The hopes, thoughts and wishes of a retired English police officer who spends far too much time in front of his computer instead of taking exercise!
Welcome to my Blog journal !
Enjoy your visit and be sure to post a comment. Below is a slideshow of some pictures which I took on my 2008 tour of the Canadian Rockies and my cruise up to south east Alaska.
I was a police officer for 33 years and retired as an Inspector in 1996. 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. To find out more about me please visit my personal website by clicking on the link provided in the "Contact" section on the left of my profile page entitled "My Web Page"
Palmer misses too many chances to impress - Tuchel
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England manager Thomas Tuchel says Cole Palmer "misses too many chances to
impress" after not selecting the Chelsea forward for November's Nations
League f...
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hi Well, after not a very nice year I will again try to go back to
blogging. I have missed it so. I will only be able to do a couple of times
a week not li...
A series which started earlier this week showed the reality behind the challenges officers from Devon and Cornwall experience every day. Channel 4’s ‘Call the Cops’ docu-series started on Monday, August 19th at 9.30pm and will consist of 6 weekly episodes.
It
is set to cover a wide-range of jobs across the force area - the
largest geographical policing area in England - such as armed robberies,
sexual assaults, missing people searches and domestic incidents. It is also set to highlight the challenges Devon and Cornwall Police’s staff and officers have to face on a daily basis, including being on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse.
Police chiefs have voiced fears that inflammatory rhetoric from politicians and activists could fuel Brexit
tensions as they revealed they have amassed their biggest ever
peacetime reserve of 10,000 officers to deal with potential unrest in
the event of no deal.
The chair of the National Police
Chiefs Council, Martin Hewitt, warned “prominent individuals” involved
in the protracted Brexit debate should avoid inciting anger given the
“febrile” and “emotive” atmosphere, amid concerns of violence and
disorder.
Hewitt said: “This is highly emotive ... I think there is a
responsibility on those individuals that have a platform, and have a
voice, to communicate in a way that is temperate and is not in any way
going to inflame people’s views or cause any actions out of there.
“I think we are in an incredibly febrile atmosphere. There is a lot
of angry talk that you can pick up if you look across social media.”
He said it was “incumbent on anybody in a position of responsibility
and who has a voice to just think carefully about the way they express
their views” to avoid inciting unwanted behaviour.
The NPCC lead for Brexit planning, chief constable Charlie Hall, said
at least 10,000 officers trained in quelling disorder were ready for
deployment across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and
trained in tactics to tackle looting in the event of shortages and
violence if tensions spill over.
That was a greater contingent of officers, Hall said, than deployed to reinforce local forces during the 2011 riots across England, the worst since the end of the second world war.
Police have refreshed tactics in case they are pitched into conflicts
between citizens triggered by Brexit, amid fears a no-deal could lead
to shortages of medicines, some food and other key goods.
Hall said reinforcements to forces of at least 10,000 could start
within an hour of a request and take eight hours to fully deliver. He
stressed police had no intelligence of disorder but he insisted, given
the uncertainty, forces had to plan for a worst-case scenario.
Some in policing fear regular services would be decimated if a
national mobilisation was needed. Hall said: “We would easily run at
that pace for the first seven days.”
But after that officers may have to work 12-hour shifts and
“non-core” police activity could be cut, such as training, community
work and crime prevention work.
The military could be used and police and army chiefs have held talks about how they could be used if needed.
Hall said: “This is where our push has been back to those sectors,
those parts of government and private sector. It’s your responsibility
to look at your individual supply chains and you should not be looking
to police to come in and supplement to keep your supply chains running.”
Officers are being trained in case Northern Ireland needs
reinforcements, with up to 1,000 mainland officers being taught tactics
needed in the region.
Hall said 15 out of 43 forces in England and Wales had put some
restrictions on leave, and two forces, Kent and Hampshire, had requested
mutual aid and discussions had been held with others in case they
needed it.
He said there had been 37 Brexit-related crimes in the last
fortnight, half of which were malicious communication, with other
offences including verbal abuse and harassment.
Commander Adrian Usher said there was a direct link between Brexit
events and increased threats received by MPs. Usher, who leads on
protection for parliamentarians in Westminster, said: “We’ve seen a
greater level of abuse reported to us. As we move towards key dates in
the Brexit calendar, we have seen spikes in those numbers.”
The police chiefs also said that there was a hate crime spike after
the 2016 referendum which fell, but never returned back to the levels
before the vote. Last year there was a 17% increase in hate crimes, with 94,000 hate crimes recorded, and there are thought to have been considerably more.
Article courtesy of Vikram Dodd. Police and crime correspondent https://www.theguardian.com/uk/police
There were also jumps in the numbers of recorded robberies (up 22%),
sexual offences (up 18%), vehicle-related theft (up 7%) and burglaries
(2%).
Total police-recorded crime rose by 9% as forces in England and Wales
registered a total of 5.6m offences in the year to June, the ONS said.
But the crime survey of England and Wales – a face-to-face survey of
people’s experiences of crime, which differs from police-recorded data –
showed no change at 10.7m offences during the period.
Joe Traynor, of the ONS centre for crime and justice, said: “Over
recent decades we’ve seen continued falls in overall levels of crime but
in the last year the trend has been more stable. The latest figures
show no change in the total level of crime but variation by crime types.
“We saw rises in some types of theft and in some lower-volume but
higher-harm types of violence, balanced by a fall in the high-volume
offence of computer misuse. There was no change in other high-volume
offences such as overall violence, criminal damage and fraud.
