Passing go / Drink and Drugs News, 30 June 2008
http://www.drinkanddrugs.net/features/june3008/passing_go.pdf
Andy Stonard
“Harm reduction can have a positive impact by steering people out of the criminal justice system as long as the directions are clear.”
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
How to implement a model to get youth off drugs and out of crime / Reclaiming Futures, 2007
http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/reclaimingfuturesimplementmodel2008.pdf
Tom Begich et al
“This report outlines lessons learned from the 10 Reclaiming Futures demonstration sites as they implemented a systemwide change to improve how adolescents with alcohol and drug problems are handled in the juvenile justice system, and provides a road map for communities that wish to help local juvenile justice systems tackle these problems”
http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/reclaimingfuturesimplementmodel2008.pdf
Tom Begich et al
“This report outlines lessons learned from the 10 Reclaiming Futures demonstration sites as they implemented a systemwide change to improve how adolescents with alcohol and drug problems are handled in the juvenile justice system, and provides a road map for communities that wish to help local juvenile justice systems tackle these problems”
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Met to share job details with neighbours
Jane's Police Review, 18 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com
"The Met is to share the names and the number of officers it recruits from southeast forces to help its neighbours redress their skills shortages. Home counties forces have complained that they train up officers only for them to be drawn to the Met by bigger salaries..."
[Sub required]
Jane's Police Review, 18 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com
"The Met is to share the names and the number of officers it recruits from southeast forces to help its neighbours redress their skills shortages. Home counties forces have complained that they train up officers only for them to be drawn to the Met by bigger salaries..."
[Sub required]
Gym-going criminals 'grooming' vulnerable young male officers
Jane's Police Review, 20 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Organised criminal gang members are going to gyms and sport clubs looking to 'groom' cops into becoming their informers, anti-corruption officers have warned this week. Police Review has learned officers in the East Midlands area are being offered steroids by criminals, who then either befriend them or blackmail them into giving them valuable force information."
[Sub required]
Jane's Police Review, 20 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Organised criminal gang members are going to gyms and sport clubs looking to 'groom' cops into becoming their informers, anti-corruption officers have warned this week. Police Review has learned officers in the East Midlands area are being offered steroids by criminals, who then either befriend them or blackmail them into giving them valuable force information."
[Sub required]
The Blakey Review: Disrupting the supply of illegal drugs into prisons /Ministry of Justice, 7 July 2008
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/blakey-report-disrupting.pdf
"This is a report by former Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Constable of West Mercia David Blakey following his review of measures to disrupt the supply of drugs into prisons."
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/blakey-report-disrupting.pdf
"This is a report by former Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Constable of West Mercia David Blakey following his review of measures to disrupt the supply of drugs into prisons."
Govnet Conference on Homeland and Border Security: Speech by Lord West / Home Office, 4 July 2008
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/Speech-by-Lord-West-Govnet
"This is a transcript of the speech by Security Minister Lord West at the Govnet Conference on Homeland and Border Security on 3 July 2008. He talks about the security threats facing the UK and what the Government is doing to meet them."
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/Speech-by-Lord-West-Govnet
"This is a transcript of the speech by Security Minister Lord West at the Govnet Conference on Homeland and Border Security on 3 July 2008. He talks about the security threats facing the UK and what the Government is doing to meet them."
Monday, July 07, 2008
Biometrics to fast track 'trusted' travellers / Silicon.com, 3 July 2008
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39254666,00.htm
Nick Heath
"Biometric technology is to be used to speed up travel between the UK and the US.
Fingerprint, iris and facial recognition technology will be used to speed up frequent travellers' journeys through immigration control, as part of a UK-US agreement for a fast-travel option for trusted travellers going between the countries. The agreement is aimed at boosting business travel. Liam Byrne, border and immigration minister, revealed the agreement to city representatives."
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39254666,00.htm
Nick Heath
"Biometric technology is to be used to speed up travel between the UK and the US.
Fingerprint, iris and facial recognition technology will be used to speed up frequent travellers' journeys through immigration control, as part of a UK-US agreement for a fast-travel option for trusted travellers going between the countries. The agreement is aimed at boosting business travel. Liam Byrne, border and immigration minister, revealed the agreement to city representatives."
ICO: Data breach law moves closer / Silicon.com, 3 July 2008
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39254671,00.htm
Nick Heath
"The UK's privacy watchdog says the country is a step closer to getting a law forcing organisations to reveal data breaches, thanks to draft EU legislation. Deputy information commissioner David Smith said proposals to revise the EU's ePrivacy Directive could be the "catalyst" needed to get data breach notification into UK law. Amendments to the directive would require "providers of electronic services to inform users of breaches of data protection" and will be voted on by the EU later this year."
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39254671,00.htm
Nick Heath
"The UK's privacy watchdog says the country is a step closer to getting a law forcing organisations to reveal data breaches, thanks to draft EU legislation. Deputy information commissioner David Smith said proposals to revise the EU's ePrivacy Directive could be the "catalyst" needed to get data breach notification into UK law. Amendments to the directive would require "providers of electronic services to inform users of breaches of data protection" and will be voted on by the EU later this year."
ID cards: 'Political' move, claim airport workers / Silicon.com, 7 July 2008
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39256341,00.htm
Tom Espinall
"Representatives of the aviation industry have said they are being used as political pawns to further the government's controversial ID cards programme. The British Air Transport Association (Bata) said aviation workers were being used as guinea pigs for the scheme. ID cards for 'airside' workers - those who work beyond airport security checks - will become compulsory in 2009."
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39256341,00.htm
Tom Espinall
"Representatives of the aviation industry have said they are being used as political pawns to further the government's controversial ID cards programme. The British Air Transport Association (Bata) said aviation workers were being used as guinea pigs for the scheme. ID cards for 'airside' workers - those who work beyond airport security checks - will become compulsory in 2009."
[USA] Information Security Oversight Office Releases FY 2007 Annual Report to the President / Docuticker, 19 June, 2008
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21309
"Established in 1978, ISOO is responsible to the President for overseeing the Government-wide security classification program, and receives policy and program guidance from the National Security Council. ISOO has been a component of the National Archives and Records Administration since 1995. ISOO Reports to the President from prior years are also accessible on its web site."
PDF - http://www.archives.gov/isoo/reports/2007-annual-report.pdf
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21309
"Established in 1978, ISOO is responsible to the President for overseeing the Government-wide security classification program, and receives policy and program guidance from the National Security Council. ISOO has been a component of the National Archives and Records Administration since 1995. ISOO Reports to the President from prior years are also accessible on its web site."
PDF - http://www.archives.gov/isoo/reports/2007-annual-report.pdf
[USA] Climate Change May Challenge National Security, Classified Report Warns / Docuticker, 4 July 2008
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21514
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
"The National Intelligence Council (NIC) has completed a new classified assessment that explores how climate change could threaten U.S. security in the next 20 years by causing political instability, mass movements of refugees, terrorism, or conflicts over water and other resources. Among the major outside contributors of data was the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), a member of Columbia University’s Earth Institute."
PDF - http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/documents/Climate_Security_CIESIN_July_2008_v1_0.ed.pdf
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21514
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
"The National Intelligence Council (NIC) has completed a new classified assessment that explores how climate change could threaten U.S. security in the next 20 years by causing political instability, mass movements of refugees, terrorism, or conflicts over water and other resources. Among the major outside contributors of data was the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), a member of Columbia University’s Earth Institute."
PDF - http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/documents/Climate_Security_CIESIN_July_2008_v1_0.ed.pdf
Human Rights, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism / Docuticker, 5 July 2008
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21522
"This Fact Sheet has been prepared with the aim of strengthening understanding of the complex and multifaceted relationship between human rights and terrorism. It identifies some of the critical human rights issues raised in the context of terrorism and highlights the relevant human rights principles and standards which must be respected at all times and in particular in the context of counter-terrorism."
PDF - http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Factsheet32EN.pdf
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21522
"This Fact Sheet has been prepared with the aim of strengthening understanding of the complex and multifaceted relationship between human rights and terrorism. It identifies some of the critical human rights issues raised in the context of terrorism and highlights the relevant human rights principles and standards which must be respected at all times and in particular in the context of counter-terrorism."
PDF - http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Factsheet32EN.pdf
Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 / Docuticker, 6 July 2008
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21537
“We are pleased that in the seven years since the creation of the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, the United States and our friends and allies have made important strides in confronting the reality that human beings continue to be bought and sold in the twenty-first century. It has been gratifying to witness the determined governments, human rights and women’s groups, faith-based organizations, and many brave individuals who are dedicated to advancing human dignity worldwide. Trafficking and exploitation plague all nations, and no country, even ours, is immune.”
Report: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21537
“We are pleased that in the seven years since the creation of the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, the United States and our friends and allies have made important strides in confronting the reality that human beings continue to be bought and sold in the twenty-first century. It has been gratifying to witness the determined governments, human rights and women’s groups, faith-based organizations, and many brave individuals who are dedicated to advancing human dignity worldwide. Trafficking and exploitation plague all nations, and no country, even ours, is immune.”
