UK Policing News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12296893 The number of police officers in England and Wales fell by 2,500 in the last year, Home Office figures suggest. There were 141,850 full-time equivalent police officers in the 43 police forces - a decrease of 2,503 officers, or 1.7%, compared to a year earlier. Police officer strength, including officers seconded to Central Services, stood at 142,363 - a fall of 2,470. The mid-year update contained statistics relating to staff numbers as at 30 September 2010. The figures also revealed that there were 78,120 full-time equivalent police staff in post, which marked a fall of 2,193, or 2.7% compared with the previous year. There was…

The behaviour of players, managers and some fans at Wednesday night's Old Firm clash has been branded "disgraceful" by the Scottish Police Federation (SPF). Chairman Les Gray said action needed to be taken following the ill-tempered game in which Celtic beat Rangers 1-0. The Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park saw three Rangers players sent off, 34 arrests inside the stadium and several touch-line and tunnel confrontations. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is to investigate events at the match. In the run up to the match, the SPF - the police officers union - called for a ban on Old Firm games in Glasgow, saying they led to too much violence. Strathclyde Polic…

http://www.bbc.co.uk...kshire-12594576in my opinion it is disgusting to force officers with more than 30 years service to retire.

Raoul Moat was NOT hit by Taser guns before he killed himself Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344291/Raoul-Moat-NOT-hit-Taser-guns-killed-himself.html#ixzz1AAYTxTWN Much as I dislike the DM - they have posted this up today - but so far none of their army of readers has commented upon it! If I start to think for too long about knee-jerk reactions and politicians sound bites I then think about Peter Boatman and his tragic death. Such a waste.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-12615941 A former Lancashire detective constable accused of having an affair with a rape victim is facing misconduct charges. John Cragg, 41, from Formby, Liverpool, is charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office. He had worked on the Awaken specialist rape and sexual assault inquiry team in Blackpool. A spokeswoman for Lancashire Constabulary said he had been released on bail and was due to appear before Wirral magistrates on 23 March. She said: "Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service a 41-year-old man has today been charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office.…

http://www.bbc.co.uk...umbria-12602640 A Cumbria police worker has been jailed for five years for committing a number of child sex offences. David Rooke, 51, was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a child and sexually assaulting a child. Rooke, a civilian detention officer based in Kendal, had earlier admitted two offences relating to a girl under 13 involving online chat rooms. Rooke, of Broad Ing, Kendal, was also placed on the sex offenders register for life at Carlisle Crown Court. The court was told both offences related to online MSN conversations between the defendant and the girl. He was suspended from his post in May 2009 after he was arres…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-12534781 Two police forces have been given the go-ahead to set up a joint road policing unit. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire already have several joint units, including a dog unit and major crime unit. The new collaboration will deal with road policing issues, including traffic patrols, road accident and road death investigations. The police authorities said the move would save the two forces a total of £654,000 each year. This saving is expected to increase to about £700,000 a year. Peter Conniff, Bedfordshire Police Authority chairman, said: "The creation of this new joint unit will enable the two forces to …

Chelsea take action against Ashley Cole over claims he 'shot' work experience student at training ground Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1361057/Ashley-Cole-accidentally-shoots-fan-Tom-Cowan-air-rifle-Chelsea-training-ground.html#ixzz1FOpjgWJ8 Ashley Cole has been rapped by his bosses at Chelsea after he shot a work placement student with an air rifle. The England international is believed to have accidentally shot 21-year-old Tom Cowan from just 5ft away as he 'larked about' with a high-powered .22 rifle at the club's training ground. If i shot someone with any gun, will not the Police be round sharpish with sharp shooters? Very odd!!

UNDER-pressure cops arrested more than 300 people during a wave of violence that followed Sunday's Old Firm clash, it emerged yesterday. At one point, they had to drive prisoners up to 50 miles because every cell in Glasgow was full. And, in the worst incident, 10 police officers were taken to hospital after a mass brawl inside a bar in the city's southside. Yesterday, police described the scale of the violence as a nightmare. Strathclyde's Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan said he blamed excessive drinking for the surge in arrests. He added: "By 6pm, almost every cell in our city centre divisions was full and, unfortunately, we're very used to this. "Let's…

How rediculous! For officers from TVP to be used to break up petty arguments / trolling on Facebook. Surely that's what Facebook moderators are there for? Have people not heard of the "block user" option?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-12614830 A code of conduct surrounding the use of CCTV systems by councils and police is being considered by the government. The length of time data from ANPR cameras can be kept may also be in the new code, the Home Office said. It follows an apology by West Midlands Police last year over the way about 200 so-called "spy cameras" were erected in largely Muslim areas of Birmingham. The cameras, some hidden, were paid for with £3m of government cash earmarked for tackling terrorism. ANPR cameras helped track the killers of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky who was killed in a bugled raid in Bradford in November 2005. Crime preve…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12606610 About bloody time too! What affect will this have from a policing point of view? Less men driving without insurance? More women driving without insurance? No change?

http://www.bbc.co.uk...-herts-12599416 silly woman talking to to press and if found guilty she has lost a lot more..

Police cutbacks have left firms that are victims of burglary being sent DIY finger-printing kits to undertake their own investigations. Companies have been told: 'Please carry out DIY checks on your workers', to save police time and money checking their own employees as suspects. Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1FGxVY0Yo "Lincolnshire's Chief Constable Richard Crompton told the News Of The World: 'We are interested in doing some work with volunteers, training them to assist at very, very low-grade forensic scenes.'It's not policing on the cheap, it is people volunteering to do their bit within society." What crap, big society my arse. I have lots of spa…

Police cuts: Define front line, say MPs The government says front-line police can be protected. The government must clear up "confusion" over what it means when promising to protect "front-line" policing staff from cuts, MPs say. The Commons home affairs committee said there would be "significantly" fewer officers in England and Wales due to budget reductions of 20% by 2014-15. Disagreement over which officers were judged to be front-line made it harder to judge the impact of cuts, it added. The government said it was working to reach a "better definition". The home affairs committee's report looks at the impact on police forces of financial settlements proposed fro…