Stop and Search Figures Released
Terrorism stop and search figures for each London borough were released for the first time yesterday, 25th September, by the Metropolitan Police Service.  In Spring 2007, at the request of the Metropolitan Police Authority, the MPS carried out a review of its use of stop and search powers under the Terrorism Act 2000.
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'Distraction' DVD launched in Derbyshire
An initiative aimed at reducing the number of distraction burglaries has been launched by Derbyshire police. The force has worked in association with Oddsocks Production Company to produce a DVD that can be used to inform older people about the dangers of letting strangers into their homes and also to train staff who work with them.
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Drink Spiking Increases 100 Per Cent
Echoing events that occurred last year when Scotland went smoke free, the Roofie Foundation, Britain's only agency helping victims and dealing with issues surrounding Drug Facilitated Sexual Abuse (DFSA), reports a 100% increase in reports of drink spiking to their help-line after the smoking ban was introduced in England.
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Consultation on Police Promotions Published
Following the recent reviews of the Police Promotion Trial which have been operating within several constabularies, the Police Promotion Examinations Board (PPEB) has published a consultation paper on the future of police promotion to the rank of sergeant and inspector.
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Autism Alert Cards Launched
Warning cards that could prevent people with autism being misinterpreted by the police are to be issued throughout Strathclyde police. The Autism Alert card is available to be carried by people on the autism spectrum so they can identify themselves more easily if they ever come into contact with the police.
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Interpreters Cost Force £1 Million a Year
Thames Valley Police Authority has announced the costs of hiring interpreters for investigations have increased by almost £1 million over the last ten years. An influx of migrant workers from the European Union has meant the police force has had to increasingly rely on interpreters to conduct investigations.
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Police Car Hits House
Bedfordshire officers are recovering after their car collided with a house in the early hours of September 18th. Two male officers, one suffering from shock and the other from leg and back injuries, were taken to Bedford Hospital.
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Police Car Shot At
West Midlands Police is appealing for witnesses following an incident in Handsworth on Sunday night, where shots were discharged at a police vehicle.
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Northumbria Top Class for Crime Detection
Northumbria Police has been named as one of the country's top forces for detecting crime. Figures in the Home Office's first annual bulletin on levels and trends in crime detections shows that Northumbria comes out top in England at 37% and in the first four months of this year has improved on this.
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Funds Given to Tackle Prostitution
Government funding to the tune of £200,000 has been allocated to tackle prostitution in Dundee. In order to broaden the response to tackling prostitution within the city, the Dundee Partnership has identified the problem as being a priority.
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Ninety per cent of Forces Record Crime Well, says Report
Nine out of ten police authorities and forces in England and Wales are continuing to perform well on their recording of crime data according to a new report published by the Audit Commission and Wales Audit Office.
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Force Joins Bureaucracy Debate
Bureaucracy means that offences that have been admitted remain as undetected, according to one force. Avon and Somerset police said it jailed a man for more than four years for burglary offences. The man then admitted to some 60 further offences.
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Traffic Cone 'Amnesty' Announced
A special amnesty is being launched by Durham Constabulary in a bid to unearth hundreds of missing yellow traffic cones. Every year large numbers disappear never to be seen again. Now police, especially in Darlington, where officers have recently ordered 200 to boost stocks, want them back.
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New Chief Takes Over
On Monday 17th September, Cllr. Reg Watson, Chair of Cumbria's Police Authority, greeted its new Chief Constable, Mr Craig Mackey, as he arrived to start work at Cumbria Constabulary's Carleton Hall headquarters in Penrith.
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Thousands of Fingerprints Collected Monthly
A record number of fingerprints - over 100,000 a month - are now being collected from foreign nationals overseas applying to come the UK, the Government has announced. Visa applicants in 100 countries worldwide are required to provide fingerprints if they want to visit to the UK for work, study or tourism.
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Crackdown on Uninsured Vehicles
Over 78,000 vehicles were seized by the Police in England and Wales during 2006 for no insurance of which 40% were subsequently crushed or sold. To support the Police and to reassure the public that checks are in place to prevent accidental seizures MIB launched a dedicated Police Helpline to assist the Police with difficult roadside situations.
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Consultation on Police Promotions Published
Following the recent reviews of the Police Promotion Trial which have been operating within several constabularies, the Police Promotion Examinations Board (PPEB) has published a consultation paper on the future of police promotion to the rank of sergeant and inspector.
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Force Bucks Drink Drive Trend
This summer's drink drive campaign has been hailed a success in Lancashire after the number of failed breath tests has broken the national trend. The number of tests administered is up and so are the numbers of test that have proved positive for drink or drugs. However the national figures indicate that nearly ten per cent of people tested are proving positive. In Lancashire this figure is nearer to five per cent.
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Cumbrians Content with Policing
The annual public consultation survey conducted by Cumbria Constabulary has revealed that 90.1% of Cumbrians are satisfied with the service provided by the Constabulary. The figure represents a 3% rise in satisfaction since 2006, and forms part of the Constabulary's Consultation Survey Results for 2007.
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EU Procurement Forms to Change
Following the application of the Commission Regulation (EC) N 1564/2005, the old public procurement forms adopted by the Commission Directive 2001/78/EC of 13th September 2001 are no longer valid, according to TED, the European Union Tendering site.
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Conference Call- Staffs Staff to Speak
Staffordshire Police's Communications staff have been invited to speak at a major conference on call centre management. Pauline Smith, Deputy Head of Communications and Superintendent Jon Drake have been invited to present at Call Centre Expo 07 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on 26th and 27th September.
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OGC Deal to Cut Cost Of Leasing Vehicles
A new pan-government framework worth up to £270 million over three years has been awarded for the lease of cars and car derived vans. Launched this week, the OJEU-compliant new deal will save significant time and money for public sector organisations, which will avoid having to undertake their own procurement processes for leased vehicles.
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Met 'Communications' in Stockwell Tube Death to be Reviewed
The Metropolitan Police Authority is to review the way in which the Metropolitan Police Service communicated both internally and externally following the death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube Station on 22nd July 2005.
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Officers Disciplined over Dog's Death
Lothian and Borders police said it 'deeply regretted' the death of a greyhound that had been left in its custody. Two officers have since been disciplined for the incident that took place at Dalkeith police station last January.
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Northants Reviews Performance
Northamptonshire Chief Constable Peter Maddison has commissioned a review to identify how the force could do its business more efficiently and give better value to the public. The whole workforce is engaged in producing a range of opportunities for change, varying in scope from major structural change to the way in which services are organised and delivered, to simple money-saving or income-generation ideas.
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Scottish Crime Figures Show Rise
Recorded crime in Scotland increased by less than half of one per cent last year, according to the latest annual statistics published by the Scottish Government. The figures show that the total number of crimes recorded by the police in 2006/07 was 419,257, an increase of 1,472 (0.4 per cent) on 2005/06.
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Call to Scrap Targets
The Superintendent's Association has called on the Government to scrap targets. In his speech to its annual conference, Ian Johnston, the Association's President said Government targets measuring police performance have become 'a shambles' and should be scrapped, allowing police to reclaim policing for themselves.
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Leeds Officer 'Kick' Starts 'Great' Initiative
A Leeds Police Officer is launching a 'great' initiative, 'kicking' away the threat of gang culture in Britain. Dave Brook is a PC at North East Leeds and Leeds Children's Champion and established Karate for Inner City Kids (KICK) in his own time providing an opportunity for young people to get involved in karate and choose a drug and crime free life.
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