Tributes
have poured in for the officer who was stabbed in Luton on Monday.
PC John Henry was just half an hour into his shift when he and his
colleagues attended an emergency call reporting a stabbing in Luton
High Street.
A
window cleaner had been stabbed in Luton High Street. PC Henry was
stabbed trying to apprehend the attacker. He was wearing a stab-proof
vest at the time, but reports suggest that the knife penetrated the
exposed underarm area.
PC Henry leaves a wife and baby daughter.
Chief Constable Gillian Parker said, ‘His dedication to his duty
cost him his life.’
‘John was one of a large family, a very close family. John was
a much loved son, brother and husband.’
Jan Berry, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales,
‘Bedfordshire Police service has lost a much valued friend and
colleague and our thoughts at this time are very much with PC Jonathan
Henry’s family and friends. This tragedy highlights the unknown
dangers police officers face every day serving their local communities.
We are aware that a thorough investigation into the circumstances
of this tragedy is under way and it would be wrong to speculate ahead
of that.
’Policing is an inherently dangerous occupation and officer safety
is paramount. We will continue to work with our colleagues to look
at ways where we can remove or reduce the danger faced by officers.’
Jon's wife and sister paid the following tributes:
‘He
was a family man, he loved all his family dearly. Jon was committed
to his career in the police service which he had wanted to do for
the vast majority of his life. He was good at his job and loved helping
people and making a difference.
‘Jon's friends and colleagues meant the world to him and I am
aware that they too have lost someone very special and my thoughts
go out to them.
‘What can I say about Jon? Fun loving, a true friend, a loyal
and devoted husband and father, a caring person who always had time
for others, a man with a fantastic sense of humour. My husband, My
world, My best friend ... There are a million words and none.’
Georgina Henry-Brock, Sister of Police Constable Jon Henry said, ‘He
was murdered. Doing a job that he had wanted to do from a young age.
A job that when he had first applied for it, he was not successful.
He did not give up. He tried again.
‘My brother and sisters are distraught. My parents cannot believe
they will never see him again. We are alone with our grief. We are
alone in our togetherness.
‘He would be proud that we are proud of him. He would laugh and
shun the limelight. He was quiet. He was proud of his job. We are
proud of him. That will not bring him back.
‘We are proud of Mary and her composure, her strength. She is
so like him. We are proud of Maggie, part of him. Forever.’
As Securizine went to press, Bedfordshire Police charged 27 year old
Tennyson Ikechukwu Obih, a Nigerian living at Winsdon Road, Luton,
for the murder of Police Constable Jon Henry and the attempted murder
of two other men. He was remanded in custody.
IPCC
Investigates Kent Police Shooting
The
Independent Police Complaints Commission is to use its own investigators
to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting by
police of a 37-year-old woman in Sevenoaks on Monday morning.
Kent Police were called to reports of a woman seen with a firearm
in the vicinity of Sevenoaks High Street in the early hours.
Armed officers attended the location and a police firearm was fired.
First aid was given at the scene. An ambulance was called but the
woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm has been recovered.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) can confirm the
identity of the woman as 37-year old Ann Sanderson from the Sevenoaks
area.
The IPCC investigation, which is being led by Deputy Senior Investigator
Bill Stone, continues. HM Coroner has been informed.
IPCC Commissioner Nicola Williams said: ’I send my sympathies
to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned.
Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators
go the incident immediately.’
Leeds Police Officer Assaulted
North
East Leeds Police are re-appealing for information following an assault
on three officers on Saturday night.
The
attack happened on Uplands Road, off Roundhay Road in Leeds at 7.50pm
and left one of the officers with serious injuries.
The officers were conducting a routine stop of a motor vehicle close
to a family party taking place nearby. Up to 100 party goers had spilled
into the street.
As officers attempted to arrest an occupant of the car, believed to
be wanted for an offence of assault, they were attacked.
PC Nick Roberts, 30, was attacked from behind and struck without warning
with what is believed to have been a glass bottle knocking him to
the floor. The officer fell unconscious.
PC Roberts then received at least 6 undefended kicks and stamps to
his head and upper body.
The occupants of the car made off during the fracas.
PC Roberts received treatment at hospital and has now been released.
Acting Superintendent Neil Lineham said: ‘This was an unprovoked,
disgusting and cowardly attack on a police officer who was just simply
doing his job.
‘PC Roberts was knocked to the ground and attacked by a group
of people who had no concern for his safety as he lay defenceless.
The attack was so vicious it is only luck that his injuries were not
worse.
‘Nick is at home now but has been left shaken and sickened by
this incident. However he is optimistic that people will come forward
and pass on the information that will lead to the arrest of the people
involved.’
Three men in their 20s and from Leeds have been arrested and released
on bail pending further enquiries.