“To put today’s crime survey figures into context, only two out of 10 adults experienced crime in the latest year.”
The crime survey showed a 6% rise in offences when excluding fraud
and computer misuse, to 6.2m in the period. New victimisation questions
on fraud and computer misuse were introduced into the survey in October
2015 and the ONS said they were excluded when looking at changes in
crime over the longer term.
John Apter, the chair of the Police
Federation, which represents tens of thousands of rank and file
officers, said: “It didn’t take a crystal ball to predict these shocking
increases because they only reflect what we have been telling
government for years – we need more boots on the ground.
“We can’t let the government get away with launching a serious
violence strategy which fails to make one single mention of the falling
numbers of police officers keeping the public safe. We have lost nearly
22,000 officers since 2010, and there are now only 122,404 across the whole of England and Wales tasked with trying to stem the rising tide of violent crime. It’s not enough.”
The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said: “These figures are
truly shocking and must put an end to Tory austerity and police cuts.
“You can’t keep the public safe on the cheap. The Tories … have now
cut over 21,000 police officers since 2010, leaving forces across the
country understaffed and overstretched.”
The policing minister, Nick Hurd, said: “Although the chance of being
a victim remains low, we are taking decisive action in a number of
areas.
“To combat serious violence our strategy addresses the root causes of
crime with a focus on early intervention and we have announced a new
£200m youth endowment fund to support young people at risk of
involvement in crime.
“We are consulting on a public health approach to serious violence
and giving police extra powers to tackle knife crime through our
offensive weapons bill.
A national campaign aimed at raising public awareness of
‘county lines’ has been launched by Crimestoppers. Social media
advertising will show the signs to spot and encourage the public to
report concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers.
County lines refers to gangs and organised criminal
networks which export illegal drugs into suburban, rural and coastal
areas, using dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal line”. These gangs
move into a rural or suburban area where they set up base, and exploit
children and vulnerable adults to move drugs and money. Many of those
exploited by these gangs have been forced to carry out criminal activity
by threats, grooming and extortion and can be described as modern day
slaves. Increasing awareness
To help the public understand what county lines is and encourage
reporting to Crimestoppers, the charity has launched a national
campaign. Social media advertising will help raise awareness of the
issue. During the campaign, an ad van will be present in key cities
across Yorkshire and Humberside, the West Midlands, Wales, Essex, Kent,
Surrey and Sussex during the campaign, to inform the public of county
lines and how they can help.
Crimestoppers are working closely with the Home Office, who are
running a campaign which targets staff who may encounter young people
who are being exploited by county lines gangs. The Home Office campaign
targets staff in the transport, private security and accommodation
sector and provides them with information on how to identify if a young
person may be being exploited by county lines gangs and how to safeguard
that vulnerable young person. The Home Office’s campaign is just part
of a wider range of work, set out in the
Serious Violence Strategy (opens in a new window), to tackle county lines. Spot the signs and report concerns
Crimestopppers’ campaign shows the signs to spot which might indicate
a child or vulnerable person is being exploited by a county lines gang.
The signs which you might see are:
A child or young person (sometimes as young as 12) in a shopping
centre or high street, or on public transport during school hours or
unusual hours (e.g. early in the morning, late at night.
A child or young person who seems unfamiliar with the local area
A child or young person being approached or intimidated by a controlling peer or group
A child or vulnerable person who is deliberately avoiding authority figures such as police officers or security guards
More people calling at a local address than normal, sometimes at unsociable hours
Suspicious vehicles or people at an address
A neighbour who has not been seen for a while
If you see something that doesn’t feel right, or looks suspicious,
you can report your concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers. You can
contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or send an untraceable
online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org (opens in a new window).
A new mobile fingerprint scanning system allows police to identify a
potential suspect in under a minute at the scene of an incident,
according to officers testing the technology.
The system involves a small device which connects to smartphones
already used by frontline officers and then uses the new Biometric
Services Gateway to search records held on both police and immigration
databases.
West Yorkshire Police is working with the Home Office on a trial of
the system and the force is rolling out 250 of the scanners to officers
in the next few weeks.
The Home Office said it expects another 20 forces to be using it by the end of the year.
Demonstrating the device, which looks like a small mobile wifi
dongle, Chief Inspector Ian Williams said: "For the first time we can
now identify somebody on the street through their fingerprints, through
those databases.
"We can get photographs back of the individual, we can get a full PNC
(Police National Computer) record of the individual as well which gives
us a really thorough identification.
"From
the moment we take the fingerprint we're getting results right through
to the PNC check and the photograph in less than a minute."
Mr Williams said the speed of the process meant people could
sometimes be dealt with on the street without having to be taken to a
police station.
An armed response unit using the device - which costs under £300 -
took 10 minutes to identify a driver and issue a summons - a process
which previously would have detained the team for four hours.
Mr Williams said fingerprints taken by the device will not be added to any database as it does not record and store this data.
Article by Dave Higgens. Courtesy of www.independent.co.uk
The Prison Service and police are to
pool intelligence to stop drones flying drugs and mobile phones to
prison inmates in England and Wales.
They will forensically examine captured drones to try to find out who was flying them.
The invention of easy-to-fly, remote-controlled aircraft has caused a huge security headache for prisons.
But critics have called the plan a "red herring" to distract people from "chaos and crisis" in prisons.
