MURDER OF WPC FLETCHER - UK GOVT BETRAYED HER MEMORY

Libya deal saved WPC's killer from UK trial

Times Online

THE murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London was one of the most shocking police killings of the past 25 years.

It has now emerged that just as her police colleagues were calling for the killer to face justice in the UK, Foreign Office ministers secretly agreed that he should face trial only in Libya. The controversial agreement was signed as Tripoli was preparing to grant lucrative contracts to British oil and gas firms.

 

To read the full article click here
 
There is a video in the article where a Libyan Official is coaxed into expressing regret at the incident.
Well that makes it alright then . . . . . .
 
 

 
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels more than a little sick, angry and disgusted having read the article, seen these photographs splashed across the world, then read the Times article about "Mr" Mandelson, his wealthy friends and the Libyan connection read it here 
 
WHAT HAS THIS COUNTRY COME TO, THAT THE MURDER OF A SERVING POLICE OFFICER BY A TERRORIST ORGANISATION CAN BE SO EASILY FORGOTTEN?
 
Lest we forget.
 
God Bless You Yvonne
 
There are those of us who remember and respect your memory.
 
Rest In Peace

POLICE REVIEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK

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POLICE REVIEW INTERACTIVE ONLINE

To read the latest online edition of the Police Review, click the link above.


Here are a few articles from the newsbrief alerts. All originally posted to http://jpr.janes.com/ where they may be viewed in full if you are a Police Review subscriber.

'Interfering politicians put service at risk'

POLITICAL interference in policing will damage the service's reputation 'beyond repair', the president of the Superintendents' Association warned this week. Ian Johnston issued a stark warning about politicians meddling in policing, adding that the operational independence of chief officers is at risk.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

No politics in policing, says head of ACPO

POLITICS should play no part in the operational delivery of policing, the new ACPO president has said. Speaking this weekend, Sir Hugh Orde rubbished claims the Met was being controlled by the Conservative Party.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Met denies working to Conservative agenda

THE Met commissioner has hit back at suggestions that the Conservative Party has Scotland Yard 'working to its agenda'. In response to comments made by Kit Malthouse, London's deputy mayor for policing and vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Sir Paul Stephenson said that no political party sets priorities for the Met

[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 04 September 2009]

Partners in crime

Not every police officer enjoys working night shifts - but for Supt Jon Betts they give him a chance to stay connected with the front line and 'get in the thick of it'. Nursing yet another cup of coffee - fuel to help him through the long, unpredictable shifts - he says: 'I love nights
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Institutional denial

Michael Mansfield QC says he is preparing to 'upset a few people' when he addresses the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales next week. He has, of course, previous form for highlighting the faults and failures of the police service while representing the families of Stephen Lawrence and Jean Charles de Menezes, to name but a few
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

QC warns public order cops can become 'possessed' by uniform

THE length of time police officers work together in public order units should be limited to stop a 'mob mentality' from developing among them, one of the country's most high profile lawyers has said. Michael Mansfield QC, who said some officers become 'possessed' when they put on their uniform, suggested a time limit of two years.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Conference call

The policing White Paper is due to be published later this year. What can police officers expect from this? AnswerThe focus will be on accountability.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 07 September 2009]

Unite and conquer

More than 80 basic command units have been done away with by police forces in England and Wales since 2003 and further reductions look likely. As a result many superintendents are finding themselves in charge of larger and larger areas and responsible for more officers and staff
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

The Station Sergeant

Junk mailI have been sent a leaflet published by the NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency, also known as: No Point In Asking). They have sent out this little gem (see news, page 7), I imagine, as a way of helping us boost the public's confidence
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]


Scottish forces 'should focus on victims'

MORE needs to be done to improve how victims view the Scottish police service, according to the Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland. Bill Skelly, who has headed HMIC for Scotland for four months, told Police Review he was aware of a 'big gap' between the service that victims expect and the service they actually receive.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

End blame culture, says complaints chief

OFFICERS and staff assaulting members of the public and rude bobbies are two of the top complaints levied at Scottish forces, the new head of its policing watchdog has said. John McNeill, the police complaints commissioner for Scotland, revealed the most common complaints before the organisation publishes its annual complaints statistics in the autumn.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Ploddledygook Hanson aims to upskill recruits