TASER
Device Ends Life-Threatening Standoff
According
to reports in a US newspaper, a man threatening his girlfriend with
a box cutter was taken into police custody last Thursday afternoon
after taking the woman hostage at 563 Shelby Street.
Police were called to the residence at about 1:40 p.m. after receiving
reports of a disorder in the home. Officers arrived to find Michael
DeWayne Bryant, 37, holding the box cutter to the woman's throat,
her left leg already cut with the weapon. When negotiations failed,
police went through the back door and deployed a TASER electronic
control device to subdue Bryant and force him to drop the knife and
release his girlfriend.
‘It was a very, very useful tool in de-escalating a situation
where at some point and time lethal force could have been authorised,’
said Capt. Mark Barnard.
The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Bryant
is charged with assault, unlawful imprisonment, terroristic threatening
and resisting arrest.
This information was compiled through publicly available media reports
and distributed by Dittus Communications, Inc. of Washington, D.C.
Ring
of Steel Cuts Crime in Trafford
The
extension of the Trafford Retail Park 'Ring of Steel' was praised
on June 8th by Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland.
The extension of the £285,000 automatic number plate recognition
(ANPR) camera system has been part-financed by a Home Office grant.
Baroness Scotland said:
'I am delighted that the Home Office has been able to work with partners
to further crack down on crime in the Trafford area. We want to send
a clear message that their criminal activity will not be tolerated.
'Over the last five years, recorded crime in the greater Manchester
area has fallen by 13 per cent - evidence of this Government's commitment
to use every technology and tool at our disposal to drive down crime,
wherever it occurs.'
The Trafford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, The Trafford
Centre, COSTCO and ASDA promoted the first phase extension of the
system, which already covers 12,000 car parking spaces in the Trafford
Centre.
Since the system was installed in 2003, vehicle crime has been cut
by 65 per cent from an average of 40 incidents per month to less than
eight. It has led to the arrest of more than 100 offenders for offences
ranging from armed robbery to shop lifting and fraud. And it has helped
recover more than 100 stolen vehicles.
The 'Ring' uses specialist cameras to capture images of the number
plates of all vehicles entering the area, day and night. Software
instantly compares the registrations with police and partner records
of vehicles associated with crime and criminals. If there is a match,
the system instantly notifies Trafford Police and their partners,
the Trafford Centre, Costco and ASDA security teams.
Companies covered by the new system will include the Snowdome, David
Lloyd Centre and the Giants Fields development.
Study
Reveals Huge Variations in Anti-Social Behaviour Perception
Huge
variations in how people perceive anti-social behaviour across the
country have been revealed in a new study.
It also showed perceptions are most related to how deprived and densely
populated areas are, how many residents are aged under 25 and the
actual incidence of violent crime locally.
This largest ever survey on the subject involving over 500,000 interviews
showed that some residents perceive more problems with anti-social
behaviour than expected, considering the area they live in, whilst
others are less concerned than predicted.
In particular, London and the South East residents perceive anti-social
behaviour to be more of a problem than expected according to area
characteristics, whilst those in the West Midlands and North West
are less concerned than predicted.
Despite being termed the country’s ‘ASBO capital’,
those living in Manchester perceive anti-social behaviour to be less
of a problem than those living in Brighton and Hove or Torbay. However
the findings do highlight the success of the Government’s 40
Respect Areas, showing that these areas are significantly more likely
to record lower than predicted anti-social behaviour ratings.
So how are some areas managing levels of concern better than others?
Views are strongly influenced by what you believe is being done locally
to tackle anti-social behaviour – and there does seem to be significantly
better than expected perceptions in local areas that have been the
focus for government attention. Local authorities that keep their
residents informed and updated on efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour
will have happier and less fearful residents.
New
Measures To Keep Kids Safe From Sex Offenders
A
range of tough new measures that will enhance the protection of children
from sex offenders was unveiled today by the Home Secretary, John
Reid.
The 'Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders' has
carefully considered what extra steps are needed to enhance the protection
of children from sex offenders. It looked at evidence from stakeholders,
current operational practice and how other countries tackle the issue.
The review sets out 20 actions to further strengthen efforts to keep
children safe, these include:
* Pilot a new process allowing parents or guardians to, for the first
time, request details of possible sex offenders in certain defined
circumstances;
* Introduce a legal duty on the police and probation services to consider
in each case whether a child sex offender's conviction should be disclosed
in order to protect the child, with a presumption towards disclosure;
* Review the use of satellite tracking to monitor high risk sex offenders;
* Develop the use of drug treatment to help reduce sexual drive and
subsequent offending;
* Pilot the use of compulsory polygraph tests to ensure child sex
offenders are not reoffending;
* Extend the information that offenders must provide when on the Sex
Offenders Register to include for example email addresses, or when
they are starting a relationship with a woman who has children; and
* Community awareness campaigns to ensure parents are aware of how
child sex offenders are managed and how they can best protect their
children.
