Liquid Explosives Research at Centre of EU Talks

More research into the detection of liquid explosives were at the centre of talks between the Home Secretary and EU interior ministers, the Home Office has revealed.

The meeting on last week's alleged terrorist activity also looked at ways to tackle the use of the internet to radicalise young people and adopt new standards of protective security at European airports.

Sitting with his French and German counterparts, the Home Secretary thanked them and said they were the first to be in contact with him after the events of last week. Dr Reid said this was a great gesture of solidarity with the people of Britain.

Europe faces a 'common threat from terrorists, and we should respond in a common fashion,' he said.

He stressed that 'measures taken in one country are taken in other countries because we want equal security for all our people.'

The French and German interior ministers also emphasised the importance of international co-operation, and exchange of information, in the fight against terror.

The three were then joined by interior ministers from Finland, Portugal and Slovenia, the Justice Commissioner, and the EU counter-terrorism co-ordinator.

Dr Reid again apologised for the inconvenience and difficulties being experienced by travellers in the UK's airports, describing it as 'regretful'. He said: 'It is not possible to fight terrorism without inconvenience.'

However, he went on to say: 'It is terrible if someone is delayed ... but the inconvenience is not being imposed for the sake of imposing it. It is being imposed in order to defeat terrorism and to protect our public.'

Twenty-three people are now in custody in the UK over the alleged plot.

This week, the Joint Terrorism and Analysis Centre (JTAC) changed the UK's threat level from international terrorism from Critical to Severe which means a terrorist attack is still highly likely but that it is no longer imminent.

Skills for Security Studies CCTV Operations Sector

Skills for Security, the Sector Skills Body for the Security Business sector, is carrying out a study of the CCTV Operations sector with a view to introduce national standards for CCTV operators.

Skills for Justice are working alongside Skills for Security on this project to ensure that links between the police and security sector and maintained.

The purpose of this project is to develop a full suite of National Occupational Standards (NOS) and a range of potential qualifications for this important sector.

It is expected that the NOS will cover the full spectrum of CCTV operational activities, in both the private and the public sectors. They are currently establishing an expert group of practitioners who will help to identify all the activities or functions within CCTV operations, then move on to help Skills for Security staff to develop the actual standards.

Skills for Justice said the success of the project depended on the contribution of the CCTV sector and those police officers and staff concerned with the use of CCTV for evidential purposes.

Those who would like to be involved in these consultations, are asked to please contact Ruth Oliver by e-mail at ruth.oliver@skillsforsecurity.org.uk.

Security Award for New Housing Design in Catterall

A block of new housing in Lancashire has received an award for its crime-busting design.

Wyre Housing Association received a Secured by Design certificate from local police for the four one-bedroom flats in Calder Drive in Catterall.

Crime prevention officer at Garstang police station Ian Lonsdale said:
‘We are delighted that Wyre Housing Association has followed the Secure by Design guidelines. We are keen to encourage any organisations involved with new buildings to adopt crime prevention measures to assist in reducing the opportunity for crime and the fear of crime, creating a safer and more secure environment.'

Mark Rodgers, regional development manager of Wyre Housing Association received the award. He said: ‘We strive to ensure all our new build properties meet the Secure by Design standards as we appreciate our residents will benefit from these enhanced safety measures.'

The Secured by Design award is a certificate given to developments which, following discussions with local police crime prevention design advisors are built in a way which reduces the opportunity for crime. This means that doors and windows meet minimum quality and security standards and the development layout makes good use of natural surveillance and space.

Research by Huddersfield University shows residents living on Secured by Design Developments are half as likely to be burgled and two and a half times less likely to suffer vehicle crime. Secured by Design developments also suffer 25% less criminal damage.

Crime Prevention Officer Ian Lonsdale presents Mark Rodgers from Wyre Housing Association with the Secured by Design award watched by PC Ian Hill and Gurth Wilson from Catterall Parish Council.

