UK Policing News

It's not a recent story (it's from March 2013) but I couldn't find any reference to it here and it's flagging up as a popular news item on the BBC website at the moment! Guerilla knitting in Leicester 'to reduce crime fear' Many of the decorations were strung up as part of a community event Hundreds of pom-poms and knitted items have been strung from trees and lampposts to help reduce the fear of crime in an area of Leicester. Leicestershire Police hope the "guerilla knitting" or "yarn bombing" will encourage more people to use Bede Park and Great Central Way. Some of the park's users told BBC Radio Leicester the items - including tree warmers - do not m…

Serious offenders will no longer pay for their crimes with just a caution, the justice secretary has announced. Chris Grayling said he was scrapping the use of simple cautions in England and Wales for crimes such as rape, manslaughter and robbery. Last year, 493 cautions were issued for crimes that would have been heard at crown court if they had gone to trial. The Association of Chief Police Officers said cautions for such crimes were used in exceptional circumstances. However, Mr Grayling said that the fact some of the most serious crimes resulted in "just a slap of the wrist" was "unacceptable and unfair". Simple cautions, issued at the discretion of police, are a…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24320717 Class A drugs should be decriminalised and drug addicts "treated and cared for not criminalised", according to a senior UK police officer. Writing in the Observer, Chief Constable Mike Barton of Durham Police said prohibition had put billions of pounds into the hands of criminals. He said a controlled environment would be a more successful way of tackling the issue. Mr Barton suggested this could be done through the NHS. 'Route of supply' The chief constable said he believed decriminalisation of Class A drugs would take away the income of dealers and destroy their power. He said: "If an addict were able to access drugs via the …

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-19777261

Carl Anderson and a still image from amateur footage of his attempted escape from police A prolific Birmingham burglar who crushed a police officer into a lamppost in a desperate attempt to escape has been jailed for 12 years. Carl Anderson, 50, of Osbourne Close, Aston, reversed his car across an Erdington road at up to 35mph, with the engine screaming and tyres screeching, as Pc Peter McGinn clung to the driver's side door trying to grab the keys. Judge Melbourne Inman QC, sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court, told Anderson: "You deliberately reversed the car at speed such that the open door was smashed against a lamppost with such force it broke the hinges and folde…

Damian Green having a go at the Police again. He now wants police officers to 'tick off' as he puts it, yobs, criminals etc, rather than charging them, for what he terms 'low level crime'.(no where does he define low level). We can see what he is doing here, 20 crimes recorded for crims arrested, pushing up crime figures. Just 'tick off' 20 criminals, no crime recorded, he can then tell all and sundry that crime is falling. Nice one Damian, unfortunately most of us can see through you and your brilliant ideas.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2435047/Burglar-Carl-Anderson-jailed-smashing-policeman-lamppost-reversing-car-door-open.html - At last some Judges are getting the prison terms more realistic, the Pondlife should have got 15, but 12 will do for now. I hope the PC eventually completely recovers and can get back to work

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24298661 Looks like the officers involved in this case cast a wide net, and their efforts got this fish loving student off the hook.

What is wrong with our youth today when they go out and commit this type of crime. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-24217343

This happened just down the hill from where I live in Exmouth. http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/UPDATE-Police-confirm-pellet-gun-fired-neighbours/story-19830106-detail/story.html?fb_action_ids=10201426083886266&fb_action_types=og.likes

Another round of cuts with no recruitment says Fahy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-24202387 http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/spending-cuts-could-force-greater-6078808 I DO LIKE THE SHORT POLL AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE ASKING WHETHER THE CUTS WILL CAUSE CRIME TO INCREASE. At time of posting 86% yes and 14% no. The force must find further savings worth nearly £66m and the cuts will fall on frontline officers, who have been protected until now. GMP could be forced to axe up to 700 more officer posts under George Osborne’s latest round of cost-cutting, it has emerged. The force must find further savings worth …

I note from the media today that Mrs Milliband will be joining her husband on his barn-storming tour of UK in the run up to the next election. I am sure it is very proper that a wife should support her husband's job but what I find interesting is that she is a barrister (apparently having given up her childhood dream of being an actress?). Now what really interests me is the fact that she, along with other politicians' wives, make a living from the law - at least its disreputable side - The Bar. It seems wholly inappropriate that politicians wives who make a fortune from others' misfortunes should be joining the political fray! Or maybe I'm just being over-sensitive to th…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24208066

I'm rather torn about this. This chap is obviously a danger to other road users so I can't understand why he's not got a lifetime ban. I also think that the sanction seems light but I'm not sure what else you could do. If the evidence shows it really was carelessness and someone winds up dead, what else could fit and just how much punishment should the law support. After all, someone's died.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-23853920 My opinion only I don't see this was good policing by what the officers done.