Home Secretary John Reid said:
‘There are few crimes more horrific than sexual offences against
children. Ensuring that this most vulnerable group in society are
safe is at the heart of the Government's agenda.
‘The UK already has the strongest restrictions on child sex offenders.
Today's new measures will strengthen protection allowing disclosure
for concerned parents and guardians and tougher treatment for those
abusing children.
‘For the first time there will be circumstances where members
of the public will have the right to request details of possible sex
offenders who may have contact with their children.
‘The review introduces a wide range of new measures and it is
right that we ensure these are correctly implemented through a piloting
process'
In response to the Child Sex Offender Review report by the Home Office,
Terry Grange, Association Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on Child
Protection and Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys, said:
‘ACPO have been working with the Home Office during the review
period and are confident that the measures being taken will improve
safety for our children. The police service is committed to protecting
the most vulnerable groups in our communities and will implement the
measures announced today by the Home Office.’
101
is 1 - Sheffield's 101 Hotline Celebrates 1st Birthday
It
is only 12 months old but already it has grown up to be a trusted
friend and confidante to more than 60,000 residents of Sheffield.
On 12th June the 101 non-emergency hotline celebrated its first birthday
with a special reception where those who take the calls met some of
the people who have made them during the past year.
The team of specially-trained call advisers has now taken calls from
one in every nine residents of the city's to report a variety of anti-social
behaviour and seek advice on community safety issues. Topping the
list are calls to report drunk and rowdy behaviour, closely followed
by noise nuisance. Customer satisfaction ratings with the 101 service
are high; it's easy to remember, always available and nine out of
ten callers would use it again and recommend it.
To mark a year of taking calls and taking action to improve the lives
of Sheffield residents, a birthday 'tea party' took place on Tuesday
June 12th, at Sheffield Town Hall. The reception gave 101 call advisers
the first opportunity to meet face to face with some of the people
they have helped. Together with frontline workers from Sheffield Council
and South Yorkshire Police, they marked the occasion by releasing
101 black and orange balloons in the Peace Gardens.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt of South Yorkshire Police, said:
‘101 makes our communities safer places to live, as action can
be taken to stop anti-social and nuisance behaviour that may not have
been brought to either the Police or the Council's attention before.
‘We're seeing evidence of the 101 service having a really positive
impact on the lives of people in Sheffield, who previously may not
have known where to turn to in order to eradicate nuisance behaviour
blighting their local areas.
‘We are now working on developing a new web-based tool that will
provide more detailed intelligence on anti-social behaviour, a move
that has been agreed by the police and the council, which will help
us in our analysis of reported incidents and enable us to better target
our resources on action and prevention.’
Sheffield residents who have reported issues to 101 have found the
service really helpful and positive. One local resident who recently
used the service to report fly tipping said, ‘I think the 101
number is an excellent idea. It has worked for me and I'll continue
to use it when necessary. I'd recommend it to other people.’
Councillor Chris Weldon, Sheffield's Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhoods,
said: ‘101 really does help to improve the lives of the people
of Sheffield, by giving them an outlet for their concerns around anti-social
behaviour, but most importantly, it means that we have another mechanism
in place for action to be taken.
‘The Council and Police won't tolerate this kind of behaviour,
and we will work together to use our powers to try and ensure that
Sheffield residents don't have to put up with this kind of unacceptable
behaviour.’The single non-emergency number was introduced jointly
by the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government
as part of a package of measures to improve community safety; and
to help local authorities and their community safety partners to provide
their services more effectively and to be more accountable to the
communities they serve.
Since the launch of 101 in five UK areas in summer 2006, 101 has received
around half a million calls from the public. The Home Office is very
pleased with the performance to date of 101 which has achieved high
levels of overall customer satisfaction and positive public feedback,
with 9 out of 10 callers saying they would use the service again and
recommend it.
Other considerable benefits that are already being realised as a result
of 101 are increased partnership working between South Yorkshire Police
and Sheffield City Council, improved access for the public and more
responsive, coordinated and effective community safety services.
The
government's new alcohol strategy aims to ensure laws and licensing
powers tackling alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder are used properly.
The new alcohol strategy also sharpens the focus on that minority
of drinkers who cause the most harm - to themselves, their communities
and their families.
At the heart of this document is the desire to reduce the health damage,
violence and anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol misuse,
while ensuring that the majority of the population can continue to
enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.
Problem drinkers
The country's problem drinkers are most likely to be:
• 18-24 year old binge drinkers
• drinkers under age 18
• adult drinkers who don't realise their habits are damaging
their health
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said everyone has a personal responsibility
to drink in a safe, sensible and social way.
'Most people in this country do drink safely and responsibly, but
the evidence of the damage caused by those who don't is plain to see.