Police Officer Dies in Motorway Collision on M6 (Wigan)

A 52 year old man who died following a traffic collision on the M6 near Wigan earlier this month has been formally identified as a serving police officer with Greater Manchester Police.

PC Peter Cross of Churton Grove in Standish was a pedestrian in the northbound carriageway of the M6 when he was in collision with two cars.

PC Cross was on sick leave at the time of his death but was a Constable based on the Wigan division.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No-one else was injured during the collision.

His wife, Joyce, said: ‘Peter was a loving father to his two sons, caring son and brother and family member. He was a person who was well liked by all who knew him. He adored his pet dog who will miss his love and devotion, as we all will.’

Assistant Chief Constable of Territorial Policing, Ian Seabridge, paid tribute to Peter on behalf of his colleagues at GMP: ‘Peter Cross was a much admired officer as a consequence of his extensive work in the Scholes area of Wigan where he was well known for his efforts in establishing Homewatch schemes. He has received divisional commander's awards for bravery and his exceptional local knowledge.

‘His family are in our thoughts at this sad time.’

Gloucestershire Officers Injured in Accident

Two Gloucestershire officers were injured when their vehicle left the motorway and ended up on an embankment.

The police vehicle was travelling along the southbound carriageway of the M5 between junctions 12 and 13 when it was involved in a single vehicle collision.

The vehicle was travelling in the third lane of the motorway and came to rest on the embankment. No other vehicles were involved.

Two male police officers who were in the vehicle at the time were taken to Frenchay hospital suffering minor injuries but have since been discharged.

The officers were responding to an emergency call reporting another accident on the M5 between junctions 13 and 14 southbound.

Green Light for New Police Station at Northfleet Operations Centre for North Kent

The Kent Police Authority and RHK Consortium have signed a multi-million pound contract to build a new police operations centre at Thamesway, Northfleet.

The consortium, which includes two Kier Group companies, will carry out the 30-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Around £30 million is to be invested in the new centre, which includes a 40-cell custody suite.

The centre is designed to provide a better working environment for officers, with more parking facilities, offices and conference rooms.

The contract will also include the provision of maintenance and additional support services such as vehicle management.

North Kent Area Commander Chief Superintendent Gary Beautridge: ‘We aim to provide police stations and officers to make it easier for people to contact us in person, perhaps to report crimes, raise concerns or seek advice. These buildings will be more visible and provide a more welcoming environment than the existing older buildings.’

Ann Barnes, Chair of the Kent Police Authority responsible for investing in the project: ‘The people of North Kent will benefit hugely from this project as the consortium will aid the management of the building and support services. The Kent Police Authority firmly believes in investing in new facilities for staff where we can. Police need modern buildings for their vehicles, equipment and support teams to fight the complicated mix of crime and anti-social behaviour in our towns and villages.’

Work on the site is due to start early August and ready for occupation by early Summer 2008.

Kent Requests £243,445 Refund

The Chief Constable of Kent and Chair of the Police Authority have asked the Home Secretary to refund nearly a quarter of a million pounds the force spent on fighting merger plans.

The force has also complained that the tight timescales hampered day-to-day policing.

In March, after submitting three business cases in just four months, the Home Office told Kent Police it would not have to merge with any neighbouring counties.

In a joint letter to Dr John Reid, the force set out their reasons why the money - a total of £243,445 - should be reimbursed.

The money is the equivalent to the yearly cost to Kent Police of five police officers.

Chief Constable, Mike Fuller and Authority Chair Ann Barnes said the force was given no option but to co-operate with the process.

They also say the 'incredibly short timescales' in which the force had to respond affected day-to-day policing work as the staff had 'no opportunity to plan effectively and mitigate the impact on the organisation and key individuals...had to devote a substantial proportion of their time to Kent's response. This resulted in senior police officers and staff being diverted from policing Kent and Medway to attend essential Home Office and regional meetings.'

Mr Fuller and Mrs Barnes asked the Home Secretary to reimburse the force 'in order to ensure our budget and the Kent and Medway public are not adversely affected.'