The national initiative will see police and prison officers share information about the quadcopters and methods used.
Prisons
Minister Sam Gyimah said: "We are absolutely determined to tackle the
illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons and turn them
into places of safety and reform.
"The threat posed by drones is
clear but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against
those who are attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in
establishments all over the country.
"My message to those who
involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear: we will
find you and put you behind bars."
Staff corruption
The
Prison Service could not give details about how many officers would be
involved, but reports suggested £3m would be spent on the new task
force.
John Podmore, former head of the service's anti-corruption
unit, said whilst there was an issue with contraband in prisons,
targeting this money at drones was a "PR stunt".
"I have seen no evidence that there is a real problem with drones," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "I think the number of incidents last year was 33.
"There
are some 10,000 mobile phones found every year in prisons. My question
to the Prison Service would be, how many of those were found hanging
from drones?"
Instead, Mr Podmore thought the service should be
looking the wider issue of contraband smuggling, including the "main
route [of] staff corruption".
Mike Rolfe, national chair of the
Prison Officers Association, said prisoners had told him that they had
seen two or three drones a night delivering packages over the walls.
However,
he said he agreed with Mr Podmore that the initiative was an attempt to
distract people from "the real issue [of] jails in complete chaos, in a
crisis and flooded with drugs, mobile phones and weapons".
Recent successes
BBC
home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford says prison walls are now
not much of a barrier for those wanting to smuggle contraband into
jails.
There have been some recent successes in finding and
punishing those who are behind the drone flights, says the Ministry of
Justice.
In December, Dean Rawley-Bell, 21, was jailed for four years and eight months after he used a drone in attempts to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into Manchester Prison.
Renelle Carlisle, 23, was sentenced to three years and four months in October after he was caught outside Risley Prison in Warrington with a drone in his bag, trying to smuggle drugs inside.
In July, 37-year-old Daniel Kelly was jailed for 14 months
for trying to supply contraband to offenders in Elmley and Swaleside
Prison in Sheppey, Wandsworth Prison in London and the Mount Prison in
Hemel Hempstead.
to recognise the vital role they play in protecting
the public and address an imbalance over to
whom the medal is awarded.
Police leaders responded by putting forward
a number officers from junior ranks from
across England and Wales who have shown
outstanding courage and distinguished
service in the line of duty. More than half
of the 17 Queen’s Police Medals announced
today have been awarded to officers below
the rank of superintendent.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:
These deserving recipients of Queen’s Police
Medals have gone above and beyond the call of their duties and it is absolutely right that we recognise all of those who serve our communities and keep us safe. I am especially pleased by the response from policing leaders, who have made sure that a shift in nominations has led to a much more representative group of officers receiving the medal. I look forward to seeing many more brave and talented individuals at every rank of our police forces being honoured in this way in the future.
A new scheme will see Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Essex Police working together to help make people safer in their homes.
The Parish Safety Volunteer scheme sees volunteers delivering fire safety, crime prevention and signposting people to well-being advice and help to people living in the same Parish as them. Created using funding from Essex County Council's Strengthening Communities Board, the scheme is an example of the excellent collaborative work taking place between Essex police and fire services.
Each visit will last around an hour and will include crime prevention advice, fire safety advice, fitting of free smoke alarms, and letting people know where to get the best health and wellbeing guidance.
All of the volunteers undergo training by both police and fire service officers so they have the knowledge they need to deliver messages on behalf of both organisations. Two volunteers are already working in Wivenhoe and another 10 are nearing the end of their training and will soon be helping people in villages across the county. Acting Chief Fire Officer Adam Eckley said: “The Parish Safety Volunteer scheme is a fantastic example of the collaborative work taking place between us and Essex Police as we work together to make Essex safer.
“This is a community-based scheme and by using volunteers we are able to forge vital links in these communities which will live on long after the safety visit has taken place. “The volunteers all live in the same parish where they are carrying out the visits, they will be familiar faces to people in that community and that means that us and the police will have links to those people and their communities after the visits are over.
“This scheme shows the direction both organisations are heading in as we work more closely together to deliver protection and prevention advice to communities across Essex.”
Stephen Kavanagh, Chief Constable of Essex Police, said: “The enthusiasm and community spirit of Parish Safety Volunteers will be put to best use – making our communities safer.
“For both the police and the fire service it’s really important that we provide the right training so volunteers can give out vital guidance to residents on fire safety and how to make their homes more secure. Every smoke alarm fitted and every lock securing a shed or security light putting off a would-be burglar adds value to the work Parish Safety Volunteers are doing.”
Learn more about how our emergency services are developing new service delivery models by attending the Congress on Reimagining the Emergency Services on November 16, at West Midlands Fire Service HQ, Birmingham. This brings together the fire and rescue service, the police and ambulance service to discuss and develop a new blueprint for an integrated service delivery model for the emergency services.
Figures showing arrests for cannabis possession in England and Wales have almost halved have divided police and pro-cannabis campaigners who say they reflect two very different realities.
Police and the Police Federation distanced themselves from suggestions that the figures showed the force’s stance on cannabis crime had softened, and suggested the decrease was more a reflection of staffing cuts and directives to focus on more serious offences.
Cannabis campaigners, however, said the figures were further evidence that the “war on drugs” is failing and that “decriminalisation is occurring by stealth”.
