pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honoured values
Of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts
Today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!
The response was immediate.A number of Legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church,where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio programme, 'The Rest of the Story,'and received a larger response to this programme than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'one nation under God.'

My thanks to Mr.Brian Eastwood for sharing this with me.