Report: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/
Thematic Inspection: Care of detained and arrested children / HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland, 26 June 2008
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/24085717/0
PDF - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/24085717/7
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/24085717/0
PDF - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/24085717/7
Less is more / Guardian, 4 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/04/public.service.agreements?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Jane Dudman
"Originally, there were hundreds of PSAs, but last year the government began rowing sharply backwards from the piles of specific targets involved. There are now just 30 PSAs and the measures of success have become vaguer. "It's about learning lessons," said Yvette Cooper, the chief secretary of the Treasury. "Now, we want to focus much more on implementation drive at the local level. This is a new phase and we need to reduce targets substantially." What Cooper didn't say is that PSAs have had to be changed in part because the targets involved weren't linked by the Treasury to actual performance. So departments could fail to meet their PSA targets but still receive their budgets, as allocated under the comprehensive spending review."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/04/public.service.agreements?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Jane Dudman
"Originally, there were hundreds of PSAs, but last year the government began rowing sharply backwards from the piles of specific targets involved. There are now just 30 PSAs and the measures of success have become vaguer. "It's about learning lessons," said Yvette Cooper, the chief secretary of the Treasury. "Now, we want to focus much more on implementation drive at the local level. This is a new phase and we need to reduce targets substantially." What Cooper didn't say is that PSAs have had to be changed in part because the targets involved weren't linked by the Treasury to actual performance. So departments could fail to meet their PSA targets but still receive their budgets, as allocated under the comprehensive spending review."
£128m paid out in bonuses to civil servants across Whitehall / Guardian, 7 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/07/whitehall?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
David Hencke
"The rewards were agreed by the Cabinet Office as part of a package to encourage the most senior civil servants to meet government targets set by the Treasury, which include introducing new computer systems and cutting tens of thousands of jobs from some of the biggest ministries."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/07/whitehall?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
David Hencke
"The rewards were agreed by the Cabinet Office as part of a package to encourage the most senior civil servants to meet government targets set by the Treasury, which include introducing new computer systems and cutting tens of thousands of jobs from some of the biggest ministries."
Doctors told to report knife wounds / Guardian, 7 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/07/justice.knifecrime?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Hélène Mulholland
"Accident and emergency departments in hospitals will be expected to contact police when patients are treated for stab wounds in the same way that they already have to report gunshot wounds, the government has confirmed. Currently doctors are only compelled to report bullet wounds to the police. But amid fears that many knife crimes go unreported, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, told Channel 4 last night said that doctors will be bound to report any serious wounding of patients they treat in the future."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/07/justice.knifecrime?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Hélène Mulholland
"Accident and emergency departments in hospitals will be expected to contact police when patients are treated for stab wounds in the same way that they already have to report gunshot wounds, the government has confirmed. Currently doctors are only compelled to report bullet wounds to the police. But amid fears that many knife crimes go unreported, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, told Channel 4 last night said that doctors will be bound to report any serious wounding of patients they treat in the future."
Would a data notification law improve UK data security? / The Register, 4 July 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/04/data_protection_changes/
John Oates
"A panel of experts in data protection was beaten yesterday by a simple question from the floor: "Can you give us an example of good data security practice by the British Government?" The meeting, a Westminster eForum event, was to discuss what needs to be done to sort out the UK's woeful record of failing to care for its citizens data. Chris Pounder, from lawyers Pinsent Masons, said one reason for the difficulty in lobbying on privacy issues was that: "you don't really experience privacy when it is there but you do experience the absence of it."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/04/data_protection_changes/
John Oates
"A panel of experts in data protection was beaten yesterday by a simple question from the floor: "Can you give us an example of good data security practice by the British Government?" The meeting, a Westminster eForum event, was to discuss what needs to be done to sort out the UK's woeful record of failing to care for its citizens data. Chris Pounder, from lawyers Pinsent Masons, said one reason for the difficulty in lobbying on privacy issues was that: "you don't really experience privacy when it is there but you do experience the absence of it."
Metropolitan Police's proud boast sets off police alarm in Glasgow / Times, 4 July 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4265475.ece
"The Metropolitan Police has been ordered to withdraw its claim to be “the oldest police service in the world” after the advertising watchdog ruled that the Glasgow force had been around longer. A complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Authority after the Met advertised for royal protection police in newspapers last month, stating: “We’re not just the oldest police service in the world. We’re also the most modern.” The complaint, which is believed to come from a long-serving Glasgow officer, said that the City of Glasgow Police were set up in 1800 - 29 years before the Metropolitan Police force was formed under Sir Robert Peel. "
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4265475.ece
"The Metropolitan Police has been ordered to withdraw its claim to be “the oldest police service in the world” after the advertising watchdog ruled that the Glasgow force had been around longer. A complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Authority after the Met advertised for royal protection police in newspapers last month, stating: “We’re not just the oldest police service in the world. We’re also the most modern.” The complaint, which is believed to come from a long-serving Glasgow officer, said that the City of Glasgow Police were set up in 1800 - 29 years before the Metropolitan Police force was formed under Sir Robert Peel. "
Case dismissed: Lord Chief Justice lays down law on Sharia / 4 July 2008
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4265549.ece
Frances Gibb
"Britain's most senior judge declared last night that there was no place for Sharia courts in this country and insisted that all residents were governed by the laws of England and Wales. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, told an audience of several hundred at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel that those who chose to live in England and Wales had to accept the laws as they found them."
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4265549.ece
Frances Gibb
"Britain's most senior judge declared last night that there was no place for Sharia courts in this country and insisted that all residents were governed by the laws of England and Wales. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, told an audience of several hundred at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel that those who chose to live in England and Wales had to accept the laws as they found them."
Knife crime to replace terror as police priority/ Times, 5 July 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4269818.ece
Adam Fresco
"Knife crime has overtaken terrorism as the No 1 priority for the Metropolitan Police, one of Britain’s most senior officers said yesterday. Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson announced the form-ation of a special knife-crime unit to address the recent spate of fatal stabbings in London as he admitted that moves to stop teenagers carrying weapons were not working. The unit, featuring specialist officers from across the capital, will target known gang members and their associates who may be carrying or supplying knives. It will also conduct random searches."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4269818.ece
Adam Fresco
"Knife crime has overtaken terrorism as the No 1 priority for the Metropolitan Police, one of Britain’s most senior officers said yesterday. Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson announced the form-ation of a special knife-crime unit to address the recent spate of fatal stabbings in London as he admitted that moves to stop teenagers carrying weapons were not working. The unit, featuring specialist officers from across the capital, will target known gang members and their associates who may be carrying or supplying knives. It will also conduct random searches."
Postcode lottery of rape conviction / Sunday Times 6 July 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4276214.ece
Marie Woolf
"Campaigners blame inherent faults in the criminal justice system. They say in some cases police fail to take rape victims seriously. A quarter of reported rapes in the UK are not treated as a crime and are never pursued."
Statistics: PDF - http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/rape.pdf
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4276214.ece
Marie Woolf
"Campaigners blame inherent faults in the criminal justice system. They say in some cases police fail to take rape victims seriously. A quarter of reported rapes in the UK are not treated as a crime and are never pursued."
Statistics: PDF - http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/rape.pdf
Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees / Sunday Times, 6 July 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4276489.ece
Stuart MacDonald
"Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence. Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings. Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. “We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people’s homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it,” Acpo said."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4276489.ece
Stuart MacDonald
"Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence. Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings. Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. “We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people’s homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it,” Acpo said."
Knife crime: Police guarantee anonymity to Ben Kinsella murder witnesses / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/03/knifecrime.ukcrime?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jo Adetunji
"Police investigating the murder of the London teenager Ben Kinsella appealed for witnesses yesterday and offered guarantees of anonymity to anyone afraid to testify. Detective Chief Inspector John Macdonald, who is heading the inquiry into the stabbing of the 16-year-old outside a north London nightclub early on Sunday, was keen to assure anyone who might be worried by a recent House of Lords ruling on the use of anonymous testimony in trials."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/03/knifecrime.ukcrime?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jo Adetunji
"Police investigating the murder of the London teenager Ben Kinsella appealed for witnesses yesterday and offered guarantees of anonymity to anyone afraid to testify. Detective Chief Inspector John Macdonald, who is heading the inquiry into the stabbing of the 16-year-old outside a north London nightclub early on Sunday, was keen to assure anyone who might be worried by a recent House of Lords ruling on the use of anonymous testimony in trials."
Slim pickings from belt-tightening / Guardian, 4 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/04/efficiency?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Anna Bawden
"So-called value for money delivery agreements have been published, setting out individual departments' obligations. Health and education have to find the biggest savings: £8.2bn and £4.5bn respectively. Of the other main Whitehall departments, defence has to find £2.7bn, the Home Office £1.4bn, work and pensions £1.2bn and communities and local government £0.9bn. Most of the £20bn economies in these seven departments will come from their delivery arms: the NHS, schools, the police, housing and so on. ... But to be successful, the government will have to be much more vocal about the need for more efficiency. And if the public hasn't noticed any improvement in efficiency at all, the chances of Gershon 2 having an impact are very slim."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/04/efficiency?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Anna Bawden
"So-called value for money delivery agreements have been published, setting out individual departments' obligations. Health and education have to find the biggest savings: £8.2bn and £4.5bn respectively. Of the other main Whitehall departments, defence has to find £2.7bn, the Home Office £1.4bn, work and pensions £1.2bn and communities and local government £0.9bn. Most of the £20bn economies in these seven departments will come from their delivery arms: the NHS, schools, the police, housing and so on. ... But to be successful, the government will have to be much more vocal about the need for more efficiency. And if the public hasn't noticed any improvement in efficiency at all, the chances of Gershon 2 having an impact are very slim."
Briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008 / Human Rights Watch, 5 July 2008
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/2008/uk0708/
"The House of Lords will begin debate on a counterterrorism bill on July 8, the day after the third anniversary of the July 2005 bomb attacks on London’s transport system. The bill includes 42-day pre-charge detention and other harmful proposals. “The third anniversary of the 2005 bombings in London reminds us that Britain faces a real terror threat,” said Judith Sunderland, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. “But locking people up without charge for six weeks will not make the country safer. The Lords should take a principled stand against this dangerous and unnecessary proposal".”
