Search the Community

DISTRESSING CONTENT WARNING: Steve Selwood was four times over the limit when he ran the woman over, the court heard. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1769756/drunk-driver-pensioner-cyclist-surrey What a pathetic sentence the judge gave to this drink driver should have got a longer sentence.

A former PCSO has been jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to 33 offences of making, taking or distributing indecent images of children. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12027355/Surrey-PCSO-guilty-taking-child-abuse-images-jailed-six-years.html

A female police officer lied about her sergeant lover's controlling behaviour in the knowledge it would lead to his arrest, a court has heard. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11803725/Female-police-officer-lied-sergeant-lovers-controlling-behaviour-court-hears.html

Pictures show the moment a mother and gender-critical Catholic was arrested in her home over online posts considered to be 'malicious'. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11282263/Moment-police-swoop-house-devout-catholic-mother-malicious-online-posts.html

A police officer has been rushed to hospital after being attacked by a group of youths he was investigating for a possible breach of Covid-19 guidelines. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-officer-attacked-by-youths-caught-breaking-social-distancing-guidance-a4447926.html

Force threatened police watchdog with judicial review over directed misconduct hearing. Chief Constable Nick Ephgrave Date - 12th October 2018 By - Ian Weinfass at the Police Federation Detective Forum Conference, Manchester 3 Comments A senior officer threatened the police watchdog with judicial review over an attempt it made to put two officers through gross misconduct proceedings. Surrey Chief Constable Nick Ephgrave revealed this week that he warned the former IPCC that they would face a robust legal challenge if they continued in an attempt to take action against a detective inspector and detective sergeant. After a suspect in a domestic abuse case in east Surrey was bailed, he seriously assaulted his victim. CC Ephgrave said: “It was very serious, nearly a murder. Because of that, it’s a DSI [death or serious injury incident] so we have to inform the IPCC. They come in and do an investigation and they come to me and say you need to put these two blokes on a gross misconduct board because of their decision-making, so I […] went through all their rationale and thought, you know what, I’d have done exactly the same thing. “I wrote back to the IPCC and they said I don’t agree, I’m not doing it. Then the IPCC took a position where they said we’re directing gross misconduct.” The watchdog, now called the Independent Office for Police Conduct, has the power to tell forces to hold misconduct hearings. This has proved controversial at times, including a recent case where a Metropolitan Police detective sergeant faced a hearing over allegations he stole money during a search. There was no evidence in the case apart from the word of the alleged victim, who a panel chairman called “contradictory, evasive and inconsistent”. The Met and IOPC have also had a war of words over the watchdog’s direction to hold a misconduct hearing against "W80", the officer who shot Jermaine Baker during an operation near Wood Green Crown Court. CC Ephgrave said: “I had a little chat to my deputy and we decided we’d write back and say well we’re not going to accept the direction and if you’re going to really push it, we’ll take it to judicial review.” The chief constable, who was speaking at the Police Federation National Detective Forum Seminar in Manchester, said the watchdog then backed down. He said: “Our business - your business - is about making difficult decisions, sometimes life or death decisions, with an imperfect set of information in a changing environment so sooner or later something is going to go wrong isn’t it? It doesn’t mean to say you’ve done anything wrong. “I want to push this message with my people that as long as you record your rationale and as long as it’s not bonkers, and it never is in my view, if the worst were to happen, sometimes that’s policing, sometimes that happens. “We work really hard and do our best, sometimes that’s the business we’re in.” He said that getting the watchdog to see that’s how policing works is sometimes difficult, but he hopes that now the organisation has changed to become the Independent Office for Police Conduct, things may be different. Surrey Police Federation secretary Paul Campbell told Police Oracle after the speech: “If you make the wrong decision, but for the right reason, he will stand by you - as long as you’re honest. View On Police Oracle

Simon Macartney was employed by South East Ambulance NHS Trust as Driving Standards Manager and was responsible for the driving standards of Ambulance drivers who attend 999 calls. https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/man-who-lied-qualifications-job-14449837

AN OVERWEIGHT policewoman was forced to resign following pressure on her to pass a “bleep test” fitness exam, an employment tribunal was told today. Full Story - The Sun Surely it is a reasonable requirement for a police officer to pass a fitness test?