DANNY LAWSON/PA ARCHIVE
Arrests for cannabis possession in England and Wales have almost halved since 2010
Figures published by the BBC on Monday revealed that arrests for cannabis had dropped 46%; cautions had fallen by 48% and the number of people charged had fallen by 33%.
The statistics, released under the Freedom of Information Act, are in contrast to Crime Survey data which suggested that cannabis use remained roughly the same from 2010-2015.
The statistics - from 32 of 43 police forces - showed arrests for cannabis possession fell from 35,367 to 19,115; cautions for possession fell from 9,633 to 5,036 and people charged with possession dropped from 15,366 to 10,220.
Arrests for possession with intent to supply remained about the same - 4,934 in 2010 and 5,012 in 2015.
Last July Durham Police said it would no longer target or investigate cannabis users, or those growing the class-B drug for their own use, which Chief Constable Mike Barton told the BBC had “freed up our staff to deal with things that are more important”.
Barton told the Huffington Post UK that the figures “are probably a reflection of forces tackling emerging issues such as child sexual exploitation and cybercrime, rather a more liberal approach to law enforcement in general”.
He reiterated that Durham Police are not going soft on cannabis crime, saying: “This is about intelligence gathering and deploying a smaller police force to that which is harming the communities, a student smoking a spliff in their bedroom is illegal but I would not expect my staff to get a search warrant to try and arrest them.”
TOM WILKINSON/PA WIRE
Durham Police Chief Constable Mike Barton said he has “always made it clear that I would welcome a grown up debate on current drugs laws”, however, in the meantime his officers will continue to enforce the law, “especially targeting dealers”.
He added: “The debate needs to be between the public and politicians, assisted by the press.
“My contribution to the debate is as a tough crime fighter with a legacy of law enforcement.
“I’ve spent 36 years targeting drug dealers, I’m proud of what my colleagues have done, some officers displaying immense courage, but drugs are now cheaper, purer and more prevalent that when I joined the police in 1980. My conclusion is that we need to consider change.”
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “It would be dangerous for anyone to look at the drop in arrest numbers and conclude there is less crime, or indeed infer there is a change in attitude towards particular crimes.”
White said “cuts” to police numbers were to blame, although he admitted it “is hard to be specific about the exact reasons why arrest figures for cannabis possession are lower”.
However, he added: “It would be fair to suggest that a lack of police resources and a resulting need to place focus in difference areas may well have contributed to this change.
“The cuts have meant that forces need to make hard decisions about where resources are being spent, and as a result different forces are focusing on different crimes, dependent on their communities, which could account for some of the differences.”
Transform senior policy analyst Steve Rolles welcomed the figures saying a drop in arrests is “good news whatever the reason” as criminalising thousands of young people is “expensive and completely counterproductive”.
Steve White said "It would be dangerous for anyone to look at the drop in arrest numbers and conclude there is less crime, or indeed infer there is a change in attitude towards particular crimes”
Rolles added that it was “striking” that cannabis use had fallen at a time when enforcement had decreased in intensity.
He said: “In direct contrast to the Government’s tough on drugs rhetoric, its clear that levels of use have little or nothing to do with policing tactics, so why do we continue to criminalise and punish, especially when we have such positive evidence from countries that take a different approach?
“Its time to end the war on drug users altogether and deal with drugs as a public health issue to be responsibly managed.”
Lee Harris, London Mayoral candidate for the Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol party told The Independent the drop in arrests is reflective of a “bigger trend around the world as governments at national and regional levels are developing rational, evidence based policies as alternatives to criminalising cannabis consumers”.
Harris continued: “Not only does this help to protect consumers, it puts valuable tax receipts back into supporting public services. Here in the UK and in London decriminalisation is occurring by stealth.”
“This still leaves the black market and organised crime as the sole provider. This is unacceptable given the potential health risks and the impact on communities. Surely now we must accept the need to regulate and tax cannabis consumption in the public interest.”
Article with courtesy of Steven Hopkins, News Reporter of The Huffington Post (UK)
Plans to allow fire and rescue services in England to be overseen by police and crime commissioners have been called "dangerous" by the Fire Brigades Union.
The Home Office is due to take control of fire and rescue policy in 2016, with the government consulting on emergency services working together more closely.
Ministers argue it could lead to large savings and benefits to the public.
But the FBU said PCCs governing fire and rescue services would cause the "fragmentation" of emergency services.
'Threaten' public trust
Currently fire and rescue services are overseen by bodies made up of local councillors.
The government has said it wants to see a more joined-up approach in the way police and fire services work together.
As well as proposing to make PCCs responsible for some fire services, it has also said that fire chiefs could become chief constables and run both police and fire services under a PCC.
But the FBU said associations with the police could damage the trust firefighters have built in their communities.
In a statement on its website, the union said PCCs did not "bring any skills or expertise to the the fire and rescue service", with some having an "unfortunate record for ill-judged interference in operational matters".
It added: "Enabling PCCs to govern fire and rescue services will neither deliver economic, efficient or effective emergency services, nor optimise public safety.
'Half baked suggestion'
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack described the proposal as a "half baked suggestion" and accused "one or two" PCCs supporting the plan of "empire building".
He told the BBC: "There's very little evidence, there's no research been carried out, there's no support for it among firefighters and there's no support for it among police officers, there's no support among local communities and yet the government seems to be intent on forcing it though."
But Surrey PCC Kevin Hurley said: "There are many similarities in the way in which fire services and police services work, the way they are trained, the way they acquire their equipment and so on."
