UK Policing News

Dale Cregan was jailed for life for the murders of two unarmed policewomen and a father and son (Greater Manchester Police/PA) One-eyed police killer Dale Cregan has gone on hunger strike in an apparent bid to be moved to another prison. The 30-year-old was jailed for life in June for the ruthless murders of two unarmed policewomen and a father and son. He is now refusing food at HMP Full Sutton, near York, reportedly in an attempt to get transferred to Strangeways prison in Manchester. Jonathan Reynolds, Stalybridge and Hyde MP, told the Daily Mirror he believes Cregan is just trying to grab people's attention. Mr Reynolds said: "He is clearly proud of the reputation …

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10364012/Victim-suing-police-for-taking-too-long-to-arrive.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-24548381

The English Defence League's leader has been arrested as he attempted to go to Woolwich to lay flowers for Drummer Lee Rigby. Tommy Robinson was detained on suspicion of obstructing police as he tried to enter the London borough of Tower Hamlets on the way to Woolwich. The co-leader of the EDL, Kevin Carroll, was also arrested. http://news.sky.com/story/1109545/edl-leader-arrested-amid-woolwich-tribute-bid

Regular officers for GMP used to get free transport on the Metrolink, I don't know if they still do. The tram system doesn't have a guard on-board, they rely on random and infrequent inspections. I think they'd keep the network safer and generate more revenue if they had one guard per tram. Some Metrolink inspectors are designated under CSAS and have additional powers to fine you for littering and other such offences. They can also detain an offender, using force if necessary, where the offence is ticket evasion.

The latest one! Footage of a man making alleged threats to kill and aiming "grotesque racist insults" at another passenger on a train is being examined by police. The video, partly uploaded to YouTube, shows a man on a train in Brighton referring to a passenger who woke him up as monkey, gorilla and mongrel. Other passengers tell the man, who claims in the video not to be a racist, to "shut up" and "sit down". British Transport Police said officers believed they had identified a suspect. The passenger who filmed the clip does not want to be named. He said the verbal attack took place after the victim, sitting in a window seat, woke a man sitting next to him so he c…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5-E_tikSXfc

Dialling 999 does not boost phone battery Credit: Ian West/PA Wire A myth has apparently been circulating over the last year which suggests that dialling 999 from a mobile and immediately disconnecting will charge the battery. Derbyshire Police has today appealed to phone users not to believe this rumour. A spokesperson said: "There is no way any mobile phone battery can be boosted by anything other than a normal charger. We have received several silent 999 calls recently which have turned out to be people who are trying to get more charge on their phone. Every time we get a silent or aborted 999 call we have to spend time ringing that person back to ensu…

Avon & Somerset Police Chief Constable Nick Gargan approves the move but rights groups raise concerns. Avon & Somerset Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have been handed powers allowing them to detain and search people. The 384 PCSOs in the region will now be able to hold someone for 30 minutes, having been given the authority by Chief Constable Nick Gargan. Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens asked him to consider the move earlier this year. Mr Gargan said: "That power of detention allows a PCSO to keep somebody with them for up to 30 minutes, pending the arrival of an officer and pending a decision of whether to transform that detention…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-24202387 Greater Manchester Police could axe up to 700 officer postsGreater Manchester Police (GMP) could axe up to 700 police officer posts to save an estimated £66m from its budget, it has been announced. The cuts, which make up 20% of its budget, are due to come into force over a three-year period from 2014-2015. GMP will not replace police officers who retire or leave and a recruitment freeze will be put in place. Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said it was the "biggest challenge GMP has ever faced". Policing review Sir Peter said: "It has big implications for the way our staff operate and about the co-operation …

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2434776/Police-chief-constable-Jacqui-Cheer-fails-fitness-test-officers-beat.html Plodding along! £140,000-a-year police chief constable fails fitness test for officers on the beat The police chief who helped catch the Suffolk Strangler has become the first Chief Constable to fail to meet the new police fitness targets. Jacqui Cheer, boss of the Cleveland force, is believed to be the highest ranking officer to flunk the bleep test - while trying to set an example to her staff. The force admitted she scored 4.2 on the test, compared to the 5.4 her rank and file officers will need to ensure their jobs are safe when the fitness …

Hung-over police are 'phoning in sick, says chief constable A chief constable has disclosed his own officers are faking illness because they have hangovers. Stephen Kavanagh, chief constable of Essex Police, promised a crackdown on sickness levels in his force, where each officer takes an average of 12 days’ sick leave a year. Mr Kavanagh said a “small group” of officers were abusing the process, including some who would telephone in sick after what he described as a “heavy night”. “If you look at the overall numbers, compared to other forces, there is a group - a small group, but a group nonetheless - abusing the process,” he said. “If they can’t get time off, they t…

More than 160 passengers were prosecuted, with most dodgers ending up paying £280 including the fine and charges Trams backed up in Manchester city centre after a Metrolink faultThe Mighty Pebble (@themightypebble) on Twitter More than 160 Metrolink fare dodgers were ordered to pay a total of nearly £37,000 in one day of court hearings. Excuses given by tram passengers which were read out in court ranged from having no money or being ‘skint’, to losing the ticket, running late or ‘the tram had just arrived before I had a chance’ to buy a ticket. One man told the ticket inspector he didn’t believe in paying for public transport, while another said he though…

If there is an amendment to the law I would want it to cover everybody not just the police.