Surrey Police morale is falling with officers saying they have 'just had enough' Out of 926 respondents, which is almost half of the total number of the county's officers, more than 730 officers said they would leave their job for another with the same salary Morale at Surrey Police is falling, with more than 730 officers saying they would leave their job for another with the same salary. A survey seen by Get Surrey conducted by the Surrey Police Federation asked its members: “If you could leave the job tomorrow and earn the same salary, would you?” Out of the 926 respondents, which is almost half of the total number of the county’s officers (around 1950), 79% said yes. Mike Dodds, chairman of the federation, said it was a shocking result, and that it has increased from 12 months ago when the same question resulted in a 73% ‘yes’ response. There was a difference in response based on years of service, with 66% of officers in the role for five years or less responding yes. For officers who had been serving for 16 to 20 years, 86% of those who took the survey said they would leave their job for another with the same salary. Mr Dodds said: “A few years ago it was practically unheard of for officers to resign and find other work. “Now many officers speak quite openly regarding their plans. “The fact that two out of three officers with less than five years of police service would leave is a very telling statistic. “The changes to police pay and pensions, the incredible cuts to police funding in this country and the drip drip of negative press stories have a big impact on officers’ morale and the way they view the job. “In addition to these factors officers can find themselves investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for years at a time, often ending with no action taken against the officer or words of advice being given. “Is it any wonder that officers are looking elsewhere for a fulfilling career? “The vast majority of officers I speak to joined up to make a difference. Simply put, they want to catch the bad guys and help the good guys but, nationally, this is becoming increasingly difficult.” Mr Dodds said that officers also spend a huge proportion of their time dealing with people suffering from mental health and missing persons, which he said could be dealt with by other agencies. “In September 2013 the home secretary, Theresa May, announced that the police had just one target, to reduce crime,” he said. “Policing is much more complicated than that one sound bite but we don’t get the funding to reflect the complex nature of policing in the 21st century. “Ultimately, officers have just had enough,” The county’s police and crime commissioner, Kevin Hurley, said part of the reason officers feel they would leave their job for another is a lack of support from the Home Secretary. “Over recent years, almost on a daily basis, their most senior leader, that is the home secretary, publicly vilifies them or kicks them for often incidents that are very historical,” Mr Hurley said. “It causes them to question their own sense of value. “Since we ask them to confront bad people, in the dark, on their own, on our behalf, it worries me a lot, and we, the residents of Surrey, should be most concerned about that. “In the county, not only are all these factors relevant, but because Surrey is more expensive they cannot afford to rent property in the county. “Whilst most of them won’t leave, what it tells you is how they feel about their job. “I personally after doing 30 years in the police, with the current package, I wouldn’t now join and I’m passionate about it.” Surrey Police deputy chief constable Nick Ephgrave said with the on-going cuts to police budgets nationally every force is having to make difficult financial choices, and times of austerity and change can impact morale. “In Surrey we continue working to involve officers in change wherever possible and explain the reasoning behind decisions which affect them through various engagement events and forums,” he said. “The force took some bold early steps in budget savings on estates, reducing senior management numbers and exploring collaboration which has left us in a more positive position than many and going forward we are now investing in new equipment and training for officers. “It is difficult balancing act trying to sustain both service and morale and one we continue to navigate. “We will work with the Police Federation and Superintendents Association representatives to try and address concerns and welcome their support and co-operation as we work together through these difficult times.” http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-police-morale-falling-officers-8893904

Victims should report crime online to help cut the number of 999 calls, the Home Secretary declared yesterday. Theresa May said using the internet would save police money and free up officers for frontline work. Already being tested at two forces, the scheme would cover non-emergency cases such as criminal damage and minor theft. Campaigners warned however that online reporting would further reduce face-to-face contact between police and public at a time when many local stations have closed. There are also fears it might give officers an excuse not to visit crime scenes or even ignore offences entirely. The Home Office stressed that victims of serious crimes, including rape, burglary and assault, should still dial 999. Mrs May said: ‘The growth in the internet has transformed other services – from shopping to banking – and it is right to give victims and witnesses greater choice over how they report issues to the police.’ She said the measure could cut police costs by £3.7million and free up an estimated 180,000 officer hours a year – potentially putting more bobbies on the beat. The Home Office, which is working on a prototype with the Surrey and Sussex police forces, says the scheme will go nationwide within months. Some forces already allow victims to report offences via the web but this initiative would create a one-size-fits-all system for England and Wales. Mrs May insisted victims of crimes such as burglaries and rapes should still call 999, but one force which has developed its own online service includes stalking, domestic abuse and sex offences in its system Ministers have not yet drawn up a definitive list of offences suitable for reporting online. The online crime reports would be studied by police staff who would decide how to respond. Before the 101 police number was launched – also to reduce 999 calls – research revealed that 80 per cent of emergency calls did not need an urgent response. But in just 12 months more than a million 101 callers failed to get through and many were left hanging on for more than an hour. David Green, director of the Civitas think-tank, said: ‘The problem with dealing with a screen rather than talking to a person is that it depersonalises the experience. ‘It feels like you are a crime statistic instead of asking the police to act in defence of the public. ‘At a time when confidence in the police is falling, it would be better if the police were advised to maximise their contact with the public and not to go in search of devices which mean they have as little contact as possible, even if it does save money.’ But Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘New measures to encourage people to report crimes are very welcome. ‘Sometimes people will feel more comfortable contacting police in this way, especially if they can do so anonymously.’ But campaigners fear the move could give police an excuse to not attend crime scenes themselves, or to ignore call-outs entirely. And Mark Castle, of the charity Victim Support, said: ‘Giving victims more choice and control over their journey through the criminal justice system is something we would of course welcome.’ Policing Minister Mike Penning said: ‘Smartphones, tablets and internet devices are opening up new opportunities for the way people contact the police and forces need to be ready.’ In the past three years, an estimated 264 police station counters have closed – one in five of the national total. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2930574/Don-t-dial-999-online-report-crime-instead-Home-Secretary-tells-victims.html#ixzz3QDT3kt9c Not entirely sure this is good advice, burglar in your house when you wake up, switch on computer, find correct site to write to Police with description of the offender, of course you must hope internet hasn`t crashed. Use Tor browser so no criminal can find out who grassed them up (Tor is very slow) Thirty minutes later a well prepared letter sent off to Police. T May I still have no confidence in you! Video on web site!