Mr Hurley said it would be better for the services to work together to support merging "back office functions" and "make the best of this in the public interest", rather than trying to block the proposals.
"Money is always going to be an issue in terms of what the fire service or police can put out into the field, and there are all sorts of opportunities to take cost out and put that money back into the front line," he added.
Home Secretary Theresa May said she was "determined" to improve efficiency in fire and rescue services.
She said fire services had poor procurement, IT systems and buildings management and indicated plans to introduce an independent inspectorate as well as ordering routine performance data to be published.
Mrs May said: "I look at the fire and rescue service and I see the need for many of the same reforms that I started in policing five years ago.
"Better local accountability, more transparency and a relentless focus on efficiency.
"So, while I continue to finish the job of reform in policing, I am also determined to properly kick start the job of reform in fire."
She added that allowing PCCs to take over fire and rescue authorities would "provide direct, democratic accountability in fire as we now have in policing".
The FBU said the plans were a "smokescreen for the government's cost-cutting" and would negatively affect polices forces, too.
As the nation gears up for the General Election in May, Royston Martis of www.policeoracle.com, examines how those in policing are increasingly speaking out about the devastating impact cuts are having.
You cannot cut £2.5 billion from the policing budget in England and Wales – as has happened during this Parliament - without there being consequences.
The main consequence to date has been a huge fall in police numbers. In March 2010, there were 244,497 people working in policing. There are now 209,362, down more than 35,135.
As we know, there are 16,000 fewer police officers.
Another consequence has been the detrimental changes to police officer pay and conditions for those that have remained in the job.
As we start a General Election year - what is next when it comes to policing?
Just before Christmas, we heard that the policing budget was going to be slashed by another £300 million in 2015/16 with the promise of more cuts to come.
With predictions from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary that the service will have to save the same again – so another £2.5 billion – between now and 2019 there is going to be much more pain.
This time the public – as well as police officers – will feel it.
Will police officers be able to deal with mental health issues? Cyber-crime and reports of child sexual exploitation? Human trafficking?
The list could go on.
Representatives from the Police Federation of England and Wales across the country have long been trying to get this message across.
The efforts of Essex Police Federation and their #CutsHaveConsequences campaign – of which I must declare an interest – will hopefully make a difference and raise public awareness of the devastating cuts to policing.
Helping this will be the fact chief officers have now vocally joined the debate.
ACPO has estimated that 34,000 police jobs will disappear over the next three years. “The deepest cuts to policing I have ever known,” said Sir Hugh Orde, outgoing president of the organisation.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe wrote in the Guardian: “There’s a bigger risk to public safety if we don’t take radical action.
“We’ve saved hundreds of millions already, but from 2016 onwards it will be much harder.”
Lynne Owens, Chief Constable of Surrey Police, also added her voice to the growing chorus by questioning what functions policing would have to abandon with continuing cuts in an interview with a national newspaper.
"It’s inevitable that cuts will have operational consequences,” she said.
Sadly, as has often been stated, the current government has long displayed no desire to listen to policing professionals. But MPs of all colours will listen to the public.
Particularly in a General Election year when they are relying on people to vote for them.
Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld said: “The public is not being asked whether policing should be run down to the dangerous level that is currently planned. It is high time it was.”
Let’s hope the public start listening - and then let politicians of all parties know how they feel on policing.
And that they all realise that cuts have consequences.
Article courtesy of Royston Martis - www.policeoracle.com
Recipients of this years' must-have Christmas gift are warned that the misuse of a UAV constitutes a criminal offence.
Police are anticipating a rise in offences committed by drone operators as the device soars in popularity.
It has been estimated that the number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the UK has approached 50,000, after it was named one of this years "must have" Christmas gifts.
Concerns for safety, as well as privacy, have been made as the accessibility of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has risen in recent months.
Police now want to ensure that the thousands of new users are aware of existing legislation governing their use.
Drones were described as last years' must have Christmas gift and can be purchased for as little as £30 online.
There is also increased regulation on drones that are equipped with video recording facilities.
Users of drones with cameras are banned from flying them within 150 metres of a congested area or a large gathering of people.
Flying one within 50 metres of a "vessel, vehicle or structure" that is not owned by the operator, or close to sensitive areas such as airports and military bases is also prohibited.
So far the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has had two successful prosecutions resulting from drone misuse and have another five investigations pending.
The first successful prosecution happened last year against a man in Cumbria who flew one over a nuclear testing facility in Barrow-in-Furness.
Recently, a senior Met officer warned that to fly the devices in central London would constitute a criminal offence.
Chief Inspector Nick Aldworth from the Met's Specialist Operations unit said: "I compare them to cars. They are perfectly legal to own, but it is very easy to break laws when you are driving."
He added: "One of the challenges is to get people to realise what is legitimate and what is stretching the boundaries of law. The message is do not bring these machines into Central London, if you do you will be committing an offence."
Only last month a passenger jet at Heathrow Airport was involved in a "near miss" with a drone has prompted the CAA to remind owners of existing regulation.
A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said the breaching of specific drone regulations is illegal under the Air Navigation Order, but if a member of the public was harmed as a result of irresponsible flying - it would solely be a police matter.
Article courtesy of Scott Docherty - www.policeoracle.com
Claims officers are bedding down on benches, under bridges and in train stations due to lack of facilities.
Changes to working patterns mean some officers are resorting to sleeping on the streets because they have no means of getting home to bed after finishing late shifts, a Police Federation official has warned.