THE requirement for police officers to have degrees to join the job is being considered for potential inclusion in the Government's White Paper on policing, Police Review can reveal. In an exclusive interview this week, David Hanson, police minister, said 'the issue [of police officers having degrees] will probably form part of our discussions about the White Paper' due to be published later this year
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Anxious and depressed supers must be nursed back to health

THE health and wellbeing of superintendents and chief superintendents in England and Wales is getting 'worse not better', according to their staff association. Supt Robin Jarman, the Superintendents' Association's lead on command resilience, said he is disappointed that superintendents are not taking on more responsibility to improve their own health
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

'Don't ban retired bobbies from working'

THE National Association of Retired Police Officers has hit out at Conservative Party suggestions that retired officers could be barred from rejoining the police service. The association was responding to comments from George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show last Sunday.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Knock bosses' heads together, says bureaucracy basher Berry

SENIOR members of the criminal justice system 'need to knock their heads together' and work together to cut policing red tape, the Government's advocate for reducing bureaucracy has said. Jan Berry told Police Review that the criminal justice system 'does not do what it says on the tin' and it needs urgent improvements to reduce bureaucracy.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

APA calls last orders on imbalance of power

THE power-sharing between ACPO, the Home Office and the Association of Police Authorities needs to be rebalanced, the outgoing APA chairman has said. Speaking before he steps down next Wednesday (16 September), Bob Jones told Police Review his association was 'perceived as the weaker' side of the tripartite structure that oversees the police service and that it had to deal with 'considerably less resources' than its counterparts.
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]

Sorry is not the hardest word, says NPIA

'WRITE better letters', 'train staff who hold public meetings' and 'say sorry when you fail' are three of the top tips issued by the National Policing Improvement Agency to help police officers improve public confidence. Police managers have been issued with a list of top tips on how to please the public and hit the Government's single public confidence target, in line with the introduction of its 'policing pledge'
[first posted to http://jpr.janes.com - 09 September 2009]



The Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited

PARTY POLITICAL POLICING?

On reading an article in the Independent, we are even more convinced that there is too much political intrusion and embedded influence within the police service at the highest levels.

The Conservative party are proposing that directly elected police commissioners should be introduced to the UK forces, similar to systems that operate in the United States.

Sir Hugh Orde, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said he was opposed to the idea and warning that public apathy voting could lead to "lunatics" being elected to take charge of forces.

Whilst there are strong arguments for both sides here, the involvement of Sir Hugh must be questioned.

As a police officer, Sir Hugh is bound by the police regulations as much as all officers of every rank.

THE POLICE (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2004

7. Policy background:

7.1 In carrying out their functions and exercising authority, police officers must be seen to be impartial in their dealings with all sections of the community.

7.2 It is particularly important for maintaining public confidence in policing that the Police Service does all it can to root out police officers and recruits who may have racist views or may be perceived to have racist views. This is particularly important in maintaining confidence in policing of minority ethnic and faith communities.

7.3 Regulation 2(1) provides that members of police forces must not take part in activities which are likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of their duties or are likely to give that impression to members of the public.

7.4 Regulation 2(2) provides that members of police forces shall not take any active part in politics and shall not belong to any organisation proscribed by the Secretary of State

7.5 The Secretary of State has determined that no member of a police force may be a member of the BNP, Combat 18 or National Front.

COMMENT

If the police service are to successfully argue that there should be less political interference, then we would ask if Sir Hugh should "lead by example" and interfere less with party politics?

The voters get the politicians they vote for, with all of its downsides. That is democracy in action. We might not all agree with the views of the far right or left, but then it's down to the electorate to make those decisions through the ballot box.

There are many that will agree with the sentiments expressed by Sir Hugh, and they have the perfect right to that stance. But when a senior police officer becomes involved in future party political issues, the line that separates "Police" and "Politics" becomes distinctly blurred.

We sympathise with Sir Hugh in as much as his concerns are for the policing problems that may result from such a proposal. There are right and wrong ways of getting a message delivered and it must be questioned whether the pages of a national tabloid are the right forum.

Sections 7(1) and (3) seem to be the appropriate items to consider in light of the article.