PDF - http://hrw.org/backgrounder/2008/uk0708/uk0708web.pdf
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/2008/uk0708/
"The House of Lords will begin debate on a counterterrorism bill on July 8, the day after the third anniversary of the July 2005 bomb attacks on London’s transport system. The bill includes 42-day pre-charge detention and other harmful proposals. “The third anniversary of the 2005 bombings in London reminds us that Britain faces a real terror threat,” said Judith Sunderland, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. “But locking people up without charge for six weeks will not make the country safer. The Lords should take a principled stand against this dangerous and unnecessary proposal".”
PDF - http://hrw.org/backgrounder/2008/uk0708/uk0708web.pdf
UK is sending 11,000 Mugabe refugees back / Observer, 6 July 2008
Jamie Doward
"Attempts by Gordon Brown to use a meeting of G8 leaders this week to campaign for tougher action against Zimbabwe are in danger of being undermined by claims that Britain is forcing as many as 11,000 Zimbabweans seeking refuge here to make a stark choice between destitution or returning home to possible torture or death. Letters obtained by The Observer show that the Home Office continues to order failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers to return home in the face of mounting violence."
UK is sending 11,000 Mugabe refugees back / Observer, 6 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/06/immigration.immigrationpolicy?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jamie Doward
"Attempts by Gordon Brown to use a meeting of G8 leaders this week to campaign for tougher action against Zimbabwe are in danger of being undermined by claims that Britain is forcing as many as 11,000 Zimbabweans seeking refuge here to make a stark choice between destitution or returning home to possible torture or death. Letters obtained by The Observer show that the Home Office continues to order failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers to return home in the face of mounting violence."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/06/immigration.immigrationpolicy?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jamie Doward
"Attempts by Gordon Brown to use a meeting of G8 leaders this week to campaign for tougher action against Zimbabwe are in danger of being undermined by claims that Britain is forcing as many as 11,000 Zimbabweans seeking refuge here to make a stark choice between destitution or returning home to possible torture or death. Letters obtained by The Observer show that the Home Office continues to order failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers to return home in the face of mounting violence."
Knife crime: anti-stab protection vests given to key staff / Observer, 6 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/06/knifecrime.ukcrime1?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Mark Townsend and Gaby Hinsliff
"The growing fear of knife crime in Britain is forcing hospital trusts and local authorities to supply body armour to frontline workers, including A&E staff, hospital porters, teachers, benefits officers and traffic wardens. Stab and bullet-proof vests are being ordered in their tens of thousands to protect employees from increased levels of aggression, a move described as 'a shameful indictment of violence in Britain today'."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/06/knifecrime.ukcrime1?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Mark Townsend and Gaby Hinsliff
"The growing fear of knife crime in Britain is forcing hospital trusts and local authorities to supply body armour to frontline workers, including A&E staff, hospital porters, teachers, benefits officers and traffic wardens. Stab and bullet-proof vests are being ordered in their tens of thousands to protect employees from increased levels of aggression, a move described as 'a shameful indictment of violence in Britain today'."
Here's the thing / Guardian, 6 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/06/civilliberties?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Paul Kingsnorth
"No one ever asked me to sign the social contract. I don't remember being presented with a dotted line and a pen. Yet here I am, subject to the will of a state whose checks and balances are increasingly unchecked and unbalanced, and whose "democratic" machinery is so clogged with patronage and power that my chances of influencing it are close to zero."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/06/civilliberties?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Paul Kingsnorth
"No one ever asked me to sign the social contract. I don't remember being presented with a dotted line and a pen. Yet here I am, subject to the will of a state whose checks and balances are increasingly unchecked and unbalanced, and whose "democratic" machinery is so clogged with patronage and power that my chances of influencing it are close to zero."
Mental health fears over khat use / BBC, 7 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7491209.stm
Dil Neiyyar
"Roukiya Omar is one of the workers whose job is to educate the community about the dangers of khat use and encourage people to stop chewing. She believes the stimulant is moving away from its traditional use as a social pastime because of unemployment and social exclusion. She says it's a growing problem, particularly with women."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7491209.stm
Dil Neiyyar
"Roukiya Omar is one of the workers whose job is to educate the community about the dangers of khat use and encourage people to stop chewing. She believes the stimulant is moving away from its traditional use as a social pastime because of unemployment and social exclusion. She says it's a growing problem, particularly with women."
Fears over database on criminals / BBC, 4 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7489012.stm
"A probation chief has raised concerns about a new computer database that holds information on sex offenders and violent and high-risk criminals. The Chief Inspector of Probation in England and Wales, Andrew Bridges, said there were signs the system was not as accessible to staff as it should be."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7489012.stm
"A probation chief has raised concerns about a new computer database that holds information on sex offenders and violent and high-risk criminals. The Chief Inspector of Probation in England and Wales, Andrew Bridges, said there were signs the system was not as accessible to staff as it should be."
Cost of crime '£275 per person' / BBC, 4 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7489877.stm
"Funding the police to tackle recorded crime costs £275 per person a year, according to a lobby group report. The Taxpayers' Alliance put the cost at £15bn annually for forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The campaign group, which used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain crime data from the police, called for red tape and targets to be reduced."
The cost of crime: PDF - http://tpa.typepad.com/home/files/the_cost_of_crime.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7489877.stm
"Funding the police to tackle recorded crime costs £275 per person a year, according to a lobby group report. The Taxpayers' Alliance put the cost at £15bn annually for forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The campaign group, which used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain crime data from the police, called for red tape and targets to be reduced."
The cost of crime: PDF - http://tpa.typepad.com/home/files/the_cost_of_crime.pdf
Crime check errors 'regrettable' / BBC, 5 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7491125.stm
"Checks which wrongly brand some people as criminals were "regrettable", the Home Office has said, in response to a newspaper report about the errors."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7491125.stm
"Checks which wrongly brand some people as criminals were "regrettable", the Home Office has said, in response to a newspaper report about the errors."
Friday, July 04, 2008
Leading from the Frontline: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary thematic report /Home Office,3 July 2008
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/thematic/Frontline/
"This is a thematic inspection of frontline supervision and leadership in the police services of England and Wales. It provides a ‘snapshot in time’ of the confidence, capability and capacity to deliver on policing challenges in the role of 24/7 frontline sergeant."
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/thematic/Frontline/
"This is a thematic inspection of frontline supervision and leadership in the police services of England and Wales. It provides a ‘snapshot in time’ of the confidence, capability and capacity to deliver on policing challenges in the role of 24/7 frontline sergeant."
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Exploring the limits of collaboration in community policing: A direct comparison of police and citizen views / Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2008
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=B800F31EE44439294AC6E706C0597D8B?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkpdf&contentId=1728628&dType=SUB&history=false
John Liederbach, Eric J. Fritsch, David L. Carter, Andra Bannister
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management,Vol:31, Issue:2
p:271 - 291
"The purpose of this paper is to provide direct comparisons between the views of citizens and officers within a jurisdiction that has been largely influenced by the community-oriented policing movement. Comparisons between police and citizen views are specifically made in terms of: the relative importance of crime problems in the jurisdiction; the value of community policing programs; overall satisfaction with the performance of the department; and strategies designed to improve the performance of the department."
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=B800F31EE44439294AC6E706C0597D8B?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkpdf&contentId=1728628&dType=SUB&history=false
John Liederbach, Eric J. Fritsch, David L. Carter, Andra Bannister
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management,Vol:31, Issue:2
p:271 - 291
"The purpose of this paper is to provide direct comparisons between the views of citizens and officers within a jurisdiction that has been largely influenced by the community-oriented policing movement. Comparisons between police and citizen views are specifically made in terms of: the relative importance of crime problems in the jurisdiction; the value of community policing programs; overall satisfaction with the performance of the department; and strategies designed to improve the performance of the department."
Police 'fear bully accusations' / BBC, 3 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7486619.stm
"A female sergeant said she had witnessed another sergeant being sworn at after suggesting a constable needed a haircut. Another sergeant said: "Pcs now get away with blue murder as people are afraid to challenge them due to HR [human resources] legislation and are not supported by managers." One sergeant told the HMIC: "There is no adherence to simple dress codes such as ties and not wearing hats." A chief superintendent added: "We pondered whether we should challenge staff about poor standards but had to admit that we [superintendents] often had poor dress, such as no tie or epaulettes"."
Leading from the frontline - http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/thematic/Frontline/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7486619.stm
"A female sergeant said she had witnessed another sergeant being sworn at after suggesting a constable needed a haircut. Another sergeant said: "Pcs now get away with blue murder as people are afraid to challenge them due to HR [human resources] legislation and are not supported by managers." One sergeant told the HMIC: "There is no adherence to simple dress codes such as ties and not wearing hats." A chief superintendent added: "We pondered whether we should challenge staff about poor standards but had to admit that we [superintendents] often had poor dress, such as no tie or epaulettes"."
Leading from the frontline - http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/thematic/Frontline/
ID card fingerprint errors fear / BBC, 3 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7484853.stm
"The Biometric Assurance Group (BAG) says officials may struggle to cope with the number of false matches, which could run into tens of thousands. Getting clear prints from the over-75s may also prove difficult, it adds. The government says it is carrying out research into the issues raised - but it rejects BAG's call for iris scans to be used as a back-up to fingerprints."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7484853.stm
"The Biometric Assurance Group (BAG) says officials may struggle to cope with the number of false matches, which could run into tens of thousands. Getting clear prints from the over-75s may also prove difficult, it adds. The government says it is carrying out research into the issues raised - but it rejects BAG's call for iris scans to be used as a back-up to fingerprints."
