UK Policing News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7543790.stm Includes video.

BBC News For some strange reason I can't copy and paste the relevant section from the website (I'm on my dodgy computer at work which could explain it) - to summarise, the victim was acting the clown in court and ended up getting jail-time for it. Pet hate of mine, nothing worse than taking the time to look presentable and act correctly whilst giving evidence, then have a bunch of numpties come in and treat the whole thing like a joke. Nice one Judge Rae!

Alert as snake escapes from home The 6ft-long boa constrictor escaped from a house on Sunday evening People in Kent have been told to keep their doors and windows shut after a boa constrictor escaped from a home. The 6ft (1.8m) snake, which is brown with black markings, went missing from a property in Tappen Drive, St Mary's Island, in Medway on Sunday evening. Kent Police think the reptile could be on the look out for somewhere warm and damp to hide, as it had been fed before it disappeared. Officers urged anyone who spotted the snake to call police immediately. Insp Dave Coleman said: "At the moment we are seeking advice from zoos, particularly how the publi…

George not guilty of Dando murder Barry George has been found not guilty of murdering BBC television presenter Jill Dando outside her London home. Mr George, 48, of Fulham, west London, denied shooting 37-year-old Miss Dando on her doorstep on 26 April 1999. He was retried at the Old Bailey, having first faced trial for the killing in 2001. His defence argued he was not capable of carrying out what could be seen as the "perfect crime" that required "meticulous" planning. Mr George has consistently insisted he did not murder Jill Dando. He was arrested on 15 May 2000, a year after the shooting. Forensic evidence about a tiny speck of gun residue in Barry Georg…

http://www.shotspotter.com/ This is being tested in the UK, anyone know more details?

Young men and women caught up in alcohol-related violence should expect prison sentences, a senior judge warned yesterday. Judge Graham Cottle said that even those who have never been in trouble before will go to jail if they are found guilty of violent disorder in his court. He believes a 'zero-tolerance' policy is necessary to make town centres safe. He blamed cheap alcohol and social problems for binge drinking and pointed to the increasing number of young women involved in heavy drinking and violent attacks. He also singled out Labour's 24-hour drinking rules. Licensing laws, he said, had been 'relaxed to the point where there aren't any'. The tough line f…

Grampian Police has apologised for "humiliating" a woman handcuffed while violently resisting arrest. The woman made five complaints to the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland (PCCS). They were mainly rejected, but the force has now apologised after a female officer ignored a request for a doctor. The officer patted her own pockets and said she did not keep one on her. The commissioner's report claimed the woman "felt humiliated by the response". Two officers were cleared of using excessive force while arresting the woman in July last year, but have been told they should have explained why they were shouting at her. The force said it had investigated the…

I saw this on local BBC news this morning so i thought i'd post it as we don't really hear much about operations involving specials. Having said that i can't find it on the BBC website http://www.southyorks.police.uk/news/detai...?releaseId=1341

"Man dies in 'sickening' shooting John Rouse Mr Rouse was shot in what police described as a 'sickening crime' A man has been "callously" shot dead in his own home in East Yorkshire. Police found the body of John Rouse, 45, at his flat in Westerdale Grove, Hull, on Thursday. A post-mortem examination has shown that Mr Rouse died of gunshot wounds, Humberside Police said. His family are being supported by officers. Appealing for witnesses to come forward, Det Supt Ray Higgins said: "This is a sickening crime. This man was callously shot and shown no mercy." " Source : BBC Humber "Drug dealer found 'gunned down' in his own home 11:00 - 01-August-2008 A CONVICTED d…

Schools 'should have own police' Every school should have a dedicated police officer available to them to help cut violent crime, England's Schools Minister Lord Adonis has said. Schools in more challenging areas could benefit particularly from help from police, the minister said. Some 450 schools already have designated officers in schools. Others share them with a group of schools. Lord Adonis told delegates at education union Voice's annual conference that sc…

Watchdog 'to probe PCSO series' A government-funded documentary about police community support officers is to be probed by media watchdog Ofcom, the Sunday Telegraph has reported. ITV1 show Beat: Life on the Street may have breached broadcasting codes by not making it clear it received £800,000 in Home Office funding, the paper said. Ofcom rules say show sponsors must be clearly identified and not allowed to influence the content of programmes. A Home Office spokesman said he was confident Ofcom rules were followed. Two series of Beat: Life on the Street have been broadcast on ITV1, while a third has reportedly been commissioned. Another programme called Border …

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-ne...-name_page.html A DISGRACED ex-Northumbria Police officer yesterday told how his 21-year career was ruined by shoplifting – for just £6.87 of groceries. Adrian Ingram spoke of his distress at the petty offence that cost him 21 years of service with the force. Yesterday at Durham Crown Court, the 40-year-old admitted shoplifting from a Spar store. And speaking to The Journal after the hearing, Ingram said it was a moment of madness committed when he was under stress at home. He said: “My life is in ruins after this stupid offence. “For the sake of stealing goods worth £6, I have lost my pension, which was worth tho…

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/New...3A42%3A58%3A683 Ok, he was a silly old sod to have the knife with him while going into a court but do you all think that it should have gone this far? Would it have been any different if an officer had happened to have stopped and found this knife whilst he were out on the street?

New laws coming into force today will give homeowners and 'have-a-go-heroes' defending themselves greater confidence, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said today. The self defence provisions of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 will make clear to the public, prosecutors and the police that those who use reasonable force to protect themselves or others should not be prosecuted. As long as they use no more force than absolutely necessary, people should have confidence that the law will support them, so long as: * they acted instinctively; * they feared for their safety or that of others, and acted based on their perception of the threat faced and the scale of …

Rushdie anger at policeman's book Sir Salman Rushdie is threatening to sue a former police bodyguard who has written a book about protecting the author while he was in hiding. The award-winning writer is furious at the way he has been portrayed by Ron Evans in On Her Majesty's Service. Mr Evans was among the officers who guarded Sir Salman after The Satanic Verses led to death threats in 1989. The author told BBC News the claims were "a bunch of lies" and he was seriously considering legal action. Sir Salman said the book was defamatory and is demanding that the offending chapters be removed. The Booker Prize-winning author received police protection after a fatwa w…