Alcohol abuse still costs us £20 billion a year in crime and
damage to health,' Mr Coaker said.
Key actions
Key actions in the strategy include:
• sharpened criminal justice for drunken behaviour
• a review of NHS spending on alcohol-related health issues
• more help for those who want to drink less
• tougher enforcement of underage drinking laws
• public consultation on alcohol pricing and promotion
• compulsory local alcohol strategies
Keep an eye on how much you drink
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said, 'Many people don't keep
an eye on the amount of alcohol they drink, so they don't realise
the damage they're doing to their health.'
Young People's Minister Parmjit Dhanda agreed, and said the problem
disproportionately affected young drinkers.
'The evidence we've looked at suggests young people are drinking at
a younger age and in greater quantities than before,' Mr Dhanda said.
This new strategy will help them and their parents make informed decisions
about when they're mature enough to drink, and will let them know
how much alcohol is safe to consume.
Force
Boosts Call-Handling Performance
Humberside
police’s new telephony system is up and running, as part of its
improvement programme.
The installation took three days to fully implement and will provide
the hub which will link the other software applications together.
Although the force will strive to minimise any disruption, there is
a slight possibility that members of the public ringing the non emergency
police number 0845 6060 222 may get a delayed response due to the
work being carried out.
All calls will be answered.
Emergency calls to 999 are not affected but members of the public
are urged not to use this number unless in real emergency.
Terry Fisher, Call Handling Project Manager, said: ‘We recognise
that calls for service have occasionally fallen short of the high
standard that members of the public expect. Over the last year great
strides have been made, supported by the Police Authority, to improve
this service by introducing new business processes and hardware.
‘This has included customer relations, and workforce management
software to help us improve the level of service we provide. We will
strive to minimise disruption to those calling the non emergency number
during the installation period and thank the public for their patience.’
Counter
Terror Proposals Could Fail through Lack of Resources
The
Police Federation has warned that policing resources must be maintained
if the latest counter-terror plans are to succeed.
Following John Reid’s outline of proposals to toughen counter
terror laws the Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales
Jan Berry said: ‘Our 24/7 policing report clearly showed that
the police service is already struggling to deal with the increasing
demands on frontline officers. If we are to efficiently and effectively
monitor every suspected terrorist this will have a huge impact on
our resources; it’s therefore imperative that forces maintain
sufficient numbers of police officers needed to deal with this ever
present threat.
‘Whilst welcoming steps taken to protect society from terrorism
it is right that any additional police powers be proportionate, and
that we are completely accountable for our actions. For security reasons
it may not always be possible to give a running commentary of all
operations, but we must ensure the public understand clearly what
we are doing and why we are doing it. This way we can be assured of
their support and co-operation.’
The proposals include:
• longer pre-charge detention - the government has made it clear
that it believes it is right to hold suspects beyond 28 days, but
the Home Secretary said he wants, if possible, to build a broad agreement
on the issue before action is taken
• enhanced sentences - when terror suspects are charged with
general offences, the government believes sentences should be longer
than in non-terror cases
• intercept as evidence - a review will be conducted into the
potential ramifications of allowing intercept to be used in terrorism
court cases
• stop and question - the government is conducting an internal
consultation on the possibility of enhancing police powers to allow
them to stop and question people about their activities, but the matter
is at a very early stage
Home Secretary, John Reid called for consultation and discussion on
the measures to stop terror groups from committing violent acts in
the UK.
He called for cross-party consensus on these national security issues
as the discussion goes forward on how best to protect the public from
terror groups.
In that spirit, he said, the government plans to bring forward a new
counter-terrorism bill later this year.
'I want to ensure that there is extensive consultation before any
legislation is introduced,' he said.
Data
Link Stops Criminals in their Tracks
A
new multi-agency communication project is being launched to stop travelling
criminals.
The Data Link project is the first of its kind in Scotland and was
launched on Thursday 7th June and hopes to combine the powers of the
police and other travelling council employees by locating offenders
on the move.
While the project is new, it is a revamp of a previously used idea
where vehicles fitted with two way radios would pass on details of
persons or vehicles wanted by police to their workforce on the ground.
The Data Link project updates this method, bringing in technological
improvements in communication and allowing for mass text messaging
of over two hundred individuals mobile phones or palm tops in a short
period of time.
It means that police will be able to pass on descriptions of the persons
or vehicles they wish to trace to partners in the Councils Emergency
Planning Department. The Councils Emergency Planning Department will
then use their equipment to mass text the information to partners
throughout the region.
Deputy Chief Constable George Graham launched the scheme at the Council
buildings on Abercromby Road in Castle Douglas and believes it is
an excellent example of partnership working.
He said: ‘Most people now appreciate that the responsibility
of making our communities safer is not solely down to the police.