Youth crime is the symptom of a wider disease / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/knifecrime.youthjustice?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Jonathan Rutherford
"Gun culture thrives where social life is dying. The working-class estates devastated by de-industrialisation are where a defeated, unwanted people have been herded away to suffer a self-inflicted fate of drugs and violence. Decades of unemployment have destroyed the old patriarchal order of male breadwinner and head of household. Not only has it meant poverty, it has lost many men their dignity and self- worth. In communities deprived of the markers of status that bring respect, violence takes the place of authority. Sons inherit the legacy of their fathers' humiliation. Without work and affordable housing, it is impossible for many to create an independent life of their own. The traditional rites of passage into adulthood – leaving home, getting a job, establishing a family, and taking on legal obligations and rights – disappear."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/knifecrime.youthjustice?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Jonathan Rutherford
"Gun culture thrives where social life is dying. The working-class estates devastated by de-industrialisation are where a defeated, unwanted people have been herded away to suffer a self-inflicted fate of drugs and violence. Decades of unemployment have destroyed the old patriarchal order of male breadwinner and head of household. Not only has it meant poverty, it has lost many men their dignity and self- worth. In communities deprived of the markers of status that bring respect, violence takes the place of authority. Sons inherit the legacy of their fathers' humiliation. Without work and affordable housing, it is impossible for many to create an independent life of their own. The traditional rites of passage into adulthood – leaving home, getting a job, establishing a family, and taking on legal obligations and rights – disappear."
Two women killed each week / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/ukcrime.women?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Julie Bindell
"Three million women across the UK suffer violence each year, including rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, stalking, and sexual exploitation and trafficking/prostitution. Almost half of women in England and Wales experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lifetime. One in five women in Northern Ireland experience domestic violence. More than 900 rapes were reported to the police in Scotland in 2006/7. According to government figures, violence against women costs £40bn a year in England and Wales alone."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/ukcrime.women?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Julie Bindell
"Three million women across the UK suffer violence each year, including rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, stalking, and sexual exploitation and trafficking/prostitution. Almost half of women in England and Wales experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lifetime. One in five women in Northern Ireland experience domestic violence. More than 900 rapes were reported to the police in Scotland in 2006/7. According to government figures, violence against women costs £40bn a year in England and Wales alone."
Cannabis dangers: Skunk smokers more at risk of psychosis than hash users / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/03/drugsandalcohol.medicalresearch?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Sarah Boseley
"People who smoke the more powerful kind of cannabis known as skunk are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis than those who smoke milder forms, according to research by psychiatrists. Early results from a study presented to the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggest that skunk poses significantly greater dangers to mental health than the traditional kinds of cannabis, such as hash."
[Report not yet available]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/03/drugsandalcohol.medicalresearch?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Sarah Boseley
"People who smoke the more powerful kind of cannabis known as skunk are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis than those who smoke milder forms, according to research by psychiatrists. Early results from a study presented to the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggest that skunk poses significantly greater dangers to mental health than the traditional kinds of cannabis, such as hash."
[Report not yet available]
British-born teenagers being trafficked for sexual exploitation within UK, police say / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/03/childprotection.internationalcrime
Nick Kinsella
"Teenage girls born in Britain are being trafficked for sexual exploitation within the UK, police said yesterday, adding that children are being "groomed" by men acting as boyfriends who carry out the abuse and then take the youngsters to other towns for further exploitation. Officers fear that as many as 33 girls between the ages of 12 and 15 could have been involved in a case uncovered in Sheffield last year. Only one, a 15-year-old, was willing to give evidence in court, but following that a 23-year-old man was jailed for 10 years for serious sexual offences which included rape of a child. Five other men faced deportation procedures."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/03/childprotection.internationalcrime
Nick Kinsella
"Teenage girls born in Britain are being trafficked for sexual exploitation within the UK, police said yesterday, adding that children are being "groomed" by men acting as boyfriends who carry out the abuse and then take the youngsters to other towns for further exploitation. Officers fear that as many as 33 girls between the ages of 12 and 15 could have been involved in a case uncovered in Sheffield last year. Only one, a 15-year-old, was willing to give evidence in court, but following that a 23-year-old man was jailed for 10 years for serious sexual offences which included rape of a child. Five other men faced deportation procedures."
Email management takes too much time and effort / Computing, 2 July 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220547/message-management-takes-toll
Martin Courtney
"About 65 per cent of corporates have to contend with email inbox quotas which are often as small as 100MB, forcing them to waste time managing their email, according to research.
Users constantly have to delete attachments and whole messages to keep email storage within their limits. And up to half export old email into PST files which make them difficult to retrieve and unable to be be searched upon for compliance with corporate governance requirements. The survey was commissioned by email data management software vendor C2C." [Brief]
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220547/message-management-takes-toll
Martin Courtney
"About 65 per cent of corporates have to contend with email inbox quotas which are often as small as 100MB, forcing them to waste time managing their email, according to research.
Users constantly have to delete attachments and whole messages to keep email storage within their limits. And up to half export old email into PST files which make them difficult to retrieve and unable to be be searched upon for compliance with corporate governance requirements. The survey was commissioned by email data management software vendor C2C." [Brief]
Pandemic influenza: guidance on preparing mental health services in England http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085925?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=168200&Rendition=Web
"This document is designed to assist mental health trusts and other specialist mental health service providers in developing their plans for responding to an influenza pandemic. This document details a national approach, setting out the key planning assumptions and principles, roles and responsibilities that should inform the development of local plans."
"This document is designed to assist mental health trusts and other specialist mental health service providers in developing their plans for responding to an influenza pandemic. This document details a national approach, setting out the key planning assumptions and principles, roles and responsibilities that should inform the development of local plans."
Update to the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking /Home Office, 2 July 2008
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/humantrafficking004.pdf
"This is an updated action plan to tackle the problem of human trafficking in the UK through understanding the scale and nature of the problem and preventing trafficking at both its source and its destination."
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/humantrafficking004.pdf
"This is an updated action plan to tackle the problem of human trafficking in the UK through understanding the scale and nature of the problem and preventing trafficking at both its source and its destination."
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Spin doctor behind Davis's campaign promotes ID cards / Independent, 29 June 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/spin-doctor-behind-daviss-campaign-promotes-id-cards-856590.html
Andy Rowell and Michael Gillard
"A spin doctor behind David Davis and his much-vaunted "freedom" campaign against creeping state surveillance is an influential figure in the worldwide promotion of identity cards, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. ... Mr Bell has spoken at a Home Office-supported conference promoting the controversial ID card, a scheme that Mr Davis cites as one of the main reasons for his shock resignation as shadow Home Secretary earlier this month. The title of Mr Bell's speech was "Achieving public acceptance"."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/spin-doctor-behind-daviss-campaign-promotes-id-cards-856590.html
Andy Rowell and Michael Gillard
"A spin doctor behind David Davis and his much-vaunted "freedom" campaign against creeping state surveillance is an influential figure in the worldwide promotion of identity cards, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. ... Mr Bell has spoken at a Home Office-supported conference promoting the controversial ID card, a scheme that Mr Davis cites as one of the main reasons for his shock resignation as shadow Home Secretary earlier this month. The title of Mr Bell's speech was "Achieving public acceptance"."
Fashion for back-garden poultry attracts chicken rustlers / Independent, 30 June 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/fashion-for-backgarden-poultry-attracts-chicken-rustlers-856900.html
Ian Johnston
"Rare hens are being stolen to order by gangs of chicken rustlers after prices soared to as much as £250 a bird following the high-profile campaign to promote free-range by the chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It is estimated that 1,500 birds have been stolen this year to meet the demand for rare breeds such as the Orpington, Marans and Welsummer. They are being taken largely from people keeping poultry for the first time, often in their back garden, who are prepared to pay considerably over the market price for a good-looking hen."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/fashion-for-backgarden-poultry-attracts-chicken-rustlers-856900.html
Ian Johnston
"Rare hens are being stolen to order by gangs of chicken rustlers after prices soared to as much as £250 a bird following the high-profile campaign to promote free-range by the chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It is estimated that 1,500 birds have been stolen this year to meet the demand for rare breeds such as the Orpington, Marans and Welsummer. They are being taken largely from people keeping poultry for the first time, often in their back garden, who are prepared to pay considerably over the market price for a good-looking hen."
Woman 'assaulted' by UK security guards during forced removal / Independent, 30 June 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woman-assaulted-by-uk-security-guards-during-forced-removal-856897.html
Robert Verkaik
"The Government is investigating claims that a 26-year-old asylum-seeker from Cameroon was so badly assaulted during her forced removal on a British Airways flight that she has to use a wheelchair. Stephanie Toumi claims that British security guards kicked her in the back of the leg and held her head down for two hours on a flight from Heathrow to Brussels earlier this month. Her injuries were so serious that Belgian immigration officials refused to allow the escort team to fly her on to Cameroon, claims Ms Toumi, who fled her home in March after being tortured and abused by a village chief."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woman-assaulted-by-uk-security-guards-during-forced-removal-856897.html
Robert Verkaik
"The Government is investigating claims that a 26-year-old asylum-seeker from Cameroon was so badly assaulted during her forced removal on a British Airways flight that she has to use a wheelchair. Stephanie Toumi claims that British security guards kicked her in the back of the leg and held her head down for two hours on a flight from Heathrow to Brussels earlier this month. Her injuries were so serious that Belgian immigration officials refused to allow the escort team to fly her on to Cameroon, claims Ms Toumi, who fled her home in March after being tortured and abused by a village chief."
