Concerns Over Reduction in Police Officer Strength Raised by Police Federation
Following the release of police service strength figures by the Home Office, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Jan Berry said: ‘This proves what we have been saying in the last year - police officer numbers are on the decline but the expectations on the police service continue to increase.’
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Under Investment Blamed for Prison Shortage
The Federation has blamed under investment for the chronic shortage of prison places. Jan Berry, Federation Chairman also warned that the Home Secretary's call to judges to limit sentences, coupled with a reduction in the numbers of police officers would put the public at risk.
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Crime 'Stable', According to Stats
Crime levels in England and Wales remain stable, according to the British Crime Survey. The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a survey of people's direct experience of crime and has been measured in the same way for over 25 years, so is generally accepted as the most authoritative and reliable indicator of crime trends.
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Supercasino will 'Challenge' Police, says Chief
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police has welcomed the announcement that Manchester will be the venue for the country's first Supercasino, adding that it will 'create a policing challenge for us'.
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New Powers Boost Border Control
The UK Borders Bill will give immigration officers extra powers to tackle illegal immigration. A new bill published last week will help Immigration Officers deter, detect and deport illegal immigrants as they try to enter the country.
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PSNI Officers in Shooting
A driver of a stolen vehicle was shot by PSNI officers this week after the car drove at police. The driver was taken to hospital where his condition is not believed to be life-threatening. The incident occcurred shortly after 1:40am on Monday morning.
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Guidance to Protect Firms from Terrorism
Businesses across the country are to be advised on how to prevent, handle and recover from a terrorist attack as part of Project ARGUS, an ACPO National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) initiative launched this week.
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CPS & ACPO Respond to Joint Inspectorates' Report on Rape
Police and prosecutors have accepted the recommendations in a joint report on the investigation and prosecution of rape cases. The report, ‘Without consent’, by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate acknowledges good practice and highlights areas where improvements could be made.
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Two People Arrested in Joint Trans-Atlantic Operation
Central Scotland Police have arrested two people following an operation carried out yesterday (Tuesday January 30th) in Bo'ness. The arrests were made by Central Scotland Police officers on behalf of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Met to Find better Location for Police Custody Centre in Teddington
On 25th January, the Metropolitan Police Authority committed itself to finding a more satisfactory solution to the pressing problem of the under-provision of custody facilities in south west London.
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‘Call Divert’ Workshop for Mobile Phone Offenders
Thames Valley Police is to launch a new education workshop called ‘Call Divert’ for motorists caught using mobile phones while driving. The new workshop will be offered to offenders across the region from 27th February when tough new penalties are introduced for the offence nationwide.
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Local Air Ambulance Supported by Police Service
Police officers and Home Office representatives have raised around £800 for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance. The charity donation formed part of the High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) conference last year.
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OSPRE® Rules and Syllabus Amended to Assist Officers on Maternity Leave
Police Officers can now apply to defer or move their OSPRE® Part II Assessment to allow for maternity provisions, following an addendum to the OSPRE® Rules and Syllabus after close liaison with the British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP).
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Law Advice Line Receives Thousands of Calls
Centrex's NCPE Operations Centre 'Opsline' service has handled over 11,000 enquiries just one year after its launch. Opsline exists to offer a single point of contact for all law enforcement enquiries relating to NCPE's portfolio of products and services.
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Respect Campaign Launched in Sussex
The Prime Minister has launched the Government's new 'Respect' campaign in Sussex. Brighton & Hove is one of 40 Respect areas chosen by the Home Office to lead the way on tackling anti-social behaviour.
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Fraud Act will Impact on Police Exams
Centrex has issued a statement clarifying the Fraud Act 2006 and its impact on OSPRE® examinations for 2007.
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Exam Help for Scottish Police Recruits
Strathclyde Police is offering a course to help prepare candidates for the Standard Entrance Test.
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Increased Security Needed to Combat ID Fraud Danger
A recent survey showed that 21 million people do not protect themselves against identity theft, and 97 per cent of household waste contains at least one item which could assist a fraudster.
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Former Probationer Training Centre Supports Local Charities
Unused furniture and sports equipment now redundant since the closure of police foundation training at Centrex's site at Ryton has been donated to the local community.
