Tag: Police

Theresa May: I will change the law if police do not halt the ‘excessive and inappropriate’ use of them
Police condemned for using stop and search powers on 300 children aged under five
- Nearly 300 children under the age of five stopped and searched across UK
- Metropolitan Police stopped and frisked 184 under-fives in last five years
- Scotland Yard said several children often stopped for being used by adults
- Adults known to stash drugs, weapons or stolen goods on child or in pram
Nearly 300 children under the age of five have been stopped and searched by police over the last five years, it has emerged.

According to Emma Glanfield on Daily Online, Officers across the UK have been condemned for using their powers to stop and search toddlers on suspicion of a host of offences including drug or knife crime, possession of weapons and terrorism.

Police said that in nearly all cases, officers had carried out the searches after believing the child had been an innocent party who had been used by adults to conceal drugs, weapons or stolen goods.

Police can stop and search children under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which states that there is no requirement for an adult to be present during the search of under-10s.

Officers from Metropolitan Police, the largest force in Britain, exercised their powers against under-fives the most – but Scotland Yard said it was because children are ‘among the most vulnerable in society’ and needed ‘safeguarding’.

One former Met Police officer, who worked at border control at Heathrow Airport, said he believed stop and search powers on children were used only in exceptional circumstances.

He said that on one occasion his team had firm intelligence that a couple with a baby were trying to transport drugs into the UK. However, when nothing was found on the two adults, officers decided not to search the child for fear of being condemned.

He told The Sunday Times: ‘Can you imagine the headlines if we had searched the baby’s nappy and found nothing?’

In total, Met Police officers in London have stopped and searched a total of 184 children under the age of five over the last five years.

Greater Manchester Police was found to be the next prolific at stopping and searching children, with 45 toddlers frisked.

While nearly 300 children aged under five have been stopped and searched across the UK during the last five years, a total of 612 children under the age of 10 – below the age of criminal responsibility – have also been searched.

Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt the ‘excessive and inappropriate’ use of them.

Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured) announced plans last month to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt using them in an ‘excessive and inappropriate’ manner

Ms May warned officers that she wanted to see a dramatic improvement in figures, which recently revealed that only one in every 10 of the searches ends in arrest.

Stop and search has been frequently blamed for inflaming tensions between the public and the police.

A recent report by the police watchdog found that more than a quarter of police stop and searches were ‘unlawful’ and risked promoting ‘major disorder’.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary said that, in 27 per cent of cases, police failed to show they had reasonable grounds to carry out the search.

Enver Solomon, director of evidence and impact at the National Children’s Bureau, told The Sunday Times: ‘The police should review how they deal with children and ensure they are always treated as having district separate needs from adults.’

Releasing the figures for London, Scotland Yard said the majority of searches on children were to dectect and defer adults using youngsters to conceal weapons or drugs.

A spokesman said: ‘The stop and search of individuals under 10-years-old represented only 0.02 per cent of total MPS stop and search activity in both 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

‘Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. It is therefore vital that the MPS considers how best to safeguard them and promote their welfare in everything we do. ‘There are occasions when young children are concerned in crime and anti-social behaviour, and it is necessary for officers to undertake searches to allay or confirm suspicions without exercising their powers of arrest.

‘Any young child or baby being searched will be as a result of it being suspected that they are in some way the unsuspecting and innocent assistant in a criminal act.
March 15, 2015
Support the Victims of Police Brutality in Armenia

According to İndigogo Men beaten, women & children attacked, cars destroyed, cameras & phones seized ….in Armenia. Why?

Appeal for Financial Support to Compensate Armenian Victims of State-Sponsored Terror Committed on January 31, 2015

Dear Friends,

The regime in Armenia and its subordinates in Stepanakert committed a large-scale state-sponsored terrorist act on January 31, 2015. The police, including Special Forces units armed with sniper rifles and automatic weapons, brutally attacked the motorcade of “The Centennial Without this Regime”. The participants of the motorcade, which included entire families, were completely peaceful. Their point was only to distribute information and yet, the police who were supposed to protect them attacked them.

The police blockaded the peaceful motorcade on the Syunik to Artsakh highway. Despite the fact that the participants obeyed the demand of the police that the motorcade should turn around, the police attacked them as they were trying to turn around and leave. Several, among them Artsakh war heroes and an independent journalist, were brutally beaten and required hospitalization. Others, including women and children, were assaulted; all the while the vehicles themselves were being attacked and severely damaged.