Asylum-seekers put at risk by law, warns top judge / Independent, 2 July 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asylum-laws-are-threat-to-judicial-independence-858323.html
Robert Verkaik
"Labour's tough stance on immigration may have forced courts to send asylum-seekers back to their home countries to face "torture or death", one of the most senior judges in England and Wales has warned. Lord Justice Sedley, a Court of Appeal judge, accuses the Government of threatening the independence of the judiciary by imposing a rule that obliges judges to dismiss an asylum-seeker's story if that refugee has fled their home country using a false passport. Sir Stephen Sedley, writing in the London Review of Books, warns that such a measure "is a serious invasion of judicial independence".
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asylum-laws-are-threat-to-judicial-independence-858323.html
Robert Verkaik
"Labour's tough stance on immigration may have forced courts to send asylum-seekers back to their home countries to face "torture or death", one of the most senior judges in England and Wales has warned. Lord Justice Sedley, a Court of Appeal judge, accuses the Government of threatening the independence of the judiciary by imposing a rule that obliges judges to dismiss an asylum-seeker's story if that refugee has fled their home country using a false passport. Sir Stephen Sedley, writing in the London Review of Books, warns that such a measure "is a serious invasion of judicial independence".
Police 'shortage' for 2012 Games / BBC, 1 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7483598.stm
"A lack of security staff for London's Olympics means veteran police officers must be brought out of retirement, a senior police figure has said. More than 1,500 officers will also have to be brought to London from other parts of the UK to guard the Games. Cuts to police dogs and horses will now have to be reversed to provide the level of protection required, Assistant Met Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7483598.stm
"A lack of security staff for London's Olympics means veteran police officers must be brought out of retirement, a senior police figure has said. More than 1,500 officers will also have to be brought to London from other parts of the UK to guard the Games. Cuts to police dogs and horses will now have to be reversed to provide the level of protection required, Assistant Met Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said."
Migrant domestic staff 'at risk' / BBC, 2 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7484043.stm
"Most migrant domestic workers brought to the UK by their employers face abuse and exploitation, a report claims. Oxfam and campaign group Kalayaan found 10% of 312 people surveyed had reported sexual abuse, 26% physical abuse and 72% psychological abuse from bosses."
Report still to be published: briefing paper - http://www.kalayaan.org.uk/documents/Kalayaan%20Oxfam%20Briefing%20Paper%20final.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7484043.stm
"Most migrant domestic workers brought to the UK by their employers face abuse and exploitation, a report claims. Oxfam and campaign group Kalayaan found 10% of 312 people surveyed had reported sexual abuse, 26% physical abuse and 72% psychological abuse from bosses."
Report still to be published: briefing paper - http://www.kalayaan.org.uk/documents/Kalayaan%20Oxfam%20Briefing%20Paper%20final.pdf
Family 'replaced by gang culture' / BBC, 2 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7484605.stm
"Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable of South Wales, said in some areas tribal loyalty replaced that of the family. Her speech was made at King's College London in May, and reported in The Times, which obtained a transcript. Ms Wilding said that family breakdown was the root cause of many problems for young people."
Times article - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4252089.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7484605.stm
"Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable of South Wales, said in some areas tribal loyalty replaced that of the family. Her speech was made at King's College London in May, and reported in The Times, which obtained a transcript. Ms Wilding said that family breakdown was the root cause of many problems for young people."
Times article - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4252089.ece
Thou shalt not hug / New Statesman, 26 June 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2008/06/vetting-adults-scheme-children
Frank Furedi & Jennie Bristow
"British society no longer trusts adults to interact with children. Since 2002, growing numbers of people have found themselves required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check simply because their work or voluntary activities bring them into contact with children. This includes football coaches, cricket umpires, Guiders and Scoutmasters, volunteers in churches, charities and community centres, parents who volunteer for school trips or after-school clubs, and members of parent-teacher associations - as well as a host of others whose work is not to do with children, but might just involve having contact with them, such as bus drivers, or plumbers who fix school radiators."
"Licensed to Hug" is published by Civitas (£5)
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2008/06/vetting-adults-scheme-children
Frank Furedi & Jennie Bristow
"British society no longer trusts adults to interact with children. Since 2002, growing numbers of people have found themselves required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check simply because their work or voluntary activities bring them into contact with children. This includes football coaches, cricket umpires, Guiders and Scoutmasters, volunteers in churches, charities and community centres, parents who volunteer for school trips or after-school clubs, and members of parent-teacher associations - as well as a host of others whose work is not to do with children, but might just involve having contact with them, such as bus drivers, or plumbers who fix school radiators."
"Licensed to Hug" is published by Civitas (£5)
Banning Khat / New Statesman, 26 June 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2008/06/khat-chewing-yemen-another
Hugh Barnes
"Never mind about salmon fishing in the Yemen. Reverse the process of cultural transplantation and you get khat-chewing in the UK, which may sound like an equally harmless minority pastime, but not if you're a Tory drugs tsar (or tsarina). The shadow communities minister Sayeeda Warsi announced last week that a future government led by David Cameron would outlaw chewing of the psychotropic shrub Catha edulis on the grounds that its juices addle the brains of Yemenis, Somalis and Ethiopians who are living in this country."
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2008/06/khat-chewing-yemen-another
Hugh Barnes
"Never mind about salmon fishing in the Yemen. Reverse the process of cultural transplantation and you get khat-chewing in the UK, which may sound like an equally harmless minority pastime, but not if you're a Tory drugs tsar (or tsarina). The shadow communities minister Sayeeda Warsi announced last week that a future government led by David Cameron would outlaw chewing of the psychotropic shrub Catha edulis on the grounds that its juices addle the brains of Yemenis, Somalis and Ethiopians who are living in this country."
CRB checks are regrettable – but necessary / New Statesman, 26 June 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2008/06/child-checks-narey-abuse
Martin Narey
"Frank Furedi and Jennie Bristow highlight some of the current suspicions around adult-child relationships which worry so many of us. Over time it can affect our own behaviour. I am likely to usher my wife forward if a child falls over in the street, lest my picking up the child be misinterpreted. We need to address that. Adults – particularly men – should not routinely be seen as potential child abusers. And we need urgently to expose the nonsense of “stranger danger” and convince parents that, although the risk of a child of theirs being abused at all is small, that risk comes not from lurking strangers, but from people known by their children – often relatives – who are able to exploit a child’s trust."
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2008/06/child-checks-narey-abuse
Martin Narey
"Frank Furedi and Jennie Bristow highlight some of the current suspicions around adult-child relationships which worry so many of us. Over time it can affect our own behaviour. I am likely to usher my wife forward if a child falls over in the street, lest my picking up the child be misinterpreted. We need to address that. Adults – particularly men – should not routinely be seen as potential child abusers. And we need urgently to expose the nonsense of “stranger danger” and convince parents that, although the risk of a child of theirs being abused at all is small, that risk comes not from lurking strangers, but from people known by their children – often relatives – who are able to exploit a child’s trust."
The bare life of immigrants / New Statesman, 30 June 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/global-issues/2008/06/illegal-immigrants-life
Iselin Åsedotter Strønen
"Behind every death there was a dream, and then a tragedy. More than 9,000 illegal immigrants have died since 1993 in the attempt to seek a better life in Europe, according to the European organization United. They drown in Gibraltar are blown up in mine fields on the Turkish-Greek border, die in asylum custody, commit suicide and get killed when they are sent out of Europe. We don't think about it much. It is unwanted and dispensable life. The European Parliament* has backed a much criticised new return directive which, when implemented by 2010, will allow governments to keep illegal immigrants, and those who have overstayed their visa period, in detention for up to 12 months, ban re-entry into Europe for five years, and make it easier to deport vulnerable people."
http://www.newstatesman.com/global-issues/2008/06/illegal-immigrants-life
Iselin Åsedotter Strønen
"Behind every death there was a dream, and then a tragedy. More than 9,000 illegal immigrants have died since 1993 in the attempt to seek a better life in Europe, according to the European organization United. They drown in Gibraltar are blown up in mine fields on the Turkish-Greek border, die in asylum custody, commit suicide and get killed when they are sent out of Europe. We don't think about it much. It is unwanted and dispensable life. The European Parliament* has backed a much criticised new return directive which, when implemented by 2010, will allow governments to keep illegal immigrants, and those who have overstayed their visa period, in detention for up to 12 months, ban re-entry into Europe for five years, and make it easier to deport vulnerable people."
This isn't a snoopers' charter / Guardian, 1 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/01/civilliberties.law?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Geoff Cahill
"Can there be any piece of legislation that has been more misunderstood than the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act? As nightmarish folk tales of people being bugged over dog poop began to reverberate across the blogosphere, the accusations mounted: it was "illiberal", "draconian", "a snoopers' charter" or even (bewilderingly) "anti-terrorism legislation". It seems that Ripa has developed a serious image problem, which is a great pity because it was conceived with some very good intentions. Unfortunately, it credited those for whom it was enacted to regulate with slightly too much intelligence and restraint."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/01/civilliberties.law?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Geoff Cahill
"Can there be any piece of legislation that has been more misunderstood than the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act? As nightmarish folk tales of people being bugged over dog poop began to reverberate across the blogosphere, the accusations mounted: it was "illiberal", "draconian", "a snoopers' charter" or even (bewilderingly) "anti-terrorism legislation". It seems that Ripa has developed a serious image problem, which is a great pity because it was conceived with some very good intentions. Unfortunately, it credited those for whom it was enacted to regulate with slightly too much intelligence and restraint."