The money the force wants refunded has two main elements.

* £152,042 was paid to consultants to identify how to increase the number of police officers in specialist operations protecting the public, without transferring that cost to the council taxpayer. The consultants were also tasked to identify savings without affecting front-line policing.

* A further £91,403 is a conservative estimate of the cost to the force of officer and staff time in drawing up the plans to remain an independent force.

The total figure does not include some incidental costs that were incurred.

The Chief and Chair also say attempts to exclude forces that achieved independent status from claiming back merger plan costs, could be discriminatory.

The letter concludes: 'We trust the recently released Home Office action plan will take full account of the learning from the recent police restructuring process and acknowledge the importance of comprehensive stakeholder engagement and commitment to any future major initiatives.'

After sending the letter, Mr Fuller added: ‘Being forced to prepare business cases in an unreasonably short amount of time with no opportunity to consult was not just a big distraction from our normal busy work schedule but it also created insecurity and uncertainty among officers and staff at Kent Police.

'Ultimately, the process led to needless expense which myself and the Chair of the police authority are determined to recover for the benefit of the people of Kent and Medway.’

The merger process was sparked by the publication of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Closing The Gap report in September last year - but a few weeks ago the Home Office shelved the merger plans.

Police Helmets Stolen in Watford

Hertfordshire police are investigating the theft of two police helmets stolen during a fight outside a Watford nightclub.

The force has released CCTV footage of a man they wish to question in connection with the crime.

The helmets were taken during a fight outside a club in Watford High Street involving about 20 people.

‘Unfortunately one or two people took advantage of police officers dealing with a large scale fight and stole their helmets, which were knocked off during the altercation,’ said Sergeant Simon Mason.

‘This is police property and it is completely unacceptable.

'We are appealing for the public's help in trying to identify this man, who we would like to speak to in connection with the theft. We would also like to hear from anyone who may know the whereabouts of the helmets.’

The man captured on CCTV is described as a white man, aged between 18 and 30, with dark cropped hair, of medium build.

He was wearing a beige jacket and a black vest top.

Essex Police and Stansted Airport Settle Dispute

Essex Police and Stansted Airport have settled their £1 million dispute over an outstanding debt for airport policing.

The force was facing a potential £1 million debt because of a dispute over the costs for policing the airport. But, following an agreement between the two sides, the airport paid up and the force has now recovered all of its directs costs, an appropriate sum for overheads plus a small sum for the lost interest suffered by the force as a result of the delayed payments.

Chief Constable Roger Baker and the airport operator have now agreed to work together on producing a binding ‘Police Services Agreement’ (PSA) for 2006/07.

Riccardo Tazzini, Director of Finance with Essex Police said: ‘I am delighted that we have been able to secure the reimbursement of a substantial sum of public money for last year.

‘We now look forward to negotiating an appropriate level of resource in accordance with national guidelines to ensure that Stansted continues to remain a very safe airport.’

Damilola Result Secured with new Forensic Evidence

Two teenagers have been found guilty of the manslaughter of schoolboy Damilola Taylor, six years after the ten year-old bled to death on a stairwell in flats in Peckham.

Ricky and Danny Preddie, aged 19 and 18, had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter when the trial began on 22nd June 2006 but were convicted earlier this month.

Sentencing was adjourned and they have both been remanded in custody.

The conviction follows a six-year investigation by the Met's Specialist Crimes Directorate which began after Damilola was found dying on a stairwell off Blakes Road in Peckham on 27th November 2000.

The court heard from scientists who reconstructed the glass bottle used to attack Damilola and from the scientists who found the blood traces on Danny Preddie's trainer and Ricky Preddie's sweatshirt.

Commander Dave Johnston, head of Homicide and Serious Crime at the Specialist Crimes Directorate, said: ‘Justice has finally been reached for Damilola. His violent death in 2000 sent shockwaves throughout London and beyond. For his family it was a very personal tragedy played out in a very public arena and I would like to acknowledge the courage and dignity with which Gloria and Richard Taylor have supported us throughout the police investigations.

