Why both sides are wrong in the race debate / spiked, 4 July 2008
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/5425/
"In his new book, Kenan Malik slams those who are turning the divisive politics of identity into a natural feature of the human condition."

Newcomers Must Earn The Right To Stay In The UK / Home Office, 14 July 2008
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/Earning-The-Right-To-Stay
Draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/immigrationandcitizenshipbill

'My parents told me if someone hurts me to hurt them back two times more' / Guardian, 14 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/14/knifecrime.ukcrime1?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
"Members of six gangs and their families spoke to researchers during a two-year research project that found official tactics to curb street gangs were misinformed and failing"
Youth gangs in an English city: PDF - http://www.law.manchester.ac.uk/research/centres/ccsls/gangunit/documents/RES-000-23-0615-5k_000.pdf

Knife crime: The different approaches / Guardian, 14 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/14/knifecrime.youngpeople?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Angela Balakrishnan
"In May this year, the Met launched Operation Blunt 2, another high-profile initiative to tackle knife crime – again using special stop and search powers in high-risk areas and airport-style metal detectors. The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, announced a £5m package to tackle violent crime. Since then, 27,000 people have been searched, 1,200 arrested and 500 knives seized. Of those arrested, 95% have since been charged with weapons offences, the Met said."

Asylum seekers assaulted by private security teams, says report / Guardian, 14 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/14/immigrationpolicy.immigration?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Arj Singh
"Hundreds of asylum seekers claim they were assaulted by security teams hired by the Home Office to forcibly deport them, according to a report published today.
The report presents findings from a dossier of nearly 300 assaults, alleged to have taken place between January 2004 and June 2008.
The incidents include accusations of excessive force, beatings and racial abuse, resulting in injuries ranging from handcuff-bruised wrists, to swollen faces, and fractured ribs, wrists and ankles."
Outsourcing abuse: PDF - http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2008/07/14/OutsourcingAbuse.pdf

Fears grow over information plans / BBC, 12 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7503611.stm
"Government plans to collect more data on mobile phone calls and internet usage have been further criticised as an attack on civil liberties."

Facebook and YouTube 'fuelling crimewave' / news.com.au, 8 July 2008
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23984582-5014111,00.html
"A combination of alcohol abuse and the impact of websites such as Facebook and YouTube has generated behavioural changes that are at the heart of spiralling rates of youth crime."

Knee-jerk reaction to knife crime / Scotsman, 14 July 2008
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Kneejerk-reaction-to-knife-crime.4264179.jp
"A spate of highly publicised knife murders, many involving teenage victims and perpetrators, has begun to preoccupy both media and politicians. Yesterday, David Cameron suggested anyone caught with a knife should go to prison. It is difficult to know how much of this latest upsurge in knife crime is a matter of heightened awareness or whether politicians merely climbing on the bandwagon?"

TEXT-Unisys, Nice deploy anti-crime system for DBS Bank / Reuters, 8 July 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL0835708620080708
"Unisys Corporation (NYSE:UIS) today announced that its Singapore subsidiary and Actimize, a NICE Systems (NASDAQ:NICE) company, will implement an advanced financial crime surveillance system for DBS Bank that monitors transactions and analyzes potentially suspicious patterns across the bank's product channels."

Zimbabwe: Country of Origin Information Report / Home Office - UKBA, 3 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/zimbabwe-250608.doc

Sri Lanka: Country of Origin Information Report / Home Office - UKBA, 11 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/sri-lanka-130608.doc

Somalia: Country of Origin Information Report / Home Office - UKBA, 6 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/somalia-130608.doc

Republic of Korea: South Korea: Country of Origin Information Key Documents / Home Office - UKBA, 20 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/key-documents-skorea-200608.doc

China: Country of Origin Information Report / Home Office - UKBA, 1 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/china-130608.doc

Burundi: Country of Origin Information Key Documents / Home Office - UKBA, 17 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/key-docs-burundi-250608.doc

[Africa] Country of Origin Information Report: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) / Home Office - UKBA, 20 June 2008
DOC - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/africa-fgm-080708.doc

Deserving Dignity / Independent Asylum Commission, 10 July 2008
http://www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk/files/10.07.08.pdf
“Asylum is one of the most contentious issues in contemporary politics. It is consistently at the top of the public’s list of political concerns. Never far from the headlines, there is a widespread belief that the system is not “fit for purpose”. Meanwhile, there are many reports of asylum seekers facing unfair treatment, destitution and a loss of dignity. And a recent citizens’ commission into conditions at Lunar House, the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, called for an independent review of national asylum policies.”