Scientifically valid prevention programs cut rates of juvenile delinquency / Eureka Alert, 23 June 2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/uow-svp062308.php
Joel Schwarz
"The early finding comes from the Community Youth Development Study that is tracking the behavior of more than 4,400 students for five years in the 12 pairs of small-to moderate-size towns. The data come from the third year of the study, which is continuing. "This finding is very important because early initiation of delinquent behavior in children before the age of 14 is a predictor of later substance abuse, chronic criminal behavior and mental health problems," said J. David Hawkins, lead author and director of the study. "It is exciting because we didn't expect to find these community-wide effects until about five years. The seventh grade is still pretty young and this may bode well for other behavioral outcomes." The study is being conducted by the UW's Social Development Research Group, a part of the School of Social Work, with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Mental Health and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention."
[sub required]
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/uow-svp062308.php
Joel Schwarz
"The early finding comes from the Community Youth Development Study that is tracking the behavior of more than 4,400 students for five years in the 12 pairs of small-to moderate-size towns. The data come from the third year of the study, which is continuing. "This finding is very important because early initiation of delinquent behavior in children before the age of 14 is a predictor of later substance abuse, chronic criminal behavior and mental health problems," said J. David Hawkins, lead author and director of the study. "It is exciting because we didn't expect to find these community-wide effects until about five years. The seventh grade is still pretty young and this may bode well for other behavioral outcomes." The study is being conducted by the UW's Social Development Research Group, a part of the School of Social Work, with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Mental Health and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention."
[sub required]
[USA] Researchers study hidden homicide trend / Eureka Alert, 26 June 2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/jhub-rsh062608.php
Tim Parsons
"Gun-related homicide among young men rose sharply in the United States in recent years even though the nation's overall homicide rate remained flat, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Between 1999 and 2005, homicide involving firearms increased 31 percent among black men ages 25 to 44 and 12 percent among white men of the same age. The study is published in Online First edition of the Journal of Urban Health."
PDF - http://www.springerlink.com/content/954h222454814u5w/fulltext.pdf
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/jhub-rsh062608.php
Tim Parsons
"Gun-related homicide among young men rose sharply in the United States in recent years even though the nation's overall homicide rate remained flat, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Between 1999 and 2005, homicide involving firearms increased 31 percent among black men ages 25 to 44 and 12 percent among white men of the same age. The study is published in Online First edition of the Journal of Urban Health."
PDF - http://www.springerlink.com/content/954h222454814u5w/fulltext.pdf
[USA] Sexual violence study finds NY teens victimized at rate higher than national average / Eureka Alert, 27 June 2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/cums-svs062708.php
Stephanie Berger
"The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, in collaboration with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's Center for Youth Violence Prevention, announced the results of a three-year, comprehensive research project on sexual and dating violence among New York City high school students, and the health impact of that violence on those victimized by it. A copy of the full study, "Partners and Peers: Sexual and Dating Violence Among NYC Youth," will be released in July."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/cums-svs062708.php
Stephanie Berger
"The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, in collaboration with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's Center for Youth Violence Prevention, announced the results of a three-year, comprehensive research project on sexual and dating violence among New York City high school students, and the health impact of that violence on those victimized by it. A copy of the full study, "Partners and Peers: Sexual and Dating Violence Among NYC Youth," will be released in July."
[USA] United States has highest level of illegal cocaine and cannabis use, and more / Eureka Alert, 30 June 2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/plos-ush062608.php
Andrew Hyde
"A survey of 17 countries has found that despite its punitive drug policies the United States has the highest levels of illegal cocaine and cannabis use. The study, by Louisa Degenhardt (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) and colleagues, is based on the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and is published in this week's PLoS Medicine."
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050141
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/plos-ush062608.php
Andrew Hyde
"A survey of 17 countries has found that despite its punitive drug policies the United States has the highest levels of illegal cocaine and cannabis use. The study, by Louisa Degenhardt (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) and colleagues, is based on the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and is published in this week's PLoS Medicine."
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050141
Gordo's DNA database claims branded 'ridiculous' / The Register, 29 June 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/29/brown_dna_database_innocent_genewatch/
Chris Williams
"Gordon Brown has been accused of deliberately misleading the public by claiming that not retaining genetic profiles of innocent people on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) would have led to 114 murderers getting away. The charge was made on Friday by the genetics lobby group GeneWatch UK. It analysed a speech the Prime Minister made on June 17 where he argued for the retention of DNA profiles from thousands of charged suspects, including children, in criminal cases that were later found not guilty or never made it to trial."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/29/brown_dna_database_innocent_genewatch/
Chris Williams
"Gordon Brown has been accused of deliberately misleading the public by claiming that not retaining genetic profiles of innocent people on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) would have led to 114 murderers getting away. The charge was made on Friday by the genetics lobby group GeneWatch UK. It analysed a speech the Prime Minister made on June 17 where he argued for the retention of DNA profiles from thousands of charged suspects, including children, in criminal cases that were later found not guilty or never made it to trial."
Record numbers of foreign criminals removed from Britain / Home Office, 1 July 2008
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=372424&NewsAreaID=2
"Since January over 2,400 foreign lawbreakers have been removed from the UK, putting the UK Border Agency on track to improve on its record-breaking level of removals in 2007. The Agency was set the tough target of removing 5,000 foreign criminals in 2008, and the Government today said it is confident the challenge will be met."
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=372424&NewsAreaID=2
"Since January over 2,400 foreign lawbreakers have been removed from the UK, putting the UK Border Agency on track to improve on its record-breaking level of removals in 2007. The Agency was set the tough target of removing 5,000 foreign criminals in 2008, and the Government today said it is confident the challenge will be met."
Tech giants team for online ID cards / The Register, 30 June 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/30/information_cards/
John Oates
" group of software and online payment companies are teaming up to find a better way than passwords to protect, and prove, your identity online. Problems with passwords are well known - people require ever more passwords which means they either get forgotten, or people use the same word for several different services which is a security risk. The new group will seek to find open standards to make it easier to prove your identity online without using dozens of passwords and usernames."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/30/information_cards/
John Oates
" group of software and online payment companies are teaming up to find a better way than passwords to protect, and prove, your identity online. Problems with passwords are well known - people require ever more passwords which means they either get forgotten, or people use the same word for several different services which is a security risk. The new group will seek to find open standards to make it easier to prove your identity online without using dozens of passwords and usernames."
Identity and Passsport Service Annual Report and Accounts/ Home Office, 1 July 2008
https://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-annual-report-and-accounts-31-05-08.pdf
https://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-annual-report-and-accounts-31-05-08.pdf
Photos fool cigarette age-verification software / Register Hardware, 1 July 2008
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/01/magazine_age_verification_machine_japan/
James Sherwood
"A Japanese reporter has used family photos and magazine cut-outs to fool face-recognition software currently used in some of the country's cigarette vending machines into selling him smokes. From July, Japan’s set to introduce tough regulations allowing prosecutions to be brought against vending-machine companies whose dispensers sell tobacco to someone under the country’s legal smoking age of 20. As a result, numerous Japanese cigarette machines already feature facial verification software that aims to cut-down on sales of smokes to minors. One such system, developed by firm Fujitaka, uses a camera built into the machine to snap a picture of the buyer. Software then analyses the person’s face for age identifiers, such as wrinkles around the eyes and sagging skin."
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/01/magazine_age_verification_machine_japan/
James Sherwood
"A Japanese reporter has used family photos and magazine cut-outs to fool face-recognition software currently used in some of the country's cigarette vending machines into selling him smokes. From July, Japan’s set to introduce tough regulations allowing prosecutions to be brought against vending-machine companies whose dispensers sell tobacco to someone under the country’s legal smoking age of 20. As a result, numerous Japanese cigarette machines already feature facial verification software that aims to cut-down on sales of smokes to minors. One such system, developed by firm Fujitaka, uses a camera built into the machine to snap a picture of the buyer. Software then analyses the person’s face for age identifiers, such as wrinkles around the eyes and sagging skin."
Technology is key to public services / Computing, 27 June 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220259/review-technology-key-public
Tom Young
"Technology enables public services to offer more personalised services by providing information on citizens and enabling government to tailor delivery, while joining up systems reduces the number of departments people have to deal with. The review – Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services – cites NHS Direct as an example of how well structured information available online can improve people's lives."
Report: PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/work_areas/public_services.aspx
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220259/review-technology-key-public
Tom Young
"Technology enables public services to offer more personalised services by providing information on citizens and enabling government to tailor delivery, while joining up systems reduces the number of departments people have to deal with. The review – Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services – cites NHS Direct as an example of how well structured information available online can improve people's lives."
Report: PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/work_areas/public_services.aspx
Police mobile devices move closer / Computing, 30 June 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220293/airwave-supply-police-mobile
Tom Young
"Police forces in England and Wales will be able to procure pre-packaged systems to give frontline officers handheld computers as part of framework deals with suppliers Airwave Solutions and Cable & Wireless. The framework agreement was signed by the National Policing Improvement Agency – the central body which procures new technology for the police - and give forces the choice of the two systems. Forces will still be able to procure independent systems should they wish, though the Airwave and Cable & Wireless deals are likely to be cheaper and faster to implement. The deal also gives forces a choice of networks, devices, applications and support services."
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220293/airwave-supply-police-mobile
Tom Young
"Police forces in England and Wales will be able to procure pre-packaged systems to give frontline officers handheld computers as part of framework deals with suppliers Airwave Solutions and Cable & Wireless. The framework agreement was signed by the National Policing Improvement Agency – the central body which procures new technology for the police - and give forces the choice of the two systems. Forces will still be able to procure independent systems should they wish, though the Airwave and Cable & Wireless deals are likely to be cheaper and faster to implement. The deal also gives forces a choice of networks, devices, applications and support services."