To read the full article click here

In conclusion, our comments are made here to draw attention to the growing overlap of politics in the police force. We neither condone or condemn the actions of Sir Hugh, but would ask if the potential consequences of his public involvement in the matter, might have an adverse effect on the opinion of the police service in general.


The Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited

Car stolen in man's final hours

A cancer patient had his car stolen from his Birmingham home while his family members were at his side during his final few hours, police said.

Thieves entered Scott Wright's home and took the car keys and his mother's handbag as the family gathered at his bedside on Wednesday night.

Mr Wright, 26, of Holliday Road, in Erdington, died the next morning.

To read the full story click here

CRIME STATISTICS HIDE THE TRUTH

Click on image to enlarge

BRITISH CRIME SURVEY OR RECORDED CRIME - WHICH IS RIGHT?We have been looking at the crime statistics released by the Home Office.

Despite having trawled through the guidance notes that accompany the Government statistics, we are at a loss to account for the massive disparities that exist between the British Crime Survey and Police recorded crime.

The Home Office clearly place great importance on the British Crime Survey (BCS), as this quote from the Home Office website confirms :-

"The BCS includes crimes which are not reported to the police, so it is an important alternative to police records. The BCS is a particularly important survey because it can provide a more complete picture of crime than police recorded crime statistics alone. The BCS includes crimes which are not reported to, or recorded by, the police and is therefore unaffected by changes in recording practices. It can provide the best guide to long-term trends in crime".

The crime statistics that tend to hit the headlines are the ones that can most easily be manipulated.

As the above report shows, the tried and trusted BCS figures, reflect a crime rate double that reported to the police. The supporting document goes to great lengths to describe why so many offences are not reported to the police. To download a copy of the report click here

Reports from front line officers, of ridculous levels of bureacracy and procedure confirms what many of the public already suspect, that their effectiveness is severely impaired. This results in a lack of public confidence, not in the bobby on the beat, but in the system of policing in the UK.

The report shows the BCS comparable count and the actual recorded crime for key offences.

It suggests that violence is twice that reported and robbery 5 times the police figure.

5 YEARS ON - NO BETTER

Five years ago, a letter was sent to the London Evening Standard, by PC Norman Brennan, serving as Director of Victims Crime Trust. The letter is reproduced below :-

Crime statistics hide the truth

IT is rare that front-line police officers speak out, but I feel the public has the right to hear us.

When I joined the police service in 1978, there were only 13,150 recorded robberies in England and Wales. Most robberies were reported because of public confidence in the justice system.

Last year, this figure had risen to a massive 101,195 recorded robberies, and the British Crime Survey, the Government’s preferred method of measuring crime, which made your front-page last week (22 July) will show the true figure to be at least double or triple this number.
Murder is at its highest rate since the Second World War. The only reason it is not many times higher is because of the skill of our surgeons.

Although police chiefs are loath to admit it, there are parts of our cities that are, in effect, no-go areas. My colleagues joined the police service to protect and support the public, but they are prevented from doing so now because of huge amounts of political correctness and red tape. We are given so many targets we almost stand still.

Politicians can make statistics look as good or as bad as they want, but the police and the public live in the real world and know the truth. I am amazed even in the latest British Crime Survey, the Government omitted crimes of murder, sex offences, fraud, crime against commercial premises and, more important, crimes against children under 16, who make up a significant proportion of victims of crime.

I believe the situation on law and order is so bad that, to borrow a medical term, it is on a life-support machine. In my personal and professional opinion, the criminal justice system is in crisis. It is not just criminals we should be putting in the dock, but the Government. Mr Blair, you can fool some of people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.

PC Norman Brennan, director, Victims of Crime Trust, Twickenham, Middlesex.

From Blair to Brown, five years later, little has changed, as the report above shows.

Crime is still significantly higher than the authorities would have us believe.

Front line police officers are still discouraged from speaking out about the lack of resources and being buried in paperork and bureaucratic "protect the backside" processes that prevent them performing more effectively.

Politicians still have too great an influence over policing in this country. Having two sources of crime statistics enables politicians to manipulate headline to read exactly how they want, with their own reasond for doing so.

As one officer put it "The police service is living and telling lies at the moment just like MP’s expenses. Someone is going to get caught out soon, but they just don’t get it do they!"

Enough said.

Crime Analysis Team

Nice 1 Limited