London Community Police Teams to be Rolled out
The roll out of community police teams is to be speeded up in London, Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and London Mayor Ken Livingstone have announced.
The MPS currently has 285 Safer Neighbourhood teams operating on some wards on every London borough. The announcement means that the remaining 340 wards will initially have teams of four staff in place by the end of April this year and each team will be expanded to six members by April 2007.
Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair described the accelerated roll-out as 'the greatest development in community policing London has seen in the past 30 or 40 years and I have no doubt it will have a significant impact on crime and public reassurance'.
The announcement was made during a visit to Camden by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bill Bratton to see the Met's community policing programme first hand. The St Pancras and Somers Town team in Camden is one of eight Safer Neighbourhood teams in the borough.
Mayor Ken Livingstone said he was now in a position to guarantee he could submit a budget to the London Assembly which would provide funding to ensure that Safer Neighbourhood teams could be in place across the capital by April next year:
'Today I have confirmed my commitment to ensure every neighbourhood in London has the benefit of a local policing team in their community by the end of the coming financial year, a whole year ahead of schedule. My budget for 2006/7 will provide the funding for dedicated local policing teams throughout the city, increasing the number of teams from the current 285 to a total of 625.
'With every single extra beat police officer and police team that is being added to London's neighbourhoods, such as this team in Camden, we are going to reduce the room for crime, disrespect and anti social behaviour.'
Chair
of Cleveland Police Authority Welcomes Calls for Referendum
Calls
for the Government to hold a referendum on the future of policing in
the North East have been welcomed by the Chair of Cleveland Police Authority
as 'a sensible and constructive way of ensuring that the people of the
Tees Valley and the rest of the region get the kind of police service
they really want.'
Councillor Dave McLuckie was responding to a challenge issued by the
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar during a House
of Commons debate on the review of policing structures ordered by Home
Secretary Charles Clarke.
Making clear his fears about the future if attempts were made to impose
a single regional force, stretching from the Scottish Border to the
North Yorkshire Moors, Ashok Kumar warned that the public must be behind
any changes.
He went on, ‘We held a referendum about the regional assembly and
about an elected mayor for Middlesbrough. If the Minister believes that
there is strong support for a regional force or a super-force, we should
put the matter to a referendum.’
Said Councillor McLuckie, ‘Ashok Kumar is to be congratulated on
the very clear message he gave to Ministers during which it became crystal
clear that, from the South West to the North East and from Wales to
Kent, there is massive discontent right across the political spectrum
at the way this review is being conducted and at the prospect of the
wholesale imposition of force mergers.
‘As he made clear, the public simply do not believe the argument
that big must be better as far as the police service is concerned. The
findings of the Ipsos Mori poll in the Tees Valley and Durham and the
Tyne Tees survey covering the whole of the region made that obvious-with
massive majorities against the single force proposal.
‘The very cornerstone which has made the British police force the
envy of the world is that it is based on local consent, local support
and local accountability.
If Charles Clarke and his Ministerial colleagues really believe that
they are right in promoting the single force case what have they got
to fear from putting the argument to local people and letting them decide?’
Highways
Agency Traffic Officers on Patrol
Teams
of Highways Agency Traffic Officers have begun working alongside police
officers patrolling some of the country's busiest road networks in Hertfordshire.
It is the second area in the Eastern region to introduce Highways Agency
Traffic Officers. At the end of October Highways Agency Traffic Officers
started patrolling the motorways in Essex. The Traffic Officer Service
will further extend during the next twelve months to patrol motorways
across the whole region, including Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire,
Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Simon Parr, assistant chief constable for Hertfordshire Constabulary,
said: ‘The new Highways Agency Traffic Officers will free up police
resources to focus on core policing activity - tackling crime, dealing
with serious collisions and incidents improving poor driver behaviour
and reducing casualties on the motorways in Hertfordshire.
‘With levels of traffic on the increase and its associated congestion
problems, the new alignment of roles will allow both the Highways Agency
and the Police to focus on core priorities to improve the service we
give to the public.’
From Monday the new Highways Agency Traffic Officers will start by dealing
with incidents on the motorway hard shoulders including abandoned vehicles
and breakdowns. With further training the officers will deal with minor
collisions, lane closures and debris clearance.
All injury road traffic collisions, criminal incidents and road traffic
offences will still be dealt with by Hertfordshire Constabulary Road
Policing Officers. They will also continue their road safety education
and enforcement work.
Global
Armour Acquires Highmark Manufacturing
Global
Armour will acquire the trade and assets of Highmark Manufacturing Company
Limited, the Northern Ireland based manufacturer of bullet and stab
resistant body armour.