Police Crime Labs Struggle with Funding, Training and Bias Issues / GovTech, 9 July 2008
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/375562?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new%20JPS_2008_7_9
Jim McKay
“A 2004 investigation by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found 23 DNA testing errors in serious criminal cases handled in a Washington state lab. In North Carolina, the Winston-Salem Journal recently ran a series of articles about many DNA testing errors by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. In Virginia, it took an outside investigation to clear Earl Washington Jr., who was falsely convicted of capital murder and nearly executed. An independent lab reused the same samples that led to his conviction but found contradicting results.”

Video Sharing Site Offers Training Videos, Crime Footage for Police / GovTech, 9 July 2008
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/375769?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new%20JPS_2008_7_9
Jim McKay
“BLUtube, a new online video sharing platform from San Francisco-based PoliceOne.com, is helping to ensure more messages are shared among the police officers who stand to learn from them. "It sounds horrific, but if you break it down step by step, it's actually incredibly important that it's there where officers can see it," said Robert Dippell, PoliceOne's online director. "There are a lot of videos that are useful as situational examples where something went drastically wrong."

Cybercriminals Reinvent Methods of Malicious Attacks, Says Report / 8 July 2008
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/375714?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new%20JPS_2008_7_9
Trend Micro Incorporated reported today that cybercriminals are not only leveraging new technologies to propagate cybercrime, but are also reinventing forms of social engineering to cleverly ensnare both consumers and businesses, according to the Trend Micro Threat Roundup and Forecast 1H 2008 report. As a result, the last six months saw an upswing in Web threats, but steady decreases in adware and spyware that are generated by outdated technical methods and can no longer compete with high-level security solutions.
PDF - http://us.trendmicro.com/imperia/md/content/us/pdf/threats/securitylibrary/1h_2008_threat_report_final.pdf

The Italian job - the diversification of Italian crime
Jane's Intelligence Review, 17 June 2008
http://jir.janes.com/
"While the majority of national and international attention is focused on Italy's four main mafia groupings (Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, the Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita), the country is also being infiltrated by criminal gangs that originate in other countries. This is partly a result of Italy's highly criminalised environment, in which entrenched mafia presence has encouraged the development of related types of crime."
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World must act to halt drugs threat to West Africa – UN / Reuters Africa, 10 July 2008
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN046389.html
Pascal Fletcher
“The world must act quickly to stop powerful drug-trafficking cartels taking over ancient trading routes in West Africa and the Sahel as they seek easier gateways to Europe, the U.N.'s anti-crime chief said. He urged preventive action by the world community, working with local governments. "The international community has a chance to intervene in a sort of pre-emptive strike," he said. As Colombian cocaine cartels increasingly found their direct access routes to U.S. and European markets being blocked by anti-narcotics agencies, they started transiting the drug through West Africa a few years ago.”

The truth about knife crime / Security Oracle, 8 July 2008
http://www.securityoracle.com/news/detail.html?id=14071
Steve Collins
“The nation should be mortally embarrassed that in the 21st century the British people have allowed the horrendous decline in values and discipline to ravage our streets and terrorise our citizens. The whole country is in the grip of horrifying weapons related violent crime. Even the sugar coated police and government statistics on reported knife attacks are appalling.”

Why facts won’t demolish the conspiracy theories / Spiked, 7 July 2008
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/earticle/5436/
Frank Furedi
“Sometimes it appears as if Western societies have regressed, adopting a medieval attitude towards calamitous acts. Back in the Dark Ages, people regarded accidents, disasters and other acts of misfortune as the work of hidden forces. Accidents did not happen, apparently – they were intentionally caused, either by divine or malevolent forces. Misdeeds were often said to have been caused by people who had been manipulated by ‘evil forces’. This primitive outlook is making a comeback; it informs the way many people make sense of high-profile catastrophes today. Conspiracy theories are pushed forward to explain what happened on 9/11, or why there was such devastation in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.”

Safer Nightlife / Home Office, 11 July 2008
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/our_services/social_services/London_Drug_Policy_Forum/
“Its purpose is to help ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in and going out to events in pubs and clubs with particular emphasis on those who also take drugs. The document provides dedicated advice on a range of key issues including: creating a safe physical environment, tackling drug dealing, reducing harm from drug use, promoting sexual health and developing a drug policy.”

Data Sharing Review: final report / 11 July 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/data-sharing-review.pdf
Annexes: PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/data-sharing-review-annexes.pdf
“This document is the final report of a review of data sharing by Information Commissioner Richard Thomas and Wellcome Trust Director Dr Mark Walport. It makes several recommendations on how data can be shared securely and safely.”