EU data protection supervisor questions data access plans / Computing, 30 June 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220357/european-protection-supervisor
Tom Young
"The European Data Protections Supervisor Peter Hustinx is unhappy with a proposed law to improve public access to EU documents. The law, proposed by the European Commission, aims to improve the transparency of European government. But the supervisor is concerned that personal data contained within public documents may not be adequately protected after a reference to possible harm to "the privacy and the integrity" of the individual was deleted from the proposal."
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220357/european-protection-supervisor
Tom Young
"The European Data Protections Supervisor Peter Hustinx is unhappy with a proposed law to improve public access to EU documents. The law, proposed by the European Commission, aims to improve the transparency of European government. But the supervisor is concerned that personal data contained within public documents may not be adequately protected after a reference to possible harm to "the privacy and the integrity" of the individual was deleted from the proposal."
Office cowardice wastes 7.1 billion tonnes of CO2 a year / BusinessGreen, 1 July 2008
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2220442/office-cowardice-wastes-billion
James Murray
"Fear of being ridiculed as a "jobsworth" is stopping many people from promoting energy-saving measures in the workplace, despite their support for such practices when they are at home. That is the conclusion of a new report from energy giant E.ON which calculates that a widespread failure to take even basic energy-saving measures such as turning off PCs and lights when not in use results in £12.7bn and 7.1 billion tonnes of CO2 being wasted by office workers each year."
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2220442/office-cowardice-wastes-billion
James Murray
"Fear of being ridiculed as a "jobsworth" is stopping many people from promoting energy-saving measures in the workplace, despite their support for such practices when they are at home. That is the conclusion of a new report from energy giant E.ON which calculates that a widespread failure to take even basic energy-saving measures such as turning off PCs and lights when not in use results in £12.7bn and 7.1 billion tonnes of CO2 being wasted by office workers each year."
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Identity and Passport Service: Annual Report and Accounts 2007–08: Presented to the House of Commons pursuant to Section 7 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 / TSO, June 2008
PDF - http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/IPS-annual-report-and-accounts-31-05-08.pdf
HC604
PDF - http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/IPS-annual-report-and-accounts-31-05-08.pdf
HC604
Review of information security at HM Revenue and Customs: Final report / HM Treasury, June 2008
PDF - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/0/1/poynter_review250608.pdf
Kieran Poynter
PDF - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/0/1/poynter_review250608.pdf
Kieran Poynter
HMRC, Washington: IPCC independent investigation report into loss of data relating to Child Benefit / IPCC, June 2008
PDF - http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/final_hmrc_report_25062008.pdf
PDF - http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/final_hmrc_report_25062008.pdf
Protecting Government Information: Independent Review of Government Information Assurance: The Coleman Report: Commissioned by the Cabinet Office / Cabinet Office, June 2008
PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/csia/dhr/ia_coleman080626%20pdf.ashx
PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/csia/dhr/ia_coleman080626%20pdf.ashx
Data Handling Procedures in Government: Final Report / Cabinet Office, June 2008
PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/csia/dhr/dhr080625%20pdf.ashx
PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/csia/dhr/dhr080625%20pdf.ashx
The Home Office Information Charter / Home Office, June 2008
PDF - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/information-charter?view=Binary
PDF - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/information-charter?view=Binary
Tories propose border protection service / Guardian, 1 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/01/immigrationpolicy.conservatives?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Andrew Sparrow
"David Cameron today unveiled plans for the creation of a new 30,000-strong border protection service to deal with smugglers, terrorists, traffickers and illegal immigrants. Speaking at the launch of a report from a Conservative party advisory committee chaired by former Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Stevens, Cameron said Britain's borders needed to be "properly defended". The Conservative leader said that Britain's borders were "porous", partly because no single organisation was responsible for them."
A border protection service for the UK: PDF - http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/files/bsac_report.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/01/immigrationpolicy.conservatives?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Andrew Sparrow
"David Cameron today unveiled plans for the creation of a new 30,000-strong border protection service to deal with smugglers, terrorists, traffickers and illegal immigrants. Speaking at the launch of a report from a Conservative party advisory committee chaired by former Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Stevens, Cameron said Britain's borders needed to be "properly defended". The Conservative leader said that Britain's borders were "porous", partly because no single organisation was responsible for them."
A border protection service for the UK: PDF - http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/files/bsac_report.pdf
Cherie Booth: Knife crime is more common than statistics say / Guardian, 1 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/01/cherieblair.justice?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jenny Percival
"Cherie Booth told MPs today that knife and gun crime among young people was more common than the official statistics suggest. The wife of former prime minister Tony Blair said that the statistics were particularly poor at reflecting the extent to which under-16s carry weapons. Her comments, as the chair of an inquiry into young people and weapons, follow a series of high-profile teenage deaths at the hands of other youngsters."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/01/cherieblair.justice?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Jenny Percival
"Cherie Booth told MPs today that knife and gun crime among young people was more common than the official statistics suggest. The wife of former prime minister Tony Blair said that the statistics were particularly poor at reflecting the extent to which under-16s carry weapons. Her comments, as the chair of an inquiry into young people and weapons, follow a series of high-profile teenage deaths at the hands of other youngsters."
New sponsored police car will make streets 'as safe as houses' / 24Dash, 30 June 2008
http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2008-06-30-New-sponsored-police-car-will-make-streets-as-safe-as-houses
Jon Land
"Housing associations working in Sedgley and Gornal have got together to pay for a new police car. The partnership will show residents that making the community a better place is a team effort and that agencies are working together to achieve this. The car will be used in the community rather than for 999 calls. To distinguish it from emergency vehicles, it has a slightly different look to a traditional police car and includes the sponsors’ logos on the doors along with the traditional police crest."
http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2008-06-30-New-sponsored-police-car-will-make-streets-as-safe-as-houses
Jon Land
"Housing associations working in Sedgley and Gornal have got together to pay for a new police car. The partnership will show residents that making the community a better place is a team effort and that agencies are working together to achieve this. The car will be used in the community rather than for 999 calls. To distinguish it from emergency vehicles, it has a slightly different look to a traditional police car and includes the sponsors’ logos on the doors along with the traditional police crest."
Call for internet groups to create online standards / Computing, 26 June 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220069/call-internet-groups-create-4089512
Neon Kelly
"Dedicated standards bodies to govern privacy and intellectual property are needed to safeguard the future of the internet, say experts. Governments must co-operate with industry to create a common set of rules, and stakeholder groups will become a bridge between industry and legislators worldwide, said technology pioneer Vint Cerf. “Different bodies best suited to solving different problems will emerge, and multi-stakeholder discussion will have a big role to play in identifying difficulties,” he said."
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2220069/call-internet-groups-create-4089512
Neon Kelly
"Dedicated standards bodies to govern privacy and intellectual property are needed to safeguard the future of the internet, say experts. Governments must co-operate with industry to create a common set of rules, and stakeholder groups will become a bridge between industry and legislators worldwide, said technology pioneer Vint Cerf. “Different bodies best suited to solving different problems will emerge, and multi-stakeholder discussion will have a big role to play in identifying difficulties,” he said."
City of London's banking quarter becomes battlefield for drug gangs / Times, 28 June 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4228487.ece
Adam Fresco
"The City of London is becoming a magnet at the weekends for vicious gangs involved in shootings, drug dealing and extortion. Where once the Square Mile would be deserted at the end of the working week, now tens of thousands of party-goers travel to clubs that hold more than 1,000 people. Among them are rival gangs, who over the past two years have been attracted by lax parking restrictions and the relatively low number of officers available to patrol the area. Some are drug dealers seeking to take control of valuable new markets, while others are looking to settle scores."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4228487.ece
Adam Fresco
"The City of London is becoming a magnet at the weekends for vicious gangs involved in shootings, drug dealing and extortion. Where once the Square Mile would be deserted at the end of the working week, now tens of thousands of party-goers travel to clubs that hold more than 1,000 people. Among them are rival gangs, who over the past two years have been attracted by lax parking restrictions and the relatively low number of officers available to patrol the area. Some are drug dealers seeking to take control of valuable new markets, while others are looking to settle scores."
Police face shortage of handcuffs as manufacturer shuts up shop / Times, 30 June 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4237515.ece
Sean O'Neill
"Police officers may have to be a little more restrained about restraining prisoners, because of a looming shortage of handcuffs. The company that makes cuffs for the majority of Britain's police forces is closing down this week, prompting something of a short-term supply problem. Hiatt & Company, which has been making handcuffs, leg-irons, manacles and other gruesome devices to shackle humans for more than 200 years, will shut its Birmingham workshops within days."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4237515.ece
Sean O'Neill
"Police officers may have to be a little more restrained about restraining prisoners, because of a looming shortage of handcuffs. The company that makes cuffs for the majority of Britain's police forces is closing down this week, prompting something of a short-term supply problem. Hiatt & Company, which has been making handcuffs, leg-irons, manacles and other gruesome devices to shackle humans for more than 200 years, will shut its Birmingham workshops within days."
Target shake up delivers stronger focus on issues that matter to the public / DCLG, 30 June 2008
http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/
"The results of a comprehensive shake up of council targets and priorities are published today. The priorities - agreed in partnership with central government - show the pattern of issues across England that councils will now have to grapple with over the next three years. Councils will now need to devote considerable energy - as many of them already do - to ensuring their communities feel safer, that tackling serious violence and anti-social behaviour is a major priority, and that tackling unemployment and teenage pregnancy is comprehensively addressed. The results of a new YouGov poll reveal that people want areas to prioritise the issue of community safety - 82 per cent of the population selected this as among the most important jobs for councils."
