UK Policing News

In response to an announcement by the Home Office that police forces across England and Wales and front line agencies will receive an £18 million cash boost from seized assets, Mick Creedon, Chief Constable of Derbyshire Constabulary and ACPO lead on asset recovery, said: “Police forces across the country are making more and more use of the powers to seize assets from criminals and we are seeing the impact this activity can have in terms crime reduction and community confidence. The public are tired of seeing criminals leading lavish lifestyles without challenge and all forces are determined to respond to this and make full use of the available powers granted under th…

By Peter Griffiths Reuters - Saturday, June 21 10:52 amLONDON (Reuters) - Some of Britain's most dangerous criminals could be freed after a court ruled that defendants should know the identity of witnesses testifying against them, a senior policemen said on Saturday. (Advertisement) Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates said he had "grave concerns" that criminals could walk free because witnesses would be too scared to give evidence. A recent ruling in the House of Lords could lead to a series of appeals by people who have been convicted on anonymous evidence, he said. Yates said the government must draft emergency legis…

BBC News So is it time for a police 'championship league' or a standard approach in all forces throughout the country? Would 'foundation status' actually mean 'common-sense' policing or an opportunity for Chief Constables to 'write their own political agenda'?

BBC News 200 hours community service - appropriate?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...Khabarovsk.html

Son forgives father over tip-off BBC News A teenager says he has forgiven his father for informing police after bullets were found in his bedroom. Paul Metcalfe, 19, from Nelson, Lancashire, now faces up to five years in jail after he was convicted at Burnley Crown Court. His father discovered 11 bullets in the room and called the police - who found a firearm under the bed. Neil Metcalfe, 43, says he has no regrets about telling the police. His son will be sentenced on Thursday. The 19-year-old appeared in court on Wednesday but the case was adjourned. Mr Metcalfe told the BBC it was not really much of a dilemma for him after finding the ammunition. He said: "How…

A 43-year-old serving police officer has died after being hit by a train at a level crossing on farmland in Kent. The train was travelling at 80mph when the incident happened at the Broadley crossing between Herne Bay and Birchington at 1025 BST. British Transport Police said the train was travelling at 80mph when the driver spotted the man on the line about 100m (328ft) ahead. A spokesman said there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances. The Ramsgate to London service had 85 people on board but none was injured, although the train was damaged in the collision. Passengers were left in their carriages for almost three hours while emergency services turned off the…

Home Office staff spent almost £11million on taxis, hotels and flights last year. The bill - picked up by the taxpayer - has rocketed by almost 50 per cent in only three years. Taxis alone cost the public £900,000 in 2007/08, up 30-fold from the £30,000 spent in 1997/98. Meanwhile the bill for overseas hotels reached £4,318,000, a rise of 167 per cent from 2004-05, when the cost was £1,614,000. It comes at a time when Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is forcing police to take an effective pay increase of only 1.9 per cent. The total saving from refusing to pay the country's 140,000 police the full 2.5 per cent rise agreed at independent arbitration was only £30mi…

A man and two youths jailed for life for killing a disabled man have had their minimum sentences cut. Brent Martin, 23, who had learning difficulties, was kicked to death on Sunderland's Town End Farm estate. William Hughes, 22, Marcus Miller, 16, and Stephen Bonallie, 17, were each jailed for between 15 and 22 years. Disability group Scope said the decision to reduce the terms by up to three years sent out the wrong message about crimes against disabled people. The Court of Appeal said the "starting point" for Hughes should have been 15 years, not 30, and reduced each of the tariffs. The sentences for Hughes and Bonallie were cut by three years, and Miller's by…

BBC News

Foreign gangsters in the East Midlands are being caught by police using "Al Capone" style tactics. A special team of officers is working with immigration staff to thwart foreign criminals. Unable to convict the suspected criminals in connection with drugs and gun offences, the team is using immigration laws to trap their targets. Immigration minister Liam Byrne compared the strategy to the way police caught Al Capone by using tax laws. It's a bit like Al Capone in Chicago...in the 1930s. They actually busted him for a tax offence Liam Byrne The new East Midlands' Foreign National Crime Team includes 27 police officers from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Li…

Source BBC News: BBC News Online maps to show local crime Interview with crime and communities adviser Louise Casey Online maps with crimes plotted on them every month are set to be introduced in England and Wales, Gordon Brown says. The prime minister said that although crime had fallen "too many people don't believe the system is on their side". Mr Brown also backed plans to create "community crime fighters" - people such as tenant groups given cash and training to help tackle crime. The PM was responding to a Cabinet Office report suggesting people felt "cut off" from the justice system. Louise Casey's paper said criminals' punishment needs to be much more "visi…