UK Policing News

An innovative police cape based on those worn by officers in Victorian times has proved a winning design in a competition to help shape new uniforms. London College of Fashion students were asked to come up with designs as part of a review by the Metropolitan (Met) Police into men and women's uniforms. The winning women's design included trousers that can be adjusted to be worn high or low on the hip. Experts will now consider whether the designs can go into production. Eight designs were shortlisted in the competition and paraded before senior officers on Monday. Most of the ideas focused on improving fine details of uniforms such as accessories, pockets, colla…

Community fixers", who deal out underworld justice on the behalf of clients, are being used instead of police, a senior policeman has said. The father of footballer Steven Gerrard has admitted he turned to a "fixer" to stop a gangster terrorising his son. Matt Baggott, chief constable of Leicester, told Radio 5 Live that it would be "naive" to believe that the practice did not exist. But, he said, it was not widespread and police had not abandoned some areas. 'Gangster justice' Mr Baggott was talking during a discussion about "gangster justice" on the Donal MacIntyre show. The programme claimed the use of such fixers was happening throughout the UK. It said …

Merseyside Police host 48th National Police Dog Trials Merseyside Police is putting the finishing touches into its preparations to host the 48th National Police Dog Trials 2008 next week. The public are invited to come along and watch the 24 top Police Dogs in the UK competing for the grand title of National Police Dog Champion 2008, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week (29 April - 1 May)*, at Riversdale Police Club in Aigburth. The dogs, that come from forces across the UK, can be seen competing in a number of work related events which will enable them to show their skills in agility, obedience, heelwork, chasing and bringing down a fleeing subject and disarm…

Do these TAGS work at all, or a cheap option? Thug wearing electronic tag stabbed teenager to death after downing five litres of alcopops By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 4:53 PM on 25th April 2008 Brutal: Rikki Johnson was in breach of a curfew order when he stabbed teenager Lewis Singleton to death Brutal: Rikki Johnson was in breach of a curfew order when he stabbed teenager Lewis Singleton to death A brutal thug who murdered a teenager was wearing an electronic tag and being monitored for the probation service when he carried out the killing. Rikki Johnson was also in breach of a strict curfew when he stabbed 18-year-old Lewis Singleton in a vicious gan…

Two men who "frogmarched" a teenager into a flooded clay pit and beat him with sticks and stones until he drowned were jailed for five-and-a-half years today. Shane Owoo, 16, had been forced in to the water for a "punishment swim" by the pair and a third attacker after the "vigilante" gang accused him of stealing a bicycle. A court heard how up to 20 witnesses stood by and watched as the teenager - who could barely swim - desperately battled to escape from the water. His body was recovered from Lunt Pool in Bilston, West Midlands, a day after the attack in September last year. Some of Shane's family stormed out of Birmingham Crown Court in disgust after learning C…

Where does one place this story, News section or Canteen? Authorities in Canada are investigating how a man who was Tasered during a disturbance managed to have his trousers set on fire by the stun-gun. The incident occurred in Hamilton, Ontario, when police were called to a disturbance in an apartment on Thursday. Frank Phillips, a spokesman for Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which looks into police-related injuries and deaths, said: 'During the interaction, an officer discharged his Taser. A flammable object the man had in the waistband of his pants ignited.' http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?...mp;in_page_id=2 If trouses fell down, and he wawsn`…

BBC News Oh dear!

Just thought i would bring this to your attention for anyone looking to claim back credit card charges or bank charges going back for the last 6 years! BBC NEWS Banks lose overdraft charges case Mr Justice Andrew Smith Mr Justice Andrew Smith's decision will affect millions of bank customers The UK's biggest banks have lost a test case about overdraft charges. A judge has decided that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) can rule on the fairness of the charges, which many customers have been trying to reclaim. Mr Justice Andrew Smith said his judgement did not necessarily mean the charges were unfair. But the decision opens the door for the OFT to demand that banks cu…

Criminologists said last night that a mixture of better security, better policing and a more robust economy lies behind Home Office figures published yesterday showing a 12% fall in police recorded crime. The recorded crime rate in England and Wales has now fallen or remained flat for 17 successive quarters, since March 2004. This sustained reduction now appears to be accelerating, with the 12% fall for the final quarter of 2007 compared with 12 months previously following cuts of 3%, 7% and 9% in previous quarters. The figures show the police recorded 5.054m offences in 2007 - 684,000 fewer than in 2006. The largest falls are: robbery, down 21%; car crime, down 19%; cr…

What about all the stories we hear about how naughty the police are as we speed all the time. Sometimes without the blue lights and sirens. Just to clear up to members of the public who may be unaware. Section 87 Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 exempts certain emergency vehicles from speed limits if observance would hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose it was being used for on that occasion. Basically, if sticking to the speed limits would hinder the emergency/incident, then the police (and other services outlined in Section 87) then they can speed. This means that * Blue lights do not have to be used * Sirens do not have to be used * If a po…