‘We are pleased that so many agencies share our objectives of
reducing crime and through good partnership working and projects such
as Data Link we can work together to fight it.
‘I am sure others will watch this project with interest and hope
we are all successful in catching mobile criminals in the region.’
Partner agencies involved in the project include Dumfries and Galloway
Council, Scottish Ambulance Service, The Forestry Commission, Dumfries
& Galloway Fire & Rescue and Scottish Water.
As well as receiving information, every vehicle involved with the
project will display the Crimestoppers logo and contact number.
Tommy Jardine of West Sound Radio promotes Crime Stoppers locally
and is delighted with the initiative.
He said: ‘This is a great way to demonstrate that Dumfries and
Galloway is not only a low crime area but that we intend to work hard
to make sure it stays that way.
‘Crimestoppers has a part to play in this and the more that can
be done to encourage people to contact us the better.’
Security
Pilot at West Midlands Police Proves a Success
West
Midlands Police has successfully completed the world's first pilot
to test the feasibility of combining secure physical and logical access,
smart card/chip and pin technology and the creation of a Single Sign-On
to all applications. The pilot, developed and implemented by integration
expert, Enline plc, is now set to be rolled out across the rest of
the force.
The
two disciplines of physical and logical access security have been
prominent issues for Police Forces and other organisations for some
time, as has the desire to achieve convergence between the underlying
technologies. Through this pilot, combining Lenel On Guard and Imprivata
OneSign™ solutions, West Midlands Police have become the first
UK police force to achieve this.
Paul Williamson, the lead for the Gateway Programme explains: ‘I
am very pleased that West Midlands has become the first to prove that
integrating Physical and Logical access really does work. Feedback
from both a strategic level and from officers at the heart of the
trial has been very positive. This pilot has set a baseline for future
identity management control within our force.’
Paul explains: ‘In partnership with AC Controls, Enline played
a key role in developing the strategy underpinning this project. The
company’s experience in identity management has proved invaluable,
not only in terms of setting up all the business processes and rules
which were key to its success, but also in terms of guidance regarding
the best use of authentication technology. The initial POC didn't
involve biometric authentication for controlling logical access -
but at Enline’s recommendation, we added this technology into
the mix and it has proved to be highly effective.’
Biometric technology has proved particularly useful from a practical
point of view for officers in custody or public facing i.e. front
office environment - where there is a greater risk of losing or damaging
smart cards. Keyboard biometric authentication provides easy, instant
direct access to applications/information.
From a strategic point of view, security levels have been significantly
increased. Senior managers will have far greater control in terms
of managing access within the building environment. They can now restrict
authorised access for key personnel to highly sensitive data. The
Single Sign-On system also provides an audit trail for all application
use/access, thus highlighting any potential abuse of the system.
The new identity management system controls both physical and logical
access to police systems. In order to gain logical access (onto the
network/domain/to applications), staff must have first been authenticated
into the premises via a smart card and biometric authentication.
‘Feedback from the pilot indicates that staff appreciate the
higher levels of security for both buildings and information systems
and understand the need for the levels of sophisticated access that
the system envelops. In addition the Single Sign-On access is proving
both invaluable on a practical level and reducing the time spent by
officers in accessing their information systems, that they now have
instant access to all authorised applications without the need for
remembering multiple passwords’ Paul concluded.
About Enline plc
Enline plc has established itself as a market leader in Identity and
Access Management (I&AM) - providing solutions to customers across
Public and Corporate sectors - from SSO through Web Access Control
to Roles and Provisioning. Enline's Identity Connects™ uses a
considered approach which ensures the successful delivery of Identity
Management projects realising business benefits.
Enline's client base, to which it provides consultancy, implementation,
project management and ongoing support services include Health, Local
Authority, Police and Corporate organisations.
For further information, please visit http://www.identityconnects.com.
GMP
Motorcycle Officer Injured
A
GMP police motorcyclist has been injured after being involved in a
collision on the motorway on Tuesday.
At around 11.30am, the officer was riding along the slip road from
the M61 to the A580 (the East Lancashire Road) when he collided with
the central reservation barrier.
The officer was on a training course at the time of the collision.
He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Hope Hospital. His injuries
are not thought to be life threatening.
Green
Councillor First for Sussex Police Authority
Brighton
and Hove city councillor Ben Duncan has become the first Green Party
member of a police authority outside London.
Mr Duncan, who was elected to the city council at last month's local
elections, was appointed to Sussex Police Authority on Tuesday 5th
June and will attend his first full meeting of the Authority on Friday
15th June.
He is joined by Cllr Geoffrey Theobald who returns to the Authority
for a fourth term of office having originally been appointed in 1972.