Smooth landing / Drink and Drugs News, 14 July 2008
PDF - http://www.drinkanddrugs.net/features/july1408/smooth_landing.pdf
“Many people's first taste of drug treatment comes via the criminal justice system. David Gilliver hears how a new group programme in Portsmouth is smoothing the path into treatment”

Beyond 2008 – a truly remarkable event / UNGASS, 12 July 2008
http://www.ungassondrugs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=214&Itemid=65
Martin Jelsma
“300 delegates met in Vienna for the Beyond 2008 NGO Forum meant to provide civil society input for the 10-year UNGASS review. It was the culmination of a series of regional NGO consultations that took place over the past six months all across the globe. Given the wide range of views held by NGOs many –including myself- were sceptical about the outcomes of the process. Would it really be possible to agree by consensus on a joint declaration and resolutions? Well, we did it … “
Conference outcome: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2008/unisnar1034.html

Modern man
Jane's Police Review, 25 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com
"Police Review has carried many articles and letters about workforce modernisation and its likely impact. There have been many challenges as to whether the service needs modernisation, but perhaps underlying this is confusion about what the process is aiming to achieve."
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No one knows: police responses to suspects with learning disabilities and learning difficulties: a review of policy and practice / Prison Reform Trust, June 2008 PDF - http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/temp/NOKsppolicespfullsp(2).pdf
Jessica Jacobson

Strange practices' alienate Generation Y
Jane's Police Review, 18 June 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Peter Fahy, ACPO lead on workforce development, said he could not imagine his children wanting to join the police service because these kind of 'strange practices'. The chief constable of Cheshire Contabulary told the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Developmet police forum conference in Buckinghamshire last week: 'I look at some young staff and they think in a different way; they have a different attitude to things and use information in a different way."
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Migrant workers trust British police more
Jane's Police Review, 9 July 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Migrant workers trust police officers in the UK more than those from their home countries, according to a poll carried out for Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Chinese settlers, migrant workers, Kurdish immigrants and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were polled by the force to assess the needs and priorities of different minority groups."
[Sub required]

Rude handlers will be in the dog house
Jane's Police Review, 9 July 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Dog handlers will be given guidance by chief officers later this year on how not to 'offend people' with their animals during police operations. Peter Vaughan, ACPO lead on police dogs, denied press reports that dogs would be given specially designed boots to wear when they have to search Muslim people's homes."
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Data Sharing Review: Final report/ Ministry of Justice, 11 July 2008
http://www.justice.gov.uk/reviews/datasharing-intro.htm

"This document is the final report of a review of data sharing by Information Commissioner Richard Thomas and Wellcome Trust Director Dr Mark Walport. It makes several recommendations on how data can be shared securely and safely."

Women's 'bump cap' hats not fit for public disorder purpose
Jane's Police Review, 9 July 2008
http://jpr.janes.com/
"Hundreds of women on the front line at West Midlands Police could be at risk because their police hats provide poor protection. West Midlands Police Federation has complained that women are put at risk by inferior helmets which are not designed to personal protective equipment (PPE) standards - unlike the male custodian helmet."
[Sub required]

Tackling Drugs, Saving Lives: Safer nightlife / Home Office, 11 July 2008
http://server-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/b?cg=downloads&ci=cityoflondon&tu=http://213.86.34.248/NR/rdonlyres/E4E0FE3A-9F8E-4182-AFBF-31C83E74C03A/0/SS_LDPF_safer_nightlife.pdf
"This document promotes best practice for all those working in the night-time economy. In particular it is aimed at licensing authorities, police and fire officers, venue managers and promoters and health promotion workers."

PCs go unchallenged because sergeants want to be popular
Jane's Police Review, 9 July 2008
http://jpr.janes.com
"Poorly dressed constables are rarely challenged over their appearance on the job as their sergeants fear being disliked by their teams, frontline officers said this week. Police Review spoke to constables and sergeants to get their views on frontline supervision and whether police officers are still smart - and most agreed that standards are slipping."
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Paradise lost - violent crime in the Caribbean
Jane's Intelligence Review, 23 June 2008
http://jir.janes.com/
"The Caribbean's image as a holiday paradise is belied by rising rates of violent crime across the region. Data published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Bank in March 2007 gives an average murder rate of 30 people per 100,000, higher than any other region in the world."
[Sub required]

Europe co-operates against child trafficking
Jane's Intelligence Digest, 24 June 2008
http://jid.janes.com/
"According to UNICEF, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year throughout the world for a wide variety of purposes that include sexual exploitation, petty crimes, organised begging, the removal of organs, illegal adoption, transportation of illicit drugs, domestic servitude and other forms of exploitative labour practices. Trafficked children may be moved from one country, or continent, to another, but they can also be transported within the same country, as is more often the case in southeastern Europe."
[Sub required]