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Police Job Site could 'Save Millions'
A new police job site is set to save the service millions of pounds in recruitment advertising. www.allpolicejobs.co.uk which went live this week features all jobs advertised by forces on their website to create the largest database of police jobs available in the UK.
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Rapist Found Guilty 13 Years After Attack
A 33-year-old rapist, who following advances in DNA science was arrested 13 years after attacking a 49-year-old woman, has been found guilty of rape today (Wednesday). Detectives from the Met's Cold Case Rape Investigation Team arrested Ricky Anthony Brown, of St Mary's Cray, Kent on suspicion of rape after reviewing the unsolved case
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New Police Station for Sussex
Work has begun on a new police station for Petworth in Sussex. The new facility will replace the existing 19th century building which is no longer suited to the needs of modern day policing.
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New Police Station Set to Open
Gloucestershire Constabulary and Gloucestershire Police Authority have announced that the new police station in Lydney will be operational from January 23rd onwards.
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Ministers Back a Pan-European Police Database
Europe has taken a step closer to sharing DNA and other police information in a bid to tackle cross border crime and terrorism. A treaty to create a European network of police databases has already been signed by seven European states and will be converted into EU legislation and be available to all 27 EU member states.
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Forensic Fire Investigation Unit Celebrates 30 Years
The Forensic Science Service Fire Investigation Unit this week celebrates its thirtieth year at the forefront of uncovering the causes and often the culprits behind fires.
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Burgers Used to Beat Crime
Essex police are using free burgers to deter youngsters from anti-social behaviour. Officers from the Harbour Neighbourhood Policing Team in Colchester were giving a free burger and drink to teenagers who attended a youth evening on Friday 19th January.
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Tayside Police Prepare for Terrorists
A major multi-agency exercise to better prepare Fife and Tayside's public bodies in the unlikely event of a terrorist incident has been staged in St Andrews. Operation Puma, spearheaded by Fife Constabulary and Tayside Police, involved representatives from a host of agencies.
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Met named best police force in Pink Paper Awards
The Metropolitan Police Service has been named as Employer of the Year and Best Police Force in the 2007 Pink Paper readers' awards for the second year running. The Met is 'proud to receive such recognition'.
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Hampshire One of Top Employers for Gay People
Hampshire Constabulary has been named as one of the best employers in the annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, showcasing the UK’s top 100 employers for gay people.
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PC Admits 'False' Race Claim
Former PC Tajinda Singh Cheema has withdrawn his claim of unfair dismissal on the grounds of discrimination after admitting to a hearing that he gave false evidence whilst under oath.
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City Leaders Recruited to Improve Community Relations
Police in Manchester recruited some of the city's top leaders last week to help them strengthen community relations. Forty participants of a Common Purpose leadership development programme spent three hours meeting with Imams, street pastors, youth workers, students and other community members.
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ADHD Linked to Teenage Substance Abuse
Young males suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who have a sibling who smokes tobacco are most likely to turn to substance abuse, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
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Injured Horse Returns to Duty
A South Yorkshire police horse seriously injured while on duty last year has made a galloping recovery and is now back on full police duties - thanks to a diet of TLC and a few extra treats supplied by admirers.
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Reid Admits Home Office will 'Take Years' to Fix
In a ministerial article in the Sunday Telegraph, John Reid wrote that the work needed to fix the Home Office's problems is likely to take years, rather than months, but it can be done.
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NI Police Colluded with Informants, says Ombudsman
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has released the findings of her three-and-a-half-year investigation into a series of complaints about police conduct in relation to the murder of Raymond McCord Junior in November 1997.
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Cannabis Reclassification Guidance Published
Local police commanders will have more say over policing cannabis use following new ACPO guidance published this week. In a statement, an ACPO spokesperson said chief officers 'recognised that different communities had different crime problems and therefore left provision for local police commanders to arrest rather than issue a cannabis warning.
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Home Office Publishes Serious Crime Bill
Proposals for strong new measures to crack down on serious crime were set out today as the Home Office published the Serious Crime Bill. The measures in the Bill will 'help deliver the Government's strategy to tackle organised crime and allow us to attack the behaviour of those who profit from damage to our communities'.
