UK Policing News

By Caroline Mallan and Dhruti Shah BBC Panorama It is, in many respects, the stuff of childish playground spats - calling one another names, the tossing out of verbal insults. But gather in the British government's definition of 'a group' - more than one person - and toss those same insults about and you could be deemed by police to be in breach of Section four of the Public Order Act 1986. Gather in that same group and decline to inform the police in advance and you are in violation of Section 14 of that same act - the part that requires you to inform the authorities in advance if you plan to protest. Go a step further and refuse to give your name and address should…

The incoming president of the Association of Chief Police Officers is to warn cuts in the number of police officers is becoming a "reality". Sir Hugh Orde will say many police authorities are "feeling the strain" at a meeting in Manchester on Tuesday. He told the BBC the economic situation had put inevitable pressure on budgets. In his first speech as head of Acpo, Sir Hugh is also expected to criticise proposals to have publicly elected officials running police forces. He will warn of "real difficulties" if funding is further cut. Speaking to the BBC ahead of the meeting, Sir Hugh said: "We are now getting to a stage where we have squeezed and squeezed, and in any o…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...olice-warn.html Neo-Nazis are plotting a 'spectacular' terrorist attack on Britain to fuel racial tension, Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism officers fear. One good reason not to vote for this bunch, that first picture looks like something out of Mississippi Burning. And do not think for one minute that peace of history could not be replicated here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8134252.stm

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/news/2009/may/12...2009-093025.asp A ruthless roofer today became the first person in England and Wales to be sentenced at Crown Court for breaching new legislation after bullying a Cumbrian pensioner into paying over-the-odds for his roof work. Good sentencing, horrible little oink. :thumbsup:

A watchdog has said the Metropolitan Police's planning for the London G20 protests in April was inadequate. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said the force had responded well to some of the challenges posed by the world summit. But it said the force had not planned for the peaceful but highly disruptive Climate Camp in the City of London. One man died after the London protests and investigators are looking at other formal complaints about police actions. In his wide-ranging report, the inspector of constabulary Denis O'Connor said police tactics had been far too focused on tackling violence, such as the sporadic clashes outside the Bank of England, rather th…

Police officer in blackmail plot Cardiff Crown Court heard the blackmail plot was 'bizarre' A serving police officer was part of a conspiracy to blackmail thousands of pounds out of two different victims, a court heard. Ray Clarke offered to provide security against a fictitious threat in return for a payment of £24,000 from one of the victims, who was a businessman. The 40-year-old from Newport has pleaded guilty to blackmail and been dismissed from South Wales Police. He will now give evidence against three other people at Cardiff Crown Court. They are: Allan Cole, 45, Simon Somers, 48, and Anthony Holwell, also 48, who are all from Newport. Mr Holwell an…

any chance these could be steps towards merging forces at some point in the future

Link to article To be honest this article does not surprise me thieves nowadays will steal anything of value just to get there money for a fix etc Although the list of stolen items is pretty impressive

Man with store of ammo

Too many inexperienced police were on the front-line of London's G20 protests, according to a report by MPs. The Commons Home Affairs Committee said confidence in police had been damaged because of some officers' actions, despite the operation's successes. One man's death after contact with officers is being investigated, and other protesters have made complaints. The MPs said police must modify their behaviour in an age where their actions were easily filmed by the public. Some 35,000 people are thought to have taken part in the numerous protests in London during the world leaders' summit in April. Officers had to work some 10,000 shifts across the capital. The …

Police special chief is charged The Chief Special Constable for Hampshire Constabulary has been charged with theft and false accounting. Satbir Giany, 37, who was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, was suspended from the force on 13 October and resigned a day later. The two charges of theft and one of false accounting relate to alleged events which occurred off duty, police said. Mr Giany, who denies the charges, is due at Guildford Magistrates' Court. Mr Giany, who joined the Special Constabulary in 1989, was appointed chief officer, a voluntary post, in March. He had been based at Southampton's Central police station for the past seven years, havi…

Charges against London tube tourist snapper thrown out Win for photography rights By John Ozimek Posted in Policing, 19th May 2009 11:01 GMT Westminster Magistrates have dismissed charges of breaching the Public Order Act brought against a Greek tourist for taking photographs on the London Underground. Had the case gone differently, we would have been forced to revisit our long-cherished assumption that the law does not restrict the right to photograph in the UK. On 17 April, 53-year-old Athenian Pericles Antoniou was on his way to a photo exhibition at the Tate Modern Gallery. En route - and as he claims, in good spirits - he started taking photos of other people o…