UK Policing News

A schoolboy brandishes an AK-47 assault rifle on a suburban railway platform at teatime. In pictures captured on closed circuit television, he loads the Kalashnikov, lifts it to his shoulder and aims it at a terrified construction worker. But even though the workman's boss immediately dialled 999, a dispute between Greater Manchester Police and their colleagues in the British Transport Police left the boys free to travel to a nearby station and escape. Ballistics experts have since examined the CCTV footage and say the weapon appears to be real. David Wood, a crane driver, who was working opposite the station, said he watched in horror as one teenager took the AK47…

Between 500 and 600 people die every year in state custody in England and Wales, a report due out later will say. The figures, seen by the BBC, were compiled for the first time by the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody. They cover deaths in prisons, police cells, secure hospitals and other establishments and include those from natural causes, suicides and murders. The forum was established to help cut deaths in custody - but campaigners say it is toothless and lacks resources. The report is the first time figures from across the criminal justice system have been brought together for a complete look at deaths in state custody. Toothless The aim of the forum is to…

GMP report that a PCSO has been killed while on patrol having been involved in a collision whilst riding his pedal cycle... A Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been killed in a road traffic collision in the Hindley Green area of GMP on Monday 10 September 2007. Shortly after 10am, police were called to the junction of Atherton Road and Leigh Road in Hindley Green following a report that a wagon had been in collision with a cyclist. Emergency services were called to the scene where they discovered that a 21-year-old cyclist had died. Although the cyclist has not yet been formally identified, it is believed he was a PCSO based at Hindley police station who…

Can anyone help me? I'm in the process of preparing for an intertview with armed response. Has anyone any tips on how I should conduct myself, answer the questions etc. Are there any specific areas of questioning that I need to concentrate on? Cheers Toby

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6980264.stm

Why do we bother? What is the world coming to? SKY NEWS

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1179112007 Don't know about anyone else but I would be hard pushed to strike over pay or anything else. Maybe that's where some of the problems lie in the job.

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA Dear Prime Minister, We are sure you will be receiving numerous letters on becoming Prime Minister but we wanted to take this opportunity to send our congratulations. Last week we had the opportunity to listen to your first substantive speech on policing matters at the ACPO conference. We were particularly pleased you believe there is no greater obligation for the Government than to support the police discharging our vital duty. We are truly proud to represent a uniquely brave, talented and dedicated workforce of 140,000 officers. From tackling anti-social behaviour at level one, to terro…

I know these things hardly make the news back in GB but I'm sure you will join me in wishing the PSNI officer a speedy recovery. Thankfully his injuries do not appear major: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6910519.stm

Hi everyone, I start my training next week, and I’m eager to read up on news events that have influenced the police over the last few decades. I’m thinking of examples like the Lawrence enquiry, the Oldham/Burnley/Bradford riots, the poll tax demonstrations etc. I’ve been googling with not much success – any text I find tends to be pretty hard to read. I’d like to build up my general knowledge in these sorts of areas. Does anyone have any suggestions/links etc? Thanks.