Police Body Worn Video Experiment

Article Courtesy of - Jasmin McDermott - www.PoliceOracle.com

A project exploring the operational benefits of Body Worn Video (BWV) in freeing up officer time and cutting bureaucracy could instigate changes to parts of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

Operation Hyperion is a year-long study assessing the effects and implications of the personal issue of BWV to 183 officers and PCSOs in Hampshire Constabulary up to inspector rank. One camera will be assigned to a specific officer or PCSO for the duration of the project, which will conclude in March 2014.

The project, which is the first of its kind in the country on this scale, will consider the impact BWV has on police complaints, its usefulness in the conclusion of certain crime incidents and implications on the wider criminal justice system.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Criminal Justice Studies will independently evaluate the pilot during the year, including how the issuing of the devices has been implemented by the Force and officers’ understanding of the equipment.
Insp Steve Goodier, who is leading the project on the Isle of Wight, believes the evidence, which will be presented to national agencies including the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the College of Policing, could facilitate a wide-ranging change in how statements are taken under PACE.

In an interview with PoliceOracle.com he said: “I strongly believe we could make some small changes to legislation that can have a big impact on officers.

“PACE (Police & Criminal Evidence Act) was written in 1984 at a time when BWV was not around. Under PACE the interview suspects outside of custody on a voluntary basis must be held contemporaneously with the interviewee, which includes a full question-and-answer session and this has to be recorded by the officer in a written format and then signed by the interviewee as a true and accurate record.

“According to the true letter of the law, BWV cannot be used to record the interview so even if officers are wearing it they still need to write the statement which is a laborious and time consuming process.

“We want to look at ways we can use BWV to capture first accounts from people and not take written statements. If we can do this it will free up a lot of time.

“We want to get the legislation changed so that BWV could replace the need for hand written statements from officers when it is likely that an early guilty plea would be entered at court or that the incident could be dealt with a caution or community resolution."

It is hoped the results from the project, which costs £47,500, will form a strong evidence base on the plethora of benefits the devices offer and prove they can contribute significantly to operational policing.

“We want to prove the use of BWV is a viable and cost-effective way of delivering modern policing,” Insp Goodier added.

“We can justify the cost of a camera very quickly in reducing bureaucracy and freeing up police time.”

www.PoliceOracle.com will be reporting on the results of the project when they are available next year and I will update this blog accordingly.

Compensation Claim PC 'Should Not Be Vilified' says Police Federation



The Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales has spoken out against the “vilification” of an officer who considered launching a compensation claim against a victim of crime after tripping over a kerb while responding to a burglary call.

In a statement, Steve Williams (pictured) said that the action – launched by Norfolk PC Kelly Jones – had “understandably caused widespread debate”. He also pointed out that it had impacted on the wider reputation of the Police Service, and that the staff association needed to examine how it provided advice to members.

The Chairman’s comments came as Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Bett said that the news of the claim – which relates to a call to a garage in Thetford – had “left him cold”. He said the officer had gone “a step too far” and urged her to immediately reverse her action.

"I will be seeking a full report into the circumstances from the chief constable and I expect to be having a conversation with the Norfolk Police Federation,” he added.

But Mr Williams stressed that officers were not compensated by their forces for injuries received on duty – and that the wider public needed to understand that they could lose money through reductions in pay and allowances.

Injury could also affect promotion prospects and opportunities for specialisation.

Mr Williams said: “Let me be clear – to vilify this female officer is wrong.

“She took legal advice as to how she could claim back some of her lost earnings as a result of the injury, and at this stage no formal proceedings have taken place.

“She has been supported by my own organisation, the Police Federation, who have agreed to fund her on a conditional fee basis should the matter progress.”

Mr Williams said that the Fed needed to look at “processes and structures” on how it provided advice, claiming that PC Jones had not been prepared for the “wider personal impact” that could arise from her making a compensation claim.

The Chairman added: “The Police Federation’s structure is being independently reviewed and no doubt how we continue to provide advice in the round for our members will be examined as a result of this unusual case.

“I must underline that our local Federation representative in Norfolk worked tirelessly under the spotlight of the national and local media, advising and assisting PC Jones in every way that he could. However, it will be clear to all that this very quickly became a national policing issue beyond the local remit.

“While PC Jones may be an easy target as she is one individual within a media storm, for me it is the Police Federation that needs to be mindful of the widespread public and member perception that has arisen out of this claim.”

But the Police and Crime Commissioner said that the action had led to public anger. Mr Bett said: "As the public representative for policing in Norfolk, I share the concerns of those who have questioned the actions of this officer

"I believe she should withdraw her legal action as soon as possible. In my mind, that would be the right thing to do and, judging from what people have been telling me, what the public would want to see.”

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

Wishing A Happy Easter to all my Family & Friends

God Bless You at Easter

May the message of Easter bring you hope and joy

Wishing You Happiness and Peace

and some warm sunshine too !!!!