‘This has been a long journey for all those involved in the quest for justice and undoubtedly lessons have been learnt. We are of course concerned that the new forensic evidence heard in this trial was not available for the first investigation and sympathise with the anguish that this may have caused to those affected.’

Man Pleads Guilty to Arson Offences after Attack on Police Station

A man has pleaded guilty to firebombing a police station in Leicester.

He admitted arson offences at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday July 26th following an incident at Beaumont Leys police station earlier in July.

Mohammed Atif Kamal (28) of no fixed address, appeared at Leicester Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to arson with reckless intent and arson with intent to endanger life.

The incident happened in early July when Kamal went to a garage opposite the Beaumont Leys police station and bought £3 worth of petrol and decanted it into two wine bottles.

He then lit the bottles and threw them into the front enquiry office. Two members of the public and a member of police staff were injured in the resulting fireball and were taken to hospital, although none of the injuries were serious.

Extensive damage was caused to the Front Enquiry Office and work is ongoing to refurbish the area. An enquiry desk service for the people of Beaumont Leys is being provided in temporary accommodation located outside the station.

West Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Steve Pitts, said: ‘The motive for the incident is not clear but there is no evidence that the attack was religiously or politically motivated.

‘There was some excellent and at times, courageous work carried out by staff and officers, in ensuring the safety of prisoners, the public and colleagues alike, co-ordinating and preserving the scene and ultimately in the apprehension and arrest of the suspect.

‘The bravery of the two members of the public who were caught up in the explosion is also commendable. As they tried to escape the explosion, they helped a member of staff to safety.

‘I'm extremely proud of the way in which our staff and officers rallied round after the incident and it is testimony to them that normal service to the public was resumed so swiftly.

‘The safety of the public, our staff and officers is of paramount importance and a review of security at all police premises has been carried out in the light of this incident. The recommendations are now being considered.

Sentencing has been adjourned until a hearing at Leicester Crown Court on Monday September 4th, 2006.

Federation Raises Concerns over PCSO Recruitment Drive

The Federation has raised concerns that the latest Police Community Support Officers' recruitment campaign could drive down numbers of police officers.

The Home Office plans to increase the number of PSCOs by 10,000 to achieve its target of 16,000 by spring 2007.

Responding to the annoucement, Alan Gordon, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: ‘Whilst it is true that we now have a record number of police officers, that will not be sustainable in the future if we continue to recruit vast numbers of Police Community Support Officers.

‘Chief Officers do not have an endless pot of cash and early indications are that many will employ greater numbers of PCSOs at the expense of police officers.

He called on the Government to be 'honest' about the situation so a serious public debate on the future of police could be had.

‘On the one hand they appear to be applying pressure to the independent Police Negotiating Board to reject an agreed pay deal which has operated for police officers for the last 27 years, whilst on the other hand magically producing millions to ensure PCSO numbers are increased to 16,000 by next spring.

‘The irony of the situation will not be lost on 141,000 demoralised police officers throughout England and Wales who hear words of praise from the Home Secretary about our professional handling of the ongoing terrorist situation whilst they are treated with such contempt by the government when it comes to honouring an agreed pay arrangement.’

 Source: Police Oracle

Stolen Handsets to be Blocked

Eighty per cent of stolen handsets will be blocked on all five UK networks within 48 hours of being reported stolen to their home network, mobile phone industry leaders have promised.

Mobile phone industry leaders, working with the Government, police, and the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF) have launched a charter to reduce mobile phone crime.

The Home Secretary John Reid welcomed the move, and pledged £1.35 million funding for a national centre of excellence - the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU) - to bolster local and national action to disrupt stolen phone markets.

The charter is a major improvement in the process of blocking stolen mobile phones, making them less attractive to criminals. The blocking target is a world first in using this type of process.

Mr Reid said he welcomed the commitment by the mobile phone industry leaders, to make mobile phones less attractive to thieves.

 Source: Police Oracle