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An ambulance worker who died after an 'object' pierced his windscreen as he was responding to a 999 emergency had returned to the front line after retiring last year. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9508909/Ambulance-worker-died-object-smashed-vehicle-returned-line.html Hope they find this scumbag and charge the person with murder and said loss to to his family.

PC Monk and PC Bettley-Smith told original September date cannot be guaranteed because of number of witnesses and court requirements. Date - 20th July 2020 By - Police Oracle The trial of a West Mercia PC accused of murdering former Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson has been relisted for April next year, because of timetable delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. PC Benjamin Monk, 41, was charged last year with murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter in connection with an incident in 2016 in which Mr Atkinson was tasered. The trial was initially listed to start on September 14 but two of the barristers due to be involved are also working on the pandemic-delayed Manchester Arena bombing inquiry. Also Birmingham Crown Court is currently able to run two criminal trials simultaneously but with “significant restrictions” which meant that the September trial date could not be guaranteed. PC Monk was given permission by the judge not to attend a pre-trial hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, to discuss an application by all parties to move the trial to Easter 2021. His colleague, PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, 29, was also excused from attending. She has entered a not guilty plea to a charge alleging she assaulted Mr Atkinson occasioning actual bodily harm prior to his death on August 15, 2016. Both officers, who are on unconditional bail, were charged following a three-year inquiry into the death of Mr Atkinson, who went into cardiac arrest in an ambulance on his way to hospital. Mr Atkinson, 48, who also played for Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday, died after officers used a taser during an incident near his father's house in the Trench area of Telford, Shropshire. Judge Melbourne Inman QC said with social distancing and other infection control measures, Birmingham Crown Court was able to run two trials at the same time but with "significant restrictions". "When that will change, I do not know," he added. "Whether or not things will have changed by September 14 is not within my gift, but we have to make sensible decisions, knowing what's required in a trial of this nature." He added: "In this case, the planning is significant given the obvious number of witnesses and their nature. "Everybody that is touched and concerned by this case is under considerable pressure and stress. "I also have no doubt Mr Monk and Ms Bettley-Smith wish some certainty to know when their trial will take place." He added that two senior barristers in the trial were also now involved in the Manchester Arena Inquiry into the 2017 terrorist bomb attack, with the inquiry's schedule also "changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic". Mr Inman said: "Having considered all those factors I am quite satisfied the interests of justice are served by vacating the present trial date of September 14." The judge directed the trial to be listed "on or immediately after April 12, 2021". The court previously heard PC Monk would formally enter his pleas to the charges on the day the trial begins, unless there was any further legal bid to the contrary, to avoid another potentially unnecessary hearing during the Covid-19 outbreak. View On Police Oracle

West Mercia uses app to find and share precise location of people in remote rural areas. Date - 13th November 2019 By - Police Oracle West Mercia Police has become one of 70 UK blue light service organisations to use an app to help pinpoint the location of people requesting assistance. The location technology called What3Words has divided the world into 3mx3m squares. Each square has been allocated a unique three word address which anyone can refer to their exact location by using three randomly chosen words. Individuals use what3words around the world in cars, to find their tents at festivals, navigate to B&Bs, and to direct emergency services to an exact location. Chief Inspector Gareth Morgan said: “Being able to identify a caller’s exact location is incredibly important as sometimes when people call us it can be difficult for them to identify their exact location. “This app is proving really useful as it can pinpoint someone’s location no matter where they are – by the side of a motorway or in a rural location. This means we can quickly establish where people are so we can get to them as quickly as possible which could really help save lives. “In fact it has already helped us locate people and vehicles involved in road traffic collisions so we are really starting to see the benefits of the app. I would like to encourage people to download it to their mobile phones as it is free to use.” The app, which also works when there is no data connection as it will operate offline via GPS is available to download via the What3Words website, the App Store or Google Play. One specialist police software developer has already embedded the app into its product. PoliceBox says it is the first policing app to embed what3words into its mapping functionality. When adding location data into a form, officers can now choose between GPS coordinates or three words, simplifying the process of recording or finding a location. The app can also receive what3words location words from the forces’ command and control centre. what3words is already used by over 70 emergency services around the UK, as well as organisations including the British Transport Police and UK Power Networks to locate and deploy resources to precise locations. Simon Hall, CEO of PoliceBox said what3words is particularly useful to officers in rural areas where there are no landmarks or signs to determine their location. “In an emergency situation a person can find the 3 word address for their current location by opening the what3words app or visiting map.what3words.com. The 3 word address can then be given to a 999 call handler to give their precise location. Officers can also share their locations with each other and Control much more quickly by simply quoting three words.” View On Police Oracle

