UK Policing News

Malcolm Searles used sirens and blue lights during the errand A former Metropolitan police officer who killed a pedestrian while on a personal errand in a patrol car has been jailed for six-and-a-half years. Malcolm Searles, 24, admitted causing the death by dangerous driving of Sandra Simpson, 61, as he went to deliver a birthday card last August. Mrs Simpson died after the crash in Bromley, south-east London. Searles, from Kent, used sirens and blue lights, while speeding, London's Southwark Crown Court heard. The court heard how Searles, from North View, Swanley, Kent, had been on a "hair raising joy-ride", during which he was clocked doing 104mph in a 40mph z…

With his greeting of 'Evenin' all', Dixon of Dock Green embodied the values of the solid, commonsense copper. But his reassuring salutation, which began each episode of the classic police TV drama from 1955 to 1976, is one which today's real-life officers should be wary of using. According to one force's official guidelines, it could confuse people from different cultural backgrounds. Warwickshire Police's handbook Policing Our Communities, issued to every member of its staff, gives advice on communicating with people from different ethnic groups in a section entitled Communication, Some Dos & Don'ts. It states: 'Don't assume those words for the time of day, such …

A police chief was forced to apologise after his teenage son held up a banner describing policewomen as "dykes" during a training exercise. Chief constable Ian McPherson's force had asked local students to help out by acting as rioters taunting officers. But Norfolk Constabulary trainers were left shocked when boss's son Jack, 17, unfurled a banner proclaiming: "All policewomen are dykes". Jack, an A-Level pupil at posh Norwich School, was removed from the training session at RAF Coltishall. His father was contacted and cut short a meeting so he could drive to the airbase where he and Jack stood up and apologised. Jack said he had used the slogan because he thought i…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8320000.stm The chief inspector of constabulary says some police are failing to class all acts of violence as crimes. The watchdog reviewed decisions by officers to class some reports of violence and assault as "no crime". It found that more than a third of the cases from the sample of 479 incidents had been wrongly categorised as not warranting further investigation. Denis O'Connor, the chief inspector, said the findings meant some victims had not got the service they deserved. 'Cause for concern' He said Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) would be launching a major review next year into how the forces are recording seri…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8326889.stm No case to answer.

An ex-Met police officer who crashed into a woman after driving at 100mph on an errand in a patrol car has admitted causing death by dangerous driving. Malcolm Searles struck Sandra Simpson as he went to deliver a birthday card, Southwark Crown Court heard.Mrs Simpson, 61, died when the patrol car hit her on a street in Bromley, south-east London, last August. Searles, 24 and since sacked from the force, had also used sirens and blue lights during the errand.The court heard he had been driving at 50mph in a 30mph zone shortly before the crash, on 23 August. Mrs Simpson had been walking with her husband, Peter, in Homesdale Road when the accident happened. Searles, who w…

I have just had a look at the new recruitment process for Tayside police, It is now a overnight stay at Tulliallan (if successful) Day starts at 08:00 am until 15:00pm the next day. The whole process suddenly seems harder !!! anyone else looked?

A DRUG-dealing policeman who was supplying cocaine to friends in his local pub, while on secondment to the drugs unit of Lothian and Borders Police, has been jailed for 26 months. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, 29-year old Christopher McGinn, of Crichton Road, Pathhead, was told by Sheriff Roderick MacLeod that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. He said: "As a serving police officer at the time, you were duty bound to uphold society's values rather than subverting them." McGinn had pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at the Ship Inn, High Street, Musselburgh, between 4 October 2007, and 4 October 2008; and attempting to pe…

I hadn't heard this story anywhere in the UK media, but I did see it on CNN video: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world...ce.get.guns.cnn The report says that the MPS are introducing routinely armed police in certain neighbourhoods. Is this correct? I can't believe this slipped through unnoticed by the British media? Or have I just been a bit blind? By the way, I haven't been round these parts for a good long while (hello, by the way... nice to be back) so forgive me if I have posted a stry that's already up and running :D

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/25/p...emists-database Thousands of activists monitored on network of overlapping databases Obviously a popular idea, with a funding of 9 million.

Almost a third of council funding for Police Community Support Officers (PSCOs) in Somerset could be cut if plans are given the go-ahead. Lib Dem Taunton MP Jeremy Browne said he had seen draft budget proposals suggesting £129,000 could be slashed from Somerset County Council's budget. Leader of the opposition Lib Dems, Jill Shortland, said the cuts could affect a range of services offered by PCSOs. A council spokesperson said a decision had not yet been made. 'Crime anxiety' If the plans are passed, the cut could equate to six out of 16 PCSOs being cut. Mrs Shortland said PCSOs were not just powerless police officers, but provide a vital role in cutting crime and …

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8321425.stm

a derbyshire policeofficer was injured when a car failed to stop at the scene of an inspection the female officer tried to stop a yellow peugeot 306 at lidi in belmont street swadlincote at 16 25 bst the driver did not pull over the officer suffered head and arm injuries and was taken to queens hospital burton not thought to be life threatening i wish this officer a speedy recovery .