A Humorous Definition of Disappointment

The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class,

'Which human body part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?'

No one answered until little Mary stood up and said,

'You should not be asking sixth graders a question like that! I'm going
to tell my parents, and they will go and tell the Principal, who will then fire you!'

Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again,
'Which body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?'

Little Mary's mouth fell open. Then she said to those around her,
'Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!'

The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class,

'Anybody?'

Finally,Billy stood up, looked around nervously, and said,

'The body part that increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of the eye.'

Mrs. Parks said, 'Very good, Billy,'then turned to Mary and continued.
'As for you, young lady, I have three things to say:

One, you have a dirty mind.

Two, you didn't read your homework.

And three, one day you are going to be very, VERY disappointed.'

A Sad Day For Free Speech Within The Police Service

I am very grateful to Steve Bennett of The Thin Blue Line blog for his excellent posting on the forced closing down of Inspector Gadget's Blog. I thoroughly recommend you read his superb article to which I have full empathy. Steve is a retired West Midlands Police Officer and his sentiments are echoed by me in every respect. I only wish I could articulate and compose my views in a similarly pragmatic format. Well said Steve and I too am saddened by the demise of Inspector Gadget. With the Government imposing legislation to protect whistle blowers in the NHS in order to provide improvements in service delivery and operational  transparency; it beggars belief that the same does not apply within the police service. Here is the link to Steve's brilliant posting.  

http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/inspector-gadget-officer-down_15.html

Police Officers Queuing For Voluntary Severance

Hundreds of rank-and file-officers are considering voluntary severance in the wake of the Winsor reforms to pay and conditions, research has revealed.

A pilot study with Avon and Somerset Constabulary has focused on the impact that government reforms are having on areas such as pensions, retirement, redundancy, fitness testing, direct entry and educational requirements.

The survey of 1,400 officers from PC to chief inspector revealed that half were considering alternative employment with more than 400 pondering voluntary severance. 

The research, by the University of the West of England led by Dr James Hoggett, highlighted that almost all of the respondents had no confidence in the long-term government plans and 95 per cent were strongly dissatisfied with the Winsor reviews

The study, commissioned by the Constables Central Committee (CCC) of the Police Federation of England and Wales, stated that officers are not against the need for reform in the service. However, they felt changes should be made in partnership with the police and be independent of politics.

It also identified that morale is low at an individual and organisational level. This was highlighted in a separate survey of officers last November – the results of which will inform Lord Stevens’ Independent Commission on the Future of Policing.

The pilot will be rolled out to the other 42 forces in England and Wales in the form of a survey with 108 questions. This will be sent to all federated members through their police email addresses this Friday (March 1).

Dr Hoggett, a lecturer and criminologist, told PoliceOracle.com that he hoped the research would make the government understand some of the “severe implications” of recent cuts and provide a useful guide for ministers.

He added: “This research provides a secure and validated evidence base to put forward the views of officers and catalogue their issues, which includes the Winsor reforms.

“This can be something that the Police Federation can use to try and negotiate with the government about the issues officers face.

“We have heard a lot from ACPO and the Superintendents’ Association about their response to the changes but not from the rank-and-file officers who are being directly affected by the changes.”

He suggested that the goodwill of officers is being eroded and they are now less inclined to make sacrifices. This would ultimately alter the relationship between police and the public.

Dr Hoggett added: “I was quite surprised that there was such a significant level of agreement in what officers’ concerns were – which focused on their lack of belief in the government’s long-term plans.

“What is frightening for me is the number of officers considering voluntary severance because this throws into question the future of the Police Service with vital skills and experience missing.”

Chairman of the Police Federation for England and Wales Steve Williams said he was not surprised at the results. He added that the report could be presented to the Joint Central Committee to inform their work strategically.

Article courtesy of Jasmin McDermott  www.policeoracle.com 

Name of Beatles frontman becomes synonymous with South American crimewave

Police in a Brazilian city say they have arrested three John Lennons in the last month - and a fourth landed in the city morgue.

The Beatles were massive in Brazil - with Lennon the most popular - and thousands of women named their sons after him.

The John Lennon crimewave was reported in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais state, reports the Brazil Dispatch.

The most recent arrest came when John Lennon Ribeiro Siqueira (19) was arrested for attempting to rob a lottery agency.

Last month, John Lennon Fonseca Ferreira (22) was arrested during an attempted robbery at a home in Belo Horizonte.

Before that, police arrested John Lenon Camargos Gomes (22) who they say committed five homicides in the city.

They believe the suspect, a convicted drug trafficker, was also responsible for two attempted murders.

The body of John Lennon Sebastiao da Silva (18) turned up dead in the back seat of a car parked in Belo Horizonte in January. Police suspect it was a revenge killing.

Not every John Lennon in Brazil turned out bad. John Lennon Silva Santos (22) plays defense for one of Rio de Janeiro's most popular football teams, Botafogo.

Article Courtesy of - Ananova and www.policeoracle.com