Deputy General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation Dennis Weeks said officers were bedding down on benches, under bridges and in train stations after finishing shifts in the early hours of the morning after trains had stopped running.
“Officers are not allowed to sleep in police stations, so they are going to train stations and sleeping there or on benches near the station so that as soon as the first train leaves they can go home,” he said. “It makes them vulnerable to being criminally assaulted, the impact on their health is extremely bad and bad weather can make it difficult.
“An officer might end up finishing at 1am and missing the late train, meaning they cannot get home because night buses only go within London. There used to be police section houses with accommodation for officers all over London, but now there is just one.”
No accommodation
The peak time when officers are needed in London boroughs is between around 7pm and 1am, but after this time crime tails off, meaning keeping officers on overnight would be inefficient.
Met officers who live outside of London often commute dozens of miles to work by train even if they are motorists because of a scarcity of spaces caused by sell offs of police car parks and strict restrictions on parking in some areas.
Westminster, Camden and Kensington and Chelsea are among the boroughs where the problem is most acute, Mr Weeks said – but he stressed officers who were sleeping on the streets did so on a “sporadic” basis and not for long periods of time.
He added: “During the Olympics we had officers sleeping under bridges. The organisational ability to house people in emergency situations has been depleted.”
Asked whether any off duty officers found sleeping rough had been moved on by their on duty colleagues, Mr Weeks said: “Our people can be moved on from places the same as anyone else.”
He also highlighted “anti-homeless” metal spokes which prevented people – potentially including sleeping policemen - from catching forty winks.
‘Heard stories’
At a London Assembly Police and Crime Panel meeting this week, panel member Len Duvall told Met Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey he had heard about police sleeping on the streets of London.
“I have heard those stories as well,” the Deputy Commissioner replied, “but certainly (I have heard about) sleeping in police stations and all those things that we do not want.”
DC Mackey said the Met faced a tension because “work demand” meant officers “finishing at 2am or 3am” and the fact that in some London boroughs “for anyone who does not live in that borough finishing at 3am (poses) real practical things like they cannot get home if they have not got their own transport.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe added: “A lot of our people live outside of London and have to travel a distance. If the transport stops and they cannot bring a car in, it causes a tension. We realise that and are doing our best to resolve it, but it is not straightforward.”
Article courtesy of Josh Loeb of www.policeoracle.com
Labour will seek to cut the number of police forces in England and Wales if it wins the next general election to free up cash to bolster neighbourhood policing.
Addressing the ACPO conference in Harrogate, Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey told delegates that there would be less than 43 forces by the end of the party’s five-year term.
He also hinted Labour could abolish police and crime commissioners and introduce a new form of governance – although he stopped short of committing to the proposal.
Mr Dromey said: “It is a nonsense to continue with 43 separate forces in England and Wales – it has been said to me time and time again that it is the enemy of operational effectiveness. It is certainly the enemy of efficiency.
“At the end of the first term of a Labour government there would not be 43 forces.”
Mr Dromey said that Labour’s plans to raise funds to bolster neighbourhood policing are currently being put together.
He added that the neighbourhood policing policy – introduced by a previous Labour administration – had been successful but had been placed under threat by the cuts of the Coalition Government.
During his speech to the conference, Mr Dromey said there were a number of convincing proposals put forward in the Lord Stevens independent commission into the future of policing.
The party commissioned the former Met commissioner to carry out a comprehensive investigation in 2012, which had involved the consultation of several international law enforcement professionals.
In outlining the party's policy ahead of the general election in 2015, he said there were compelling arguments in Lord Stevens' recommendations to reduce the numbers of forces as well as abolishing the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and creating a new body.
He suggested that the IPCC did not have the confidence of either the police or the public – adding that the government was wrong to enhance funding of the body.
Mr Dromey believed that more could be achieved by bringing together the IPCC and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary – as suggested by Lord Stevens.
During his speech he emphasised that Police Service leaders would not always like what any future Labour government would have to say. But he stressed that the party would “stand up for the best of British policing”.
The senior MP also asserted that there needed to be sound and thorough investigations into past incidences, such as the Hillsborough and the Stephen Lawrence murder probe.
Article courtesy of Cliff Caswell. www.policeoracle.com
Six police officers from across the UK will head to Brazil during the World Cup to ensure a safe and trouble-free tournament.
The UK plans to send six police officers to Brazil during the 2014 World Cup to offer support and advice to Brazilian police and local authorities.
The team in the South American country will be led by Chief Superintendent Rachel Barber of South Yorkshire Police, supported by the national police lead on football, Deputy Chief Constable Andy Holt who will act as Gold commander based in the UK.
Ch Supt Barber will be joined by deputy director Roger Evans from UK Football Policing Unit, Bedfordshire PC Chris Hawkes, GMP PC Ashley Keyte, West Midlands PC Stewart Bladen, Hampshire PC Paul Foley and Norfolk PC Andy King.
The UK policing delegation will remain in Brazil as long as the England team is in contention.
DCC Holt said: “British police are among the best in the world at policing football matches and it is testament to their work with supporters groups and others involved in the game that serious football violence has declined. At the last World Cup in 2010 there were only seven arrests of England fans, none of them for football-related violence."
As reported on PoliceOracle.com, the policing operation during the last competition in South Africa won significant acclaim. A combination of a strong message to fans and effective enforcement of Football Banning Orders with operations at airports saw an effective clampdown on disorder.