Britain's smallest force asks Home Secretary to act as divorce mediator. Going their separate ways: Warwickshire and West Mercia forces Date - 4th October 2019 By - Nick Hudson - Police Oracle 1 Comment The divorce between Warwickshire and West Mercia forces – ending a seven-year collaboration – has been put on hold just days before it was supposed to take place. Britain’s smallest regional force has written to Priti Patel asking her to “require” its alliance partners to “continue” to collaborate across joint business areas past the October 9 deadline as it needs more time to navigate through the split. West Mercia, who initiated the break-up, hit back with claims it was being “held to ransom” by its neighbours – stuck in a partnership where Warwickshire had a 50-50 say on governance but contributed less than a third in terms of resources. Now Warwickshire says it is “exploring” options to ensure an uninterrupted service to the public which could include a legal challenge in the High Court in order to stop the immediate dissolution of the partnership. A joint statement from Warwickshire Chief Constable Martin Jelley and PCC Philip Seccombe said they were “saddened” at the steps being taken but it had been made clear from the outset that it would be “unreasonable and unacceptable” for either force to withdraw from joint services in a situation where the other was not ready to transition to new arrangements or whereby separation was not possible in a safe and orderly way. It read: “Throughout the last 12 months of negotiations with West Mercia, we have remained focused on achieving an orderly separation which protects the interests of our communities and our workforce. We have made multiple offers to this effect, which have been refused on each occasion by West Mercia. “Nevertheless, we had believed that positive progress had been made in August in agreeing arrangements for the continuation of some shared services while work was undertaken to separate these in a smooth manner. “Regrettably, and despite exhaustive negotiations over recent weeks, detailed proposals for new collaboration agreements to cover the services which could not be transitioned by October 9 were taken off the table by West Mercia. “As a consequence and in order to deliver a continuation of service, we have therefore had to make this request to the Home Secretary. “It is difficult to understand West Mercia’s stated position that the decision to terminate the alliance is supported by detailed analysis and strong evidence. “We have asked for this to be provided to us throughout the negotiation process, but have received no such detail.” Significantly, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services was “similarly unable” to uncover any detailed business case having been produced by West Mercia prior to their decision to terminate the alliance. And last month the HMICFRS expressed concerns there was no certainty over how Warwickshire would provide the services covered by the alliance after the split. Warwickshire has admitted that, ahead of the Home Secretary’s response, it is looking at “potential legal routes” to achieve the aim of delivery uninterrupted services across the county. In a joint statement with West Mercia's chief Constable Anthony Bangham, PCC John Campion said that offers to provide services after the break-up had not resulted in an agreement with Warwickshire. He said: "Since serving notice of termination we have ensured robust plans are in place to ensure the full, continued delivery of policing services to our communities. "We are fully confident there will be no risks to public safety in West Mercia as a result of the alliance ending. "Simultaneously, we have made numerous offers to Warwickshire for continued collaboration. We have offered support on the specific areas where Warwickshire have requested it, on very reasonable terms. These offers have all been rejected by our Warwickshire counterparts. "As things stand, negotiations between all parties have ended, without agreement. We now anticipate intervention from the Home Office in the coming days to allow further time for Warwickshire to transition to a standalone model. We would have no choice but to respect any decision made by the Home Secretary. "We also understand that a High Court injunction is being applied for by Warwickshire to try to prevent the termination of the current alliance arrangements. "While we have been clear throughout that we would take an open, reasoned, pragmatic approach to negotiations, we have been unwilling to accept the wrong deal for our communities and our police force. “While we would always seek to support another police force, we will not allow West Mercia to be held to ransom. “We cannot simply accept the continuation of the current arrangement, which sees West Mercia significantly subsidising a neighbouring force, to the detriment of our police and our communities." News of the dissolving of the alliance came in a surprise announcement last October from West Mercia’s chief constable and PPC who said they felt they could deliver a “more effective and efficient service to communities, and ensure the public get better value for money” on their own. Warwickshire, clearly taken aback, said it was “disappointed” at a decision it “did not support”. CC Jelley said the near-merger had allowed both forces to save more than £35 million and “maximise resources to frontline policing” Former West Mercia deputy PCC Barrie Sheldon, who helped kick-start the alliance in 2012, said last year he was still confident policing will grab the opportunity to reform and build, rather than destroy, the “very creative” liaison the neighbouring forces pioneered. He has lambasted the “better value-for-money” stance to end the relationship by his former West Mercia charges as tantamount to “crazy”, adding: “It will cost both forces dearly with negative impact on service.” While he would not be drawn on the claims Ball that the “big divorce” to axe the alliance would definitely cost taxpayers “millions”, he said West Mercia would have to foot the bill. Neighbouring West Midlands PCC David Jamieson has already offered to mediate as the two sides have locked horns in recent months. He expressed fears earlier this week that the divorce could end in an “expensive legal action” by the Warwickshire force in a bid to recoup lost funds. "I am concerned that Warwickshire Police may be forced into taking expensive legal action to re-coup lost funds from this divorce with West Mercia Police. "I stand ready to mediate towards a calm and sensible conclusion to this dangerous dispute. “We are working closely with Warwickshire Police to avert what they have identified as a 'very real danger to public safety’." View On Police Oracle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-35495383