The new appointments were made by a meeting of the Constituent Council
Joint Committee, comprising members of Brighton and Hove City Council
and East and West Sussex county councils. The Authority's membership
includes nine councillor members now made up of two from Brighton
and Hove, three from East Sussex and four from West Sussex.
As a result of the new appointments, long-serving member Mark Dunn,
a West Sussex representative and chairman of the Authority from 2003
to 2005, has stood down.
US
and UK Agencies to Combat Human Trafficking
The
US and UK Governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to
improve international cooperation between the two nations in combating
human trafficking.
The move means US and UK law enforcement agencies can share more information,
intelligence and leads about criminal organisations involved in human
trafficking. Even before the establishment of the UKHTC in October
2006, British and American law enforcement agencies, working together,
were able to identify the same trafficking organisations sending victims
to both countries. In at least one instance, traffickers from the
United Kingdom hid proceeds and assets in the United States.
ACPO lead on human trafficking, and Chief Constable of North Yorkshire
Police, Grahame Maxwell represented the UK Human Trafficking Centre
(UKHTC) and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Clark represented the Department
of Homeland Security.
Mr. Maxwell said: ‘This year marks the 200th anniversary of the
abolition of slavery in the United Kingdom. Today marks another step
forward in the fight against those involved in the heinous crimes
of trafficking in human beings. It will enable better cooperation
between the UK and U.S. law enforcement agencies tasked with combating
modern-day slavery.’
South Wales Police Officers Sign Up to Learn Welsh
It’s
more ‘shw mae shw mae shw mae’ than ‘ello ello ello’
for South Wales police officers as more than 100 members of staff
sign up to learn Welsh.
Over the past few weeks, officers and civilian staff have undertaken
a series of workplace taster courses run by the University of Glamorgan’s
Welsh for Adults Centre.
The sessions, designed to get students enthusiastic about learning
the language, have been held in stations across South Wales including
the head quarters in Bridgend, and stations in Pontypridd, Swansea
and Neath.
Police Constable Steve Gorwill from Creigiau who took part in the
initial taster session commented,
‘Learning Welsh is something I have always wanted to do and the
fact that we are able to come to lessons in our place of work has
given me the push I needed to get started. I have really enjoyed the
taster sessions and will definitely continue with my learning. Being
able to speak Welsh would be a great asset for my job’.
Tutor
Sharon Warren puts PC Steve Gorwill through his paces
Sharon
Warren who ran the tasters at Bridgend HQ explained,
‘These sessions are intended to be fun and to give students a
basic introduction to the language. The response from staff at South
Wales Police has been fantastic because of the fact that we are able
to bring the lessons into the workplace. The ability to speak Welsh
is an asset in many careers and those who have taken part in the tasters
are keen to carry on learning.’
Chief Inspector Keith Jones of South Wales Police Learning Development
Services added,
‘Having attended the taster session, I was very pleased by the
enthusiasm of our staff to learn Welsh. The lesson was pitched at
the right level and everyone felt comfortable and took something from
the lesson’.
During the sessions with South Wales Police, those who took part learnt
the basics needed for everyday conversation.
The University offers Welsh in the workplace sessions for employers
of all sizes and specifically tailors courses to suit an organisation’s
particular needs.
Barry Williams, a traffic warden in Bridgend also benefited from the
course. He commented,
‘Having not learnt any Welsh since the small amount I did in
school, I found this course very interesting and very helpful. One
of my children is a fluent Welsh speaker and I would like to reach
the standard of being able to communicate through the language.’
Met
Investigation Damaged National Black Police Association Relationship
A
long running dispute between the Met police and the National Black
Police Association has been resolved.
In a letter, Ian Blair, the Met’s Commissioner, admitted the
force had made mistakes which damaged their relationship with the
NBPA during the course of Operation Helios.
The operation investigated the activities of Ch Supt Ali Dizaei who
was cleared with perverting the course of justice and misconduct in
public office at the Old Bailey in 2003 after a two year, multi-million
pound investigation.
The NBPA and three other claimants issued proceedings in the Investigatory
Powers Tribunal for damages arising out of the breach of their privacy.
Sir Ian said mistakes were made in the handling of sensitive material
recorded from the MPS’s internal phone network.
‘The MPS accepts that in the course of Operation Helios amongst
the conversations recorded and transcribed were some that were legally
privileged and others which concerned matters confidential to the
workings of the NBPA.
‘The MPS recognises the damaging effect that this had on its
relationship with both its own Black Police Association, and the Black
Police Association nationally, as well as the wider effect on community
relations.
‘We recognise that this has had a deep and lasting impact on
certain individuals for which I apologise.
‘There is no evidence that the MPS misused any intercepted material
and we have no knowledge of it being misused in any way.
‘We do, however, acknowledge the BPA's genuine concerns on this
issue which is why it is important that we work with them to ensure
that in future the processes for this type of investigation are managed
and overseen appropriately.