A new company, Global Armour Highmark Limited, will acquire the assets,
stock and intellectual property of Highmark Manufacturing Company Limited,
as well as existing technical capability, factory operations and patents.
The company's customer base includes police and security forces in the
UK and internationally.
Global Armour is a manufacturer of personal protection equipment for
the Police and Military around the world, and has operations in Durban,
South Africa and Westport, CT, USA. Its founders have over 20 years
experience in specialist armour products. Its clients include South
Africa Police Services, South African National Defence Force, South
African Navy, United Nations, US Army, Irish Army, Thailand Navy, Chilean
Armed Forces, Saudi Arabia Ministry of the Interior, Armed Forces of
Malta and multiple Police Forces in the US.
Richard Garland, Chairman and CEO of Global Armour, and Chairman and
Managing Director of Global Armour Highmark Limited said ‘We are
very excited about this opportunity to create a truly global manufacturer
of personal protection equipment. The combined entities of Global Armour
and Global Armour Highmark Ltd will be able to offer an unparalleled
range of ballistic and dual purpose body armour, ballistic helmets,
armour plates, anti riot equipment and other specialist products.’
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Officers
Required for Home Office Airwaves Study
Researchers
at Kings College are looking for officers to take part in a Home Office
study into the health effects of Airwave.
The study will examine suggestions that the radios cause short term
symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and confusion.
The researchers are keen for two groups to take part in the study: those
who believe they have suffered side effects and those who do not believe
they have suffered any symptoms at all.
Officers will be asked to attend a testing centre in London three times
during the study, lasting two approximately two hours.
In a letter posted on Northumbria police federation's website, James
Rubin, research fellow, said there would be no immediate benefits to
attending the centre, but he added: ‘We do hope that our results
will tell us a lot about the possible problems that may be associated
with Airwave use.’
Information will be gathered in confidence. A summary of the findings
will be sent to everyone who takes part as well as the polce Federation
and the Home Office.
The Home Office is funding the research and the study is being monitored
by a separate group of independent experts from the Mobile Telecommunications
and Health Research programme (see http://www.mthr.org.uk
for more details). This study has the backing of the Police Federation,
the Home Office, ACPO and ACPOS.
Those interested can call the lead researcher (James Rubin) on 020 7346
3798 or email him at mobiles@iop.kcl.ac.uk.
Northamptonshire
‘Planning Out Crime’ Partnership Awarded Commendation
A
partnership approach to cut crime in Northamptonshire has earned the
county's Police Force and local authorities recognition at a regional
awards ceremony.
Northamptonshire Police, the County Council and the borough and district
councils were awarded a commendation at the Planning Achievement Awards
2005 by the East Midlands branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
The County Council along with the seven borough and districts councils
and the Force have been working in partnership on a Planning Out Crime
initiative for the past three years and beat off stiff regional competition
to scoop this honour.
One of the key successes of the partnership has been the preparation
of a countywide Supplementary Planning Guidance on Planning Out Crime,
which aims to minimise crime by ensuring new development incorporates
crime prevention measures through design.
Northamptonshire is the first in the country to achieve this at a countywide
level with the support of all partners. It has been acknowledged as
good practice by a number of other local authorities and forces across
England and Wales are using the county's example to set up their own
guidance.
Councillor Ben Smith, Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member
for environment said: ‘This council is committed to making Northamptonshire
a safer place for everyone to live and work and we are pleased that
this work, which has been achieved by working alongside our partners,
has been recognised by the East Midlands RTPI.’
The Guidance will assist those involved in the development and decision-making,
to ensure crime and design implications are considered from the early
stages of the planning process through to the determination of applications.
It provides a wide range of design advice on development layout, footpaths
and cycle paths, surveillance, landscape design and maintenance, play
areas, town centres, lighting, CCTV and parking to name but a few.
Northamptonshire Police Crime Prevention Design Advisor, David Lancaster,
said: ‘People deserve to be able to live, work and socialise in
safer communities and if the Government agenda of providing sustainable
homes is to be achieved then developers need to take account of the
benefits that good design delivers.
‘It is always better when recognition is received from others and
I am grateful for the Regional RTPI for rating our planning out crime
efforts so highly.’
In addition to the Supplementary Planning Guidance, the county's planners
and police Force have adopted a protocol, which sets clear parameters
around service provision expectations and ensures planners liaise with
the police on key developments.
Training and awareness raising study tours have also been held for councillors
and planning officers.
The guidance is already being applied by the County Council and the
district and borough councils in the county to help meet their responsibilities
under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
HOSDB
Open Day on 26th January
Less-lethal
weapons, explosive detection equipment and advances in fingerprinting
will all be demonstrated when the Home Office Scientific Development
Branch throws open its doors later this month.