As a result of this violent attack, organized by the regime, 20 vehicles were damaged, 3 professional cameras were seized from the journalists, numerous smart phones, which were being used to record the mayhem, were violently taken from the participants. The total amount of the damages is around $40,000.00.

Most of the individuals who have suffered monetary damages have modest economic means, which makes it very difficult for them to replace or repair their material losses. We must help them compensate their damages. We must do it not just because they need and deserve it, but because whatever our beliefs we must keep Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Movement safe in Armenia. The way to do that is to lend a helping hand to the innocent people who suffered only because they exercised what should be their right in their own country.

In whatever way you can, take this small but incredibly valuable moment to help, and share this story with your friends and family!

For those who can not make a donation with a Credit Card or PayPal through Indiegogo, you may contribute directly to Founding Parliament by other means provided at http://himnadir.am/donate

Below is the full video, clearly showing the despicable nature of the attack.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbF33yx8jpo:

February 15, 2015
UK: Man stabbed after confronting group

A man has been stabbed 15 times after remonstrating with a group who were throwing stones at a house.

According to Press Association, a number of people were standing outside a house on Kingfisher Drive in Bury when they started to throw stones at the window, at around 1.30am today, Greater Manchester Police said.

A 22-year-old man walked outside and asked them to stop before he was hit with a stick, a police spokesman said.

He returned to the house but stones were still being thrown. He walked back outside to remonstrate with them and gave chase.

When they reached a footpath at the back of Kingfisher Drive, the group turned on him and he was stabbed 15 times in the body and head. The offenders ran off before police were called.

The man is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Two 15-year-old boys, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remain in custody for questioning, the spokesman said.

Detective Sergeant Lawrence Dixon said: “When the man confronted the group and gave chase, he was set upon and stabbed numerous times. His injuries are serious and he is lucky to be alive.

“Due to the severity of this attack, we are treating it as attempted murder and I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact us. Although we have made arrests, we are still investigating and asking for information.

“Obviously the local community will be deeply upset by what has happened but we have stepped up patrols in the area and are dedicated to finding out who is responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to phone police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

October 5, 2014
Turkey and Libya draw closer over police training

Premier Zeidan congratulates the first of the Libyan police graduates

Tripoli, 19 February 2013:

Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was in Istanbul today, Tuesday, to hand out diplomas to new Libyan police graduates who have successfully completed their training in Turkey.

The award-ceremony was for 817 police graduates, who have completed seven and a half months’ training at the Adile Sadullah Mermerci Police Training Centre in Istanbul.

Zeidan thanked the Turkish authorities for the police training programme, which was part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Libya and Turkey. He spoke of the long-term cooperation between the two countries and stressed how important continued good relations with Turkey were for the new Libya.

Zeidan’s visit to Turkey appears to be part of intensified efforts to resolve economic relations between the two countries. It has been estimated that Turkish firms are owed some $20 million in back payments and compensation.

More new Libyan police recruits are also being trained in Qatar, the UAE, Jordan and the UK.

via Turkey and Libya draw closer over police training | Libya Herald.

February 20, 2013
UK Trust in police damaged by controversies – Vaz

Public confidence in the police has been hurt by a “dangerous cocktail” of controversies including the critical Hillsborough report and Andrew Mitchell “plebgate” row, a senior MP has warned.

Labour’s Keith Vaz, who chairs the Commons Home Affairs Committee, also said government restructuring of the service had undermined police morale.

He called for talks between government and police at this “defining moment”.

The Home Office said public confidence in the police remained high.

Mr Vaz’s committee begins an inquiry into police practices next month.

This will look into issues of training, accountability and integrity, and the effectiveness of processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice.

Last year former rail regulator Tom Winsor wrote a controversial report into changing police pay and conditions and in June he was appointed Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England and Wales, despite criticism by the Police Federation.

Mr Vaz told the BBC: “I believe we have the best police force in the world and the work that is being done up and down the country is cherished by local people.

“But recent events, the Andrew Mitchell issue, the results of the Hillsborough inquiry and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable – all these factors come together and become a dangerous cocktail.

“We have confidence in the police not being as high as it should be, we have police having little confidence in their jobs, we have half of those surveyed who want to do another job.