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Changes to Sending Police Complaints to CPS ‘Fairer’ to Officers
The Independent Police Complaints Commission says it is delighted that the report 'Justice In Policing' has backed the IPCC's recommendation to change the test for sending cases to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
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Home Secretary Makes Statement to Parliament
Home Secretary John Reid made a statement to Parliament on Wednesday about how foreign convictions are recorded in the UK.
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ACPO ‘Working Round the Clock’ on Overseas Convictions
ACPO and the Criminal Records Bureau have been working round the clock at the request of the Home Secretary to establish whether anybody who committed any of the 540 serious offences notified to the UK that should have been entered onto the Police National Computer had subsequently sought a disclosure from the CRB and offered employment.
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Sexual Assault Cut by 15 Per Cent
A campaign by South Wales Police aimed at men and women to remind them of the consequences of having sex without consent has resulted in a substantial decrease in the number of sexual offences over the Christmas period.
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Operators Not Tax Payers should Pay for Airport Policing
Airport operators should pay the full cost of policing the UK's major airports, whether or not they are required to do so under current legislation.
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Baton Use Will Not be Investigated, Says IPCC
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has confirmed it will not be investigating the baton discharge on 5th January 2007 by Nottinghamshire officers at Meden Bank, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottingham.
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Corrupt Officer Sentenced
A former police constable who illegally passed information from the Police National Computer (PNC) to a private investigator has been sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
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Crash Investigation Exonerates Officer
An Independent Police Complaints Commission managed investigation into the death of Martin Armstrong has concluded that it was impossible for the Cumbria Constabulary officer involved to avoid the fatal collision.
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Vauxhall Tops Stolen Car List
The Vauxhall Belmont is the most likely car to be stolen, according to newly released Home Office figures. The Home Office Car Theft Index revealed that of the 5729 Vauxhall Belmonts’ on the road, 436 were stolen in 2005.
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Nuclear and Bio-Chemical Terrorism Insurance Offered
TT Club, the specialist transport insurance provider, has announced it will offer nuclear and bio-chemical terrorism cover, starting from 1st January 07.
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New Crime Campus for Scotland
Plans to create a national crime-busting campus in the West of Scotland has moved a step closer. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson confirmed that the Executive will be formally reserving a site on the Gartcosh Business Interchange for the construction of a crime campus.
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Concern over Sharp Rise in Drink Drive Figures
Final drink driving figures for the Central Scotland Police area for the national ACPOS Festive Safety Initiative have shown a massive increase from last year.
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Met 2006 Drink Drive Campaign Results
The following are the figures for the 2006 Met anti-drink and drug drive campaign that took place between Friday 1st December 2006 and Monday 1st January 2007.
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Drink-Drive Limit must be Cut after Another Bad Xmas - RoSPA
RoSPA has called on the Government to cut the drink-drive limit after around 310 people were caught drink driving every day during December.
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Northumbria to Spread Domestic Violence Best Practice
Police forces throughout England and Wales will learn about the Northumbria approach to domestic abuse at a one-day conference in Warwick early this month.
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Police and Missing Person’s Charity Sign Protocol
The Association of Chief Police Officers has signed a National Protocol Agreement (NPA) with the National Missing Persons Helpline, to exchange, handle and respond to the issue of missing persons.
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Foreign Nationals Must Register Biometrics
Powers to compel foreign nationals in the UK to register their biometrics are being considered by the Home Office.
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IPCC Commends Attempts to Revive Drug Abuser
An investigation into the death a drug abuser while in police custody has prompted the IPCC to commend staff for attempting to revive the man.
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Local Councils Urged to Have their Say on Licensing Guidance
Local authorities and other interested parties were yesterday urged to comment on revised guidance on the new licensing laws which has been published for consultation.
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Home Secretary Invites Mayors to Get Involved
Home Secretary John Reid yesterday announced that all communities in England and Wales will have the opportunity to get something back from offenders who have committed crimes in their area.
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ShopWatch Officers Now on Patrol
An innovative scheme to combat retail crime is celebrating a milestone with fifty special police officers now out patrolling London's thriving shopping districts.
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AND FINALLY...

Retirement of Polly the Detector Dog
This Thursday (18th January) marks the retirement of one of the most successful members of HM Revenue & Customs' Frontiers team - Polly the detector dog.
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