HOSDB is offering senior officers and staff the chance to look round
its facility near St Albans on January 26th to find out about the latest
equipment and techniques.
The open day runs from 10am - 1pm, followed by lunch with a chance to
quiz the experts on any aspect of policing technologies. HOSDB is based
at its Sandridge site, just outside St Albans and only 20 minutes by
train from London Kings Cross.
‘These Senior Briefing Visits aim to allow our high level customers
to formally tour the HOSDB Sandridge site and meet with key HOSDB staff.
The visit days are open to senior managers at Superintendent level or
higher (in the Police) and Grade 7 (or equivalent) and above for government
contacts.’
If you would like to visit HOSDB, please contact Mark Lynch on 01727
816306 or email Mark Lynch. Further open days are planned.
TPXi
Portable X-ray Units to be Used by British Transport Police
The
British Transport Police is to introduce X-Ray machines after Image
Scan Holdings plc confirmed that its wholly owned subsidiary, 3DX-Ray
Limited, has secured orders valued in excess of £170,000 for its
new portable x-ray unit, the TPXi.
The orders, all deliverable within the next 3 months, include units
for the British Transport Police which intends to use TPXi to support
its fight against potential attacks on the British transport systems,
such as those seen in July of 2005.
The
TPXi system, launched at Milipol on 22nd November 2005, is designed
to give the operator the greatest probability of detecting potential
threats from explosive, chemical or even biological sources concealed
within suspect packages.
Superintendent Phil Trendall, speaking on behalf of the British Transport
Police, said: ‘Our officers are in the front line protecting the
transport infrastructure against terrorist attack and it is very important
that they have the best equipment available to protect the public, help
minimise disruption and keep the rail system moving.
‘The new TPXi product is one of the most advanced portable x-ray
systems available. Its exceptional image quality and robust wireless
capability are particularly important in terms of maintaining our ability
to manage the high levels of unattended items reported within the rail
environment. We believe this new capability will enhance significantly
the service we can provide the travelling public.’
Nicholas Fox, Chief Executive of Image Scan Holdings plc, added: ‘Following
on so rapidly from its official launch we are naturally delighted with
these initial orders, especially from such a prestigious customer as
the British Transport Police.
‘These early sales signify another example of the success of advanced
x-ray imaging capability of our company, with the TPXi system representing
the latest tool in the fight against terrorism. It is very encouraging
to see that, at the end of our first quarter, orders in the current
financial year stand at over £870,000. This is in excess of the
turnover for the whole of the previous financial year and provides an
excellent start to the year.’
Image Scan Holdings plc focuses on the development and commercialisation
of real-time 2 & 3D x-ray solutions for the industrial and security
inspection markets. Industrial solutions include the MDXI unit and the
in-line DEX camera; security solutions feature the TPXi portable x-ray
unit and the unique 3D baggage inspection system, AXIS-3D®, marketed
by Rapiscan Systems Limited in their 3DSP and 3DLP product lines.
Initial
Fire and Security Wins BSIA Training Award
The
British Security Industry Associations (BSIA) Chairman's Award for Contribution
to Training has gone to Initial Fire and Security.
Initial was selected for its excellent work with apprentices over the
years, and its impressive track record in gaining external funding for
the industry.
Based in Blackburn, the Initial Fire and Security training centre has
expanded considerably since its inception in 1995. The centre currently
facilitates for 85 apprentices, with an average intake of 30 a year,
as well as providing advanced training for 400 mature engineers and
junior management.
Clive Hayton, Group Managing Director for Initial Fire and Security
said: ‘We are delighted to be recognised as leading the field in
training for our industry. It is vitally important that we maintain
the lifeblood of our industry, that is our people.
‘Our apprentice training programme has gone from strength to strength
and is now quite rightly regarded as the industry benchmark’, he
added.
Established in 2001, the BSIA award recognises individuals or companies
who have made significant contributions to enhance the reputation and
standing of the security industry to the benefit of the whole community.
Eleventh
Lawsuit Against TASER Dismissed
The
eleventh Lawsuit against TASER International has been dismissed by a
court in Michigan, the company has revealed.
The Circuit Court for the County of Macomb in the State of Michigan
entered an order dismissing with prejudice the training injury lawsuit
filed by Ronald and Susanne Lipa against TASER International, Inc. The
Court order for dismissal was based on a stipulation for dismissal with
prejudice and without costs filed by the parties.
This is the eleventh wrongful death or injury lawsuit that has been
dismissed or judgment entered in favour of TASER International in the
past 18 months.
TASER is currently being rolled out to UK forces.