“Taken together, this is an important moment and I feel we need to start a dialogue and be very clear over what the police’s responsibilities are in the 21st century.”

‘Too rapid’

Tory MP Andrew Mitchell resigned as chief whip following an accusation that, during an argument while leaving Downing Street on his bicycle in September, he had called police officers “plebs” – a claim he has always denied.

CCTV footage has since emerged appearing to cast doubt on officers’ version of events, and a serving Met police constable has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and suspended from duty.

While Mr Vaz acknowledged that some restructuring of policing was needed, he said the government’s changes had been “too rapid and too far-reaching”.

Currently, almost half of officers questioned said they would prefer a different job, Mr Vaz suggested, and more than 90% felt the force lacked government support.

“As any management would tell you, you’ve got to make sure you carry the workforce with you. Unfortunately that is not happening and that is why police morale is at an all-time low.

“I think the government is wrong to be retrospectively changing pension conditions, as the previous Labour government was wrong to stop the annual pay rise they were entitled to a few years ago.”

What was wanted now, he said, was “cool heads, strong leadership” and a proper discussion between the prime minister, force leaders, and the police association the Police Federation.

‘Hard work’

Following Mr Vaz’s remarks, a Home Office spokesman said surveys regularly showed that public confidence in the police remained high.

He told the BBC: “Police reform is working and crime is falling. The police budget is £14bn a year and it’s only right that they should make a contribution to reducing the budget deficit.

“Chief constables are rising to the challenge of making efficiency savings and providing greater value for money.

“We have swept away central targets and reduced police bureaucracy. How the police are deployed, rather than their absolute numbers, is what is key to cutting crime.”

Mr Vaz’s comments come as the Sunday Times reports that the government has released new figures suggesting crime has fallen by 10% in 19 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales, despite budget cuts.

Police minister Damian Green told the paper: “These statistics prove what we have said all along. It is possible to reduce spending while maintaining and even improving the service given to the public.”

The Police Federation’s new chairman Steve Williams was quoted as saying: “These figures, whilst a snapshot, are testament to the hard work and dedication displayed by police officers who, when faced with challenges, rise deftly to meet them.”

The Association of Chief Police Officers said the relationship between the public and police was very durable and there was evidence, such as from the British Crime Survey, which showed public confidence in policing had remained stable.

A spokeswoman said: “Police officers and staff take huge pride in the job they do and while this is a time of reform and tough financial decisions, their commitment to serve the public remains absolutely wholehearted.”

BBC

December 30, 2012
UK Andrew Mitchell: Police ‘Tried To Destroy Me’

Andrew Mitchell

Former Tory Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell has accused the police of trying to destroy his career over the “plebgate” row.

Mr Mitchell was forced to quit amid a storm of protest – fuelled by the Police Federation – over claims he called officers “plebs” during an altercation in Downing Street.

But last week Scotland Yard opened an investigation into a possible conspiracy against the MP after it emerged an email from a civilian witness backing up the claims was in fact written by another officer.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Mitchell said: “These awful toxic phrases which were hung round my neck for weeks and weeks in a sustained attempt to toxify the Conservative Party and destroy my career were completely and totally untrue.”

He expressed incredulity at the latest developments in the case, which have led to the arrest of one officer from the diplomatic protection squad and another man from outside the force.

“If you had told me on September 19 (the day of the altercation) that the events revealed last week could take place in Britain today, I simply would not have believed you.”

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has broken off from his holiday to be briefed on the progress of the investigation into the events surrounding the row, which is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The Police Federation , which represents rank-and-file officers, also says it plans an independent review into “issues” with its operations.

Downing Street has insisted Prime Minister David Cameron “stood behind” his Cabinet colleague for as long as he could after criticism from some allies of Mr Mitchell.

Number 10 issued a statement after newspapers quoted members of the Mitchell camp claiming he had been left “swinging in the wind” by the premier who they say failed to act on CCTV evidence that cast doubt on the police account.

Meanwhile police minister Nick Herbert said that while corruption in the police is not endemic, it is also not an “aberration”.

He added: “The idea that serving police officers might have conspired to bring down a cabinet minister could hardly be more serious.”

Mr Mitchell has admitted swearing at police who refused to let him ride on his bicycle through Downing Street – but has strenuously denied calling them “plebs”.

Sky News

December 23, 2012