The action included an action at Southampton Airport led by Superintendent Ricky Burrows, an authority on football policing at Hampshire Constabulary.
DCC Holt said his team would again be encouraging fans to look after themselves and there would be a fresh campaign to target those subject to Football Banning Orders, encouraging them to surrender their passports to police stations as required.
He added that there would be "a firm but friends policing operation" during the World Cup in the UK, with a particular focus on preventing alcohol related disorder.
Article courtesy of Alex Iszatt - www.policeoracle.com
Politicians say Met must make better case for using less lethal weapon.
The Metropolitan Police’s case for using water cannon is flawed because examples given of the type of disorder it could be used “appear contradictory”, the London Assembly has said.
Assembly members said the list of times where cannon could have been deployed – including the Countryside Alliance march in 2004, the Gaza demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy in 2008/9 and the student protests in Millbank in 2010.
It also said there was confusion over whether water cannon would have been practical during the 2011 riots.
In its report, the assembly’s Police and Crime Committee said: “At a recent public engagement event, the Met said it had identified one or two instances a year when water cannon may have been a suitable tactic, significantly more than the three examples in the Association of Chief Police Officers’ briefing.
“We are concerned that some of the examples that the Met has given conflict with its assurances about how water cannon would be used.
“At the public engagement event, the Met introduced other examples of events when they felt that the scale of disorder was such that water cannon may have been a justified tactic: the carnival against capitalism in 1999; in Tottenham during the disorder of August 2011 and to tackle disorder between fans at a Millwall v Birmingham football match.”
But the committee said evidence from senior officers and Mayor Boris Johnson contradicted this.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley told the committee “you would never see (water cannon) at a peaceful protest”, even if some within it were causing disorder.
Mr Johnson also said that water cannon would not have been appropriate during the 2011 disorder.
He told the committee: “Suppose we were to re-run (the disorder). We would not be talking about water cannon.
“We would be talking about more assertive policing. Let us be absolutely clear about that… the answer to that feeling (of helplessness) is not just to equip the police with greater weaponry or greater firepower in the form of water cannon.”
The committee’s report has said there is “no convincing argument” for water cannon.
It concluded: “The Met is pressing ahead for an ‘interim solution’ without clear justification for its urgency. In doing so, it is preventing and avoiding a full and proper national public debate about water cannon.”
The Met declined to comment on the report.
Stephen Greenhalgh, the deputy mayor for policing, has defended the usefulness of water cannon.
Writing in The Guardian on February 26, he said: “The strict criteria for use could not be clearer. The police will only be able to use them in those situations where there is a significant risk of widespread destruction of property or the loss of life.
“A water cannon is neither a toy for the cops to bring out as a show of strength nor a tool to deploy at normal protest or public events.
“The Met polices over 1,500 public order events every year, with the vast majority passing off peacefully. However, if and when legitimate protest is hijacked and turns into violent disorder, the public rightly expect the police to have the necessary tools to restore order and safeguard life.”
Article courtesy of Jack Sommers -www.policeoracle.com
Concerns grow that gifted officer candidates will be unable to apply for jobs as a result of £1,000 fee
A document that serves as a crucial prerequisite for prospective officers to join the service has been described as a “bobby tax”.
Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden in London, asked colleagues during Prime Minister’s Questions: “Do you want the police to be like us, or only for the rich?” – referring to the new Certificate in Knowledge of Policing.
She said she had launched a petition against the move – which will cost officers up to £1,000.
Ms McDonagh added: “As if the cost of living wasn’t bad enough already they’re bringing in a new bobby tax. The government is doing something very silly.
“From now on, anyone who wants to apply to become an officer can forget it, unless they can cough up a grand to go on a new course they’ve invented called the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing.
“Without paying the money, you won’t even be allowed to apply for the force, let alone have an interview or get the job.”
According to the College, The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing “is a means towards achieving the Diploma in Policing. The Diploma is a requirement for all new police constables, and is the national minimum professional qualification.”
It will cost prospective police officers between £750 and £1,000 to attain.
The College adds: “It is for each individual police force to decide whether applicants to become police officers will need to have the Certificate before they apply. The Metropolitan Police is the first force to require this for new candidates who are not special constables – other forces are following suit.”
But Ms McDonagh said other sectors had long abandoned this type of practice. She added: “The Army stopped all that back in 1871, when they realised it was better to give the job to people based on merit rather than on how rich or posh they are.
“Why should our best, most talented youngsters have to fork out £1,000 for the privilege of joining the police?
“It doesn’t make any sense. Most of the young people from Mitcham and Morden won’t be able to afford that – so we’ll end up with officers from wealthy backgrounds, who don’t know the first thing about what it’s like to live in a community like ours.
“Everyone agrees we need to have a police force that is more like the community it polices. We need more people from tough backgrounds, more people from ethnic minorities. In short, we need more people from places like Mitcham and Morden.
“But that’s not going to happen now. A thousand pounds is too much for people from round here to afford.”
Responding at Prime Minister Questions, PM David Cameron said: “What we are trying to do through the College of Policing is even further professionalise this vital profession – I will make sure the Home Secretary contacts her about this particular issue.”
The College of Policing says the “Certificate gives you an understanding of policing and police law, and to demonstrate some of the critical decision-making skills that are required for the job”.
If people cannot afford the £750-£1,000 they are advised to “enquire about any available funding from individual providers”.