Results of the You Gov poll can be found at: PDF - www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/865896.pdf
http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/
"The results of a comprehensive shake up of council targets and priorities are published today. The priorities - agreed in partnership with central government - show the pattern of issues across England that councils will now have to grapple with over the next three years. Councils will now need to devote considerable energy - as many of them already do - to ensuring their communities feel safer, that tackling serious violence and anti-social behaviour is a major priority, and that tackling unemployment and teenage pregnancy is comprehensively addressed. The results of a new YouGov poll reveal that people want areas to prioritise the issue of community safety - 82 per cent of the population selected this as among the most important jobs for councils."
Results of the You Gov poll can be found at: PDF - www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/865896.pdf
Gun crime: a review of evidence and policy / Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, King's College, London, 28 June 2008
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/guncrime.html
"The report says that there `is no compelling evidence' that the current largely enforcement led strategy adopted by the government `is likely to prove a durable or effective way of dealing with firearm related offending'. It finds that mandatory minimum sentences are not an effective means of addressing the problem and argues that an effective response to gun crime needs to address the `causes and contexts of interpersonal violence'."
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/guncrime.html
"The report says that there `is no compelling evidence' that the current largely enforcement led strategy adopted by the government `is likely to prove a durable or effective way of dealing with firearm related offending'. It finds that mandatory minimum sentences are not an effective means of addressing the problem and argues that an effective response to gun crime needs to address the `causes and contexts of interpersonal violence'."
Fear over children's 'immorality' / BBC, 29 June 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7480116.stm
"Adults distrust young people and are increasingly worried about children's declining morality, a report has found. In the poll of 1,176 UK adults, 66% said children's morality today was "not as strong" as when they were young. Seven out of 10 questioned for the Children's Society survey - 69% - said children's community values had fallen."
Values evidence summary: PDF - http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/resources/documents/good%20childhood/7584_full.pdf
GfK NOP values poll: PDF - http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/resources/documents/good%20childhood/7629_full.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7480116.stm
"Adults distrust young people and are increasingly worried about children's declining morality, a report has found. In the poll of 1,176 UK adults, 66% said children's morality today was "not as strong" as when they were young. Seven out of 10 questioned for the Children's Society survey - 69% - said children's community values had fallen."
Values evidence summary: PDF - http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/resources/documents/good%20childhood/7584_full.pdf
GfK NOP values poll: PDF - http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/resources/documents/good%20childhood/7629_full.pdf
Lack of children’s services can lead to adult sex offending, warns NSPCC / NSPCC, 30 June 2008
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/whatwedo/mediacentre/pressreleases/2008_30_June_Lack_of_children's_services_advices_can%20lead_to_adult_sex_offending_warns_NSPCC_wdn58374.html
"The Society is calling on the governments in England , Wales and Northern Ireland to urgently fund a national and regional network of services to help these children. Nearly half of professionals (45%) feel there is ‘inadequate’ or ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ service provision in their area, according to a snapshot survey - published by the University of Durham and Huddersfield in 2003."
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/whatwedo/mediacentre/pressreleases/2008_30_June_Lack_of_children's_services_advices_can%20lead_to_adult_sex_offending_warns_NSPCC_wdn58374.html
"The Society is calling on the governments in England , Wales and Northern Ireland to urgently fund a national and regional network of services to help these children. Nearly half of professionals (45%) feel there is ‘inadequate’ or ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ service provision in their area, according to a snapshot survey - published by the University of Durham and Huddersfield in 2003."
Seoul declaration for the future of the internet economy / Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, June 2008
PDF - http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/28/40839436.pdf
PDF - http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/28/40839436.pdf
A Cannabis reader: global issues and local experiences / European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, June 2008
Volume 1
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53353_EN_Cannabis%20Vol%201%20FINAL.pdf
Volume 2
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53354_EN_Cannabis%20volume%202%20FINAL.pdf
"The EMCDDA’s cannabis monograph addresses one basic question. How can I find quality information on cannabis, amid all the bias and opinion? The monograph is divided into two volumes. The first volume centres on political, legislative, commercial and social developments relating to cannabis. Its core audience thus comprises policymakers, sociologists, historians, journalists and those involved in enforcement. The second volume is targeted at drugs professionals working in the fields of treatment, prevention and healthcare."
Volume 1
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53353_EN_Cannabis%20Vol%201%20FINAL.pdf
Volume 2
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53354_EN_Cannabis%20volume%202%20FINAL.pdf
"The EMCDDA’s cannabis monograph addresses one basic question. How can I find quality information on cannabis, amid all the bias and opinion? The monograph is divided into two volumes. The first volume centres on political, legislative, commercial and social developments relating to cannabis. Its core audience thus comprises policymakers, sociologists, historians, journalists and those involved in enforcement. The second volume is targeted at drugs professionals working in the fields of treatment, prevention and healthcare."
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA): General report of activities 2007 including 'Annual Activity Report of the EMCDDA’s Authorising Officer'/ EMCDDA, June 2008
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53847_EN_gra2007.pdf
PDF - http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_53847_EN_gra2007.pdf
Publications database: 'Our publications at your fingertips' / European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), June 2008
www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications
"Publications are the principal means by which the EMCDDA makes its work available to the EU Member States and the European Community. It therefore has a set of products tailored to the needs of specific audiences and published in a variety of print or web formats.
A full collection of titles is now available via the EMCDDA publications database. Here users can search publications by title; year; series or type; target group and keywords. Products are showcased with a summary, table of contents, downloadable pdf option; and details on price and language."
www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications
"Publications are the principal means by which the EMCDDA makes its work available to the EU Member States and the European Community. It therefore has a set of products tailored to the needs of specific audiences and published in a variety of print or web formats.
A full collection of titles is now available via the EMCDDA publications database. Here users can search publications by title; year; series or type; target group and keywords. Products are showcased with a summary, table of contents, downloadable pdf option; and details on price and language."
Delivering the government response to the Corston Report: A Progress Report on Meeting the Needs of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System / Ministry of Justice, June 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/progress-report_24-06-08.pdf
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/progress-report_24-06-08.pdf
Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Statistics on implementation in central government: Q1: January - March 2008 / Ministry of Justice
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/quarterly-stats-jan-mar-08.pdf
Ministry of Justice Statistical Bulletin
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/quarterly-stats-jan-mar-08.pdf
Ministry of Justice Statistical Bulletin
Freedom of Information Act 2000: Third Annual Report on the operation of the FOI Act in Central Government 2007 / Ministry of Justice, June 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/foi-report-2007-final-web.pdf
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/foi-report-2007-final-web.pdf
Population Trends 132: Summer 2008 / Office for National Statistics, June 2008
PDf - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Population_trends_132.pdf
PDf - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Population_trends_132.pdf
Citizenship Survey: April 2007 - March 2008, England and Wales / CLG, 26 June 2008
PDF - http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/863680.pdf
Cohesion Research: Statistical Release 4
"This release provides headline findings from all four quarters of the 2007-2008 Citizenship Survey, covering April 2007- March 2008. The release covers active and empowered communities; community cohesion; and racial prejudice and discrimination."
PDF - http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/863680.pdf
Cohesion Research: Statistical Release 4
"This release provides headline findings from all four quarters of the 2007-2008 Citizenship Survey, covering April 2007- March 2008. The release covers active and empowered communities; community cohesion; and racial prejudice and discrimination."
Customer Research Programme (Year 6) for the Criminal Records Bureau: [Criminal Records Bureau Customer Satisfaction Survey 2007] / Criminal Records Bureau, June 2008
PDF - http://www.crb.gov.uk/PDF/Customer%20Satisfaction%20Report%202007.pdf
PDF - http://www.crb.gov.uk/PDF/Customer%20Satisfaction%20Report%202007.pdf
Criminal Records Bureau: Business Plan 2008/2009 / Criminal Records Bureau, June 2008
PDF - http://www.crb.gov.uk/pdf/CRB-BusPlan-w0606[1].pdf
PDF - http://www.crb.gov.uk/pdf/CRB-BusPlan-w0606[1].pdf
Launch of Tier 1 of the points-based systemhttp://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/tier1launch
"From today all highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors wanting to come to the United Kingdom will be able to apply for their United Kingdom visa under a new Australian style points-based system."
"From today all highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors wanting to come to the United Kingdom will be able to apply for their United Kingdom visa under a new Australian style points-based system."
Police Reform e-Bulletin / Home Office, 30 June 2008
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform-e-bulletin/e-bulletin-115?view=Standard&pubID=564927
"This webpage links to the Police Reform e-Bulletin, which is published every fortnight for those working on the police reform programme. Update: Issue 115 has been added."
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform-e-bulletin/e-bulletin-115?view=Standard&pubID=564927
"This webpage links to the Police Reform e-Bulletin, which is published every fortnight for those working on the police reform programme. Update: Issue 115 has been added."
Anonymity of Witnesses: Oral ministerial statement by Jack Straw / Ministry of Justice,26 June 2008
http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/announcment260608a.htm
"This is a transcript of the oral ministerial statement to Parliament by Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw on 26 June 2008. He talks about the anonymity of witnesses and the effects of the recent judgment of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords."
http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/announcment260608a.htm
"This is a transcript of the oral ministerial statement to Parliament by Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw on 26 June 2008. He talks about the anonymity of witnesses and the effects of the recent judgment of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords."
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