‘All parties now recognise that it is time to move on but in
so doing to ensure that lessons are learned and that mistakes are
not repeated.
‘In acknowledging these mistakes and making this apology, the
MPS hopes to restore to the BPA some measure of trust and confidence
in our organisation.
‘We are also both in agreement that it is in the best interests
of the wider community for the MPS and the BPA to work closely together
in delivering a fair and just policing service for London.’
MPA chair Len Duvall welcomed the ‘constructive’ resolution.
‘We are very grateful for the hard work and commitment of all
the parties involved.’
Partnership
Provides New Cars for Neighbourhood Policing
Lancaster
Community Safety Partnership is providing three new cars to assist
local police in their community safety and crime prevention work.
The partnership handed over the new Vauxhall Corsas to Lancashire
Constabulary’s Northern Division at a special ceremony this week
attended by the new Chief Constable Mr Steve Finnigan. They will be
for the use of the division’s Police Community Support Officers
(PCSOs) and Neighbourhood Policing Teams.
Each of the new cars will be marked with the force crest as well as
the Lancaster Community Safety Partnership logo.
Coun Eileen Blamire from the Partnership, says: ‘We are delighted
to be able to offer assistance in this way and we hope that this will
make a real difference to policing in these local communities. Thanks
to the partnership between the police and ourselves there are now
more Police Community Support Officers on our streets and more vehicles
’
The head of local police, Ch Supt Gary Stephenson, said: ‘The
cars are sure to prove a valuable addition to our resources and help
our increasing number of PCSOs get into the heart of their communities.
‘These cars will be used by our local Neighbourhood Teams in
Lancaster and Morecambe and will make a real difference to the work
we do. It’s an excellent example of neighbourhood policing working
with its local communities, and being enhanced by the involvement
of local partners.’
Stuart Railton, finance and admin manager with Lancashire Constabulary’s
Northern Division thanked the partnership adding: ‘The Division
can accept a certain amount of its year budget in sponsorship and
this is the latest scheme that will be used to help local residents.
Force
Pledges ‘No Officer Cuts’
A
modernisation programme to reshape policing across County Durham and
Darlington will reinforce the work of front-line bobbies and meet
national demands to tackle extremism and organised crime, says the
force.
The first phase of the ambitious twin-pronged blueprint promises no
cuts in the number of police officers on the streets for the foreseeable
future. It also pledges to raise the visibility of uniformed patrols,
recruiting a further 100 police community support officers (PCSOs)
by the summer of this year.
At the same time an estimated £1.4 million is to be invested
in a range of protective services to tackle the hidden threats posed
by terrorists, extremists and organised crime. The cash to pay for
an increase in surveillance and intelligence gathering, as well as
improved information management, will come from £2.6 million
worth of savings identified within the blueprint.
Some of the plan's economies will be achieved by axing the posts of
72 desk-bound police officers and replacing 55 of them with police
staff. The remainder will go unfilled. At the same time 32 new police
officer posts will be created, along with 74 extra police staff jobs.
Just months ago the force was faced with having to slice £10
million off its budget – a wide-ranging package of economies
that included cutting by ten per cent the 734 officers available to
answer both emergency and routine calls from the public.
The threat to shed those jobs was, however, lifted at the end of February
when Durham Police Authority unanimously agreed to raise the police
element of the council tax – and the Government announced in
April it would not intervene.
Magistrate Peter Thompson, newly elected chairman of Durham Police
Authority, said despite being widely acknowledged as one of the best-run
forces in the country Durham had campaigned for more than three years
to highlight the growing problems posed by Government spending restrictions.
‘The authority has long been proactive in its efforts to raise
the awareness of the public, our partners and key members of the Government,
about our need to make neighbourhood policing more visible and invest
in protective services. All that work finally paid dividends at the
end of April,’ he added.
Chief Constable Jon Stoddart said: ‘The brave decision by the
police authority to raise the council tax has broken us out of the
financial strait-jacket we found ourselves trapped in.’
But he added: ‘We have now cut our cloth against the background
of a standstill budget and have had to make some hard decisions to
achieve the £2.6 million worth of savings to cover the costs
of all the changes and growth.
‘Many challenges still face us but we have been handed a clear
opportunity to improve and streamline our service. We could not have
started this process without the tremendous support of the police
authority, the general public and ultimately the Government who, we
believe, were persuaded by the power of the case we repeatedly put
forward,’ he added.
‘Members of the public quite rightly have high expectations when
they seek our help and we are striving to better meet that need and,
at the same time, build on the neighbourhood policing that is the
cornerstone of our work.
‘We also have to meet new national demands for growth in protective
services and provide for all those, young and old, who are vulnerable
within our communities,’ added Mr Stoddart.