Helen Schofield, Head of learning strategy at the College, said: "External funding is available for the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing and is open for anyone to apply and can cover the whole cost of a course.
"In addition, police forces are allowed to create their own bursary schemes to attract candidates which may be at a disadvantage.
"The certificate is one of a number of entry routes into policing and gives candidates an official qualification. It also allows future police officers to take responsibility for their learning."
Article courtesy of Royston Martis - www.policeoracle.com
A campaigner's fight to create more protection for police dogs from criminal acts and violence could force a debate in Parliament.
Police dogs should be recognised as serving members of the service so criminals face tougher punishments if they decide to attack the canines, a campaigner has said.
Dave Hibbert, who set up the Retired West Midlands Police Dog Benevolent Fund, says offenders facing the minor charge of criminal damage for injuring police dogs is not good enough.
Mr Hibbert, who also walks the force’s puppies, has launched a government petition to afford the dogs greater protection in law – by creating a more serious criminal offence.
He said recognising the dogs as “serving members” of the service - as an extension to their officer handlers – would make criminals think twice about attacking them.
Mr Hibbert said: “Police dogs do a fantastic job protecting our communities and on a daily basis there are examples where dogs have tracked crime suspects, uncovered stolen property or sniffed out vital evidence.
“They are the first to be called in when dangerous situations occur and they often put themselves on the line to protect their fellow officers.
"However, despite the invaluable work police dogs do for their communities, in law they are only considered 'property'.
“At present an attack on a police dog would only be considered criminal damage which I don't think provides enough of a punishment or deterrent."
He continued: "One of my own puppies, Police Dog Usha, was once attacked with a glass bottle and there have been recent examples of other police dogs being assaulted by criminals.
“There seems to be a growing trend of attacks on police dogs (and horses) and I feel now is the time to push for a law change recognising the sterling work police dogs do for their communities.”
Mr Hibbert said 100,000 signatures were needed to bring the matter to parliament for discussion.
He added: "Assistance dogs, such as guide dogs, have been recognised as being an extension of the assisted person and I'm campaigning to see police dogs classed as representing an extension of their police handler.
"I need 100,000 names on the petition to officially get it raised in parliament – but even if I don't reach that target I'm hoping the campaign will generate enough support so that MPs take notice and will take our campaign further."
In September 2012, Gino, a West Midlands Police dog, was attacked, strangled with his own collar and even bitten by a violent car thief who had knocked down two pedestrians in Birmingham city centre.
He refused to be beaten though and dragged the man down as he tried to scale a six-foot fence. The dog also maintained his grip despite being repeatedly punched and kicked. The man was later jailed for aggravated vehicle taking - but there was no additional punishment for the attack on Gino.
Then in November, Fuzz, a Metropolitan Police dog, was struck with a metal bar by a robbery suspect wanted for stealing a moped. He kept hold of the man until he was arrested but was rushed for veterinary treatment to a cut eye and bleeding nose.
The online petition will be open until 28 November this year. Signatures so far total 9339. To sign please visit: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/57585
Article courtesy of Nic Brunetti- www.policeoracle.com
Investigation underway after a bag containing thousands in banknotes is discovered
Police have appealed for information after a dog walker found hundreds of thousands of pounds in banknotes floating down a river.
The walker alerted police to the cash in the South Drove Drain near Spalding town centre, Lincolnshire.
Officers said a large amount of the money was water damaged but a good quantity was still in good condition.
"It isn't every day that an amount of money like this is found and somebody must have information that will help the police trace the lawful owner," said Detective Constable Steve Hull of Spalding CID.
A forensic examination has been carried out on the notes and police have been granted a seizure order by the Magistrates Court to investigate its origin.
It is understood the Bank of England will assist in the investigation and final money count.
If no owner is found, the money will become the subject of a further court forfeiture order.
Article courtesy of Ananova and www.policeoracle.com
I am grateful to my MEP (Member of European Parliament) Mr. Ashley Fox for drawing this Lib Dem proposal to my attention in his latest Newsletter. I share his opposition to such a plan. I quote him verbatim;
"I was somewhat shocked last month when I heard Liberal Democrat MEP Bill Newton Dunn calling for the European Union to have its own FBI-style law enforcement agency - with sweeping powers to intervene in criminal investigations across the continent.
In an interview with America's NBC news website, the East Midlands MEP insisted that a Europe-wide
police force was necessary to counter cross-border crime -and even claimed the move would save money.
I personally find the whole proposal deeply distasteful. Sadly this is a prime example of Liberal Democrats
letting their federalist ambitions get the better of them. According to their Euro-fanatical agenda, the EU must
be turned into a European superstate with all the trappings of statehood - president, foreign policy,diplomatic service, army and police force. It is crazy federalism, pure and simple. They have already enthusiastically embraced the idea of playing soldiers with taxpayers’ money by creating a European defence capability. Now they want to play cops and robbers too.
The answers to the problems of crossborder crime are closer co-operation and co-ordination between national forces, and more sophisticated sharing of intelligence. Not a huge Europe-wide squad of supposed supersleuths.
You can imagine how our own excellent police service would react to a Euro-FBI barging in with powers to over-rule them, to interfere in their work or even take over their investigations. That is how the FBI operates in the USA. Europe does not need a federal police force because it is not a federal state. A Brussels FBI would be more Clouseau than Poirot."
How do you feel about such a proposal? Constructive comments most welcome.