To meet expected losses from natural wastage across the force 54 constables
will be recruited between now and the end of next March. Initially
these posts will be advertised internally among special constables,
police community support officers and police staff. Any shortfall
will be made up by transferees from other forces and newcomers from
recruiting campaigns planned in the latter part of the year.
Detectives
from the Met's Operation Maxim have arrested 15 people for immigration
crime.
The arrests are connected to a suspected criminal network facilitating
the entry of illegal immigrants from India to the UK. Eight people
were arrested for facilitation offences and seven were arrested for
immigration offences.
Nine addresses in west London were searched and officers seized counterfeit
documents, false identities and over £10,000 cash.
Detective Inspector Nick Downing, head of the Organised Immigration
Crime Team within Operation Maxim, said:
'A great deal of planning when into this operation and I would like
to thank both our internal and external partners in making this stage
of the operation so successful.'
Operation Maxim is part of Met's Economic and Specialist Crime
Command and deals with organised crime against the UK's immigration
system.
Senior
Officer Lobbies MP over PPOs
A
senior Northamptonshire officer has visited the Home Office over concerns
about how the courts deal with prolific and priority offenders (PPOs)
over bail applications.
Chief
Superintendent Dean Smith (pictured), the Northamptonshire North Area
Commander, met with Vernon Coaker MP, under-Secretary of State, to
put forward the case that an offender’s PPO status should be
disclosed to the court prior to an application for a remand in custody.
This is not the case at present and Chief Superintendent Smith believes
this situation needs to be rectified to ensure that the county’s
most persistent offenders, who are responsible for the majority of
burglaries, robberies and vehicle crime in Northamptonshire, are taken
off the streets.
Kettering’s Conservative MP Philip Hollobone, who raised this
issue in the House of Commons in March, has backed the move.
Chief Superintendent Smith said: ‘I had a productive meeting
with Mr Coaker about prolific and priority offenders and the restrictions
in place when an application is made to the court for a remand in
custody.
‘At the moment, a court hearing these applications does not know
whether or not the person they are considering remanding in custody
is a PPO.
‘This position should change. If it does not, then these prolific
offenders can potentially leave the court on bail and carry on committing
offences until their trial.
‘My argument is that these offenders should be remanded so that
we can protect the community from crime.
‘Magistrates more often than not are members of the local community
and this directly impacts upon them as much as anybody else.’
Philip Hollobone MP praised the initiative displayed by Chief Superintendent
Smith in taking the issue direct to the Government.
He said: ‘Having raised this issue about prolific and priority
offenders in the House of Commons earlier this year, I am delighted
that Chief Superintendent Smith was able to meet with the Home Office
Minister and put directly to him local concerns about this.
‘I very much hope that the Government will now take appropriate
action to help our local police put those prolific and priority offenders
behind bars.’
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service in Northamptonshire
added that the CPS and the police in Northamptonshire work together
closely on the subject of PPOs.
He said: ‘The police are anxious that the court be made aware
of the fact that a particular individual has been designated as a
PPO, but this would be in clear contravention of the guidance agreed
nationally with the senior presiding judge which we then need to comply
with.
‘We are working closely with the police to present all the available
information at a remand application in line with the current Bail
Act and national policy guidelines.’
Compulsory
Drug Testing for Prisoners
Mandatory
drug testing of prisoners in Edinburgh has started under new police
powers.
Lothian and Borders Police are testing prisoners who are in the custody
suite of St Leonard's Police Station.
The new powers have been introduced by the Scottish Executive and
involve the police in testing prisoners for heroin and cocaine by
analysis of a saliva sample.
Mandatory Drug Testing on Arrest was introduced by the Police, Public
Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006.
The aim of the initiative is to try and break the cycle of drugs,
crime and prison.
The police and courts will use the results of the tests to inform
bail and sentencing decisions but primarily seeks to refer drug addicts
into treatment programmes to break the cycle of offending.
Similar schemes introduced by the Home Office in England and Wales
have delivered significant reductions in offending rates and policing
and public health costs.
Chief Superintendent George Simpson, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh,
said 'This scheme will result in us testing around 6,000 prisoners
each year for the presence of heroin and cocaine.
'These results will help the police, courts and other social agencies
in dealing more effectively with those drug users who fund their habit
through criminal lifestyles.'
Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, said: 'We need to
look at innovative ways of breaking the cycle between drug addiction
and crime and this pilot will help police begin to achieve this.
'Drugs are one of the great social problems of our age. This programme
aims to help problem users get off drugs, into treatment and away
from crime, but we know there are no quick fixes to this complex issue.
'Around three-quarters of those sentenced by the courts to a custodial
sentence show signs of drug misuse and drug-related offending. We
need to improve access to effective interventions for those suffering
from addiction while at the same time being tough on drug dealers.'
The Lothian and Borders initiative is one of only three pilot schemes
in Scotland.