Empowering the natives will help close the digital divide
Jane’s International Defence Review, 2 May 2008
http://idr.janes.com/
"We are all either 'Digital Immigrants' or 'Digital Natives', according to two separate speakers addressing two separate subjects within a week of each other at conferences on different sides of the world. The idea of the Digital Immigrant and the Digital Native was first suggested by Marc Prensky in a paper at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in 2001"
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UK a world leader in outsourced public services, says independent review / Public Technology, 11 July 2008
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16586
"The contribution of outsourced public services to the UK economy has grown 130% since 1995 and now represents the most developed public service industry in the world, according to a report on the Review of the Public Services Industry published yesterday. The industry has grown so significantly over the past twelve years that it is now second in size only to the US, and with a turnover of £79 billion contributes more to the UK economy than key industries such as communications and electricity, gas and water supply."
Public services industry review: PDF - http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46965.pdf
Public services industry in the UK: PDF - http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46938.pdf
The market for public services: international comparisons: PDF - http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46939.pdf

British Muslims and the Muslim Council of Britain: the next decade / Open Democracy, 7 July 2008
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-next-ten-years-british-muslims-and-the-muslim-council-of-britain
Yahya Birt
"As the Muslim Council of Britain marks its first decade, it seems an appropriate moment for reflection. As the country's largest Muslim umbrella body, it still remains the "first among equals" in relation to an increasingly large alphabet-soup of representative institutions. The British Muslim Forum, the Sufi Council of Britain and British Muslims for Secular Democracy have all emerged in the three years since 7/7, alongside a profusion of Muslim commentators and other bodies that seek to reflect the government's "rebalancing" in 2006 of its relationship with Muslim communities to emphasise counter-terrorist imperatives."

Not Training is Dumb / Officer.com, 8 July 2008
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Operations-and-Tactics/Not-Training-is-Dumb/3$42009
Steve Ashley
"Over the years, I have met with a lot of police trainers who are very frustrated at the level of commitment their respective departments are willing to make to training. It's not that trainers are unaware of what needs to be done to make their training programs more effective in reducing officer injuries, or even that their bosses lack much of the same knowledge - it's that there often seems to be no emphasis placed on the importance of reaching that goal."

Reaction Time / Officer.com, 8 July 2008
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Operations-and-Tactics/Reaction-Time/3$42133
Tony Scotti
"Confronted with an emergency scenario while driving the driver's reaction time can be the difference between success and failure. Although it is an important part of driving and driver training reaction time is not easy to demonstrate. But there are exercises that can show the affect of reaction time on the decision making process."

Getting Their Butt In Gear / Officer.com, 8 July 2008
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Leadership/Getting-Their-Butt-In-Gear/16$42094
Susan Grant
"Motivation and Commitment. Every employer's dream is to have highly motivated and committed employees. Policing is no different. We want to attract the cream of the crop; the high achievers. There is so much work to do out on the streets with calls and investigations and such a shortage of personnel that we desperately need motivated officers. In fact, having unmotivated officers not only de-motivates everyone else, it can also be a liability issue within our organizations."

Read the Job Description / Officer.com, 2 July 2008
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Leadership/Read-the-Job-Description/16$42117
William L. Harvey
"Every police department has a mission statement and a set of core values. You know, the plaque on the walls with the mission statement that nobody ever reads. The core values always make up some acronym that is supposed to give more meaning to it. By the way, where do all of these acronyms come from anyway?"

What kind of supervisor do I want to be?/ Officer.com, 9 July 2008
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Leadership/What-kind-of-supervisor-do-I-want-to-be/16$42182
Elvin G. Miali
"Try to analyze various situations throughout your tour of duty. Give yourself quizzes by asking yourself: How would you explain the situation to the lieutenant? Did you properly handle various situations with the resources available to you at the time; how would you handle a disgruntled employee; would you recommend discipline (if so, how much)? With this mental attitude, you begin to feel like a sergeant. Suddenly your attitude changes and you are looking at various things in a different light, which will give you an advantage over your competition because you are now developing the feeling of a supervisor rather than that of a police officer. This mindset has to feel good; you have to feel comfortable with it; it has to become your "clothing". In other words, you have to own it!"

Relationship violence appears common among college students / Eurekalert, 7 July 2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/jaaj-rva070308.php
Juliann Walsh
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2008;162/7:p.634-641
"Violence between partners, friends and acquaintances appears prevalent both during and before college, according to results of a survey of students at three urban college campuses . ... The transition from living at home to attending college may increase adolescents' vulnerability to relationship violence, according to background information in the article. Factors associated with this risk include less parental monitoring and support, isolation in an unknown environment and a strong desire for peer acceptance that can change behaviors toward others."
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Finding the ‘human’ in human trafficking / Cafe Babel, 3 July 2008
http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/25358/finding-the-human-in-human-trafficking.html
Anna Patton
"If someone done for drugs trafficking can get a more severe punishment than someone who traffics humans, there must be something wrong with this society." Sadly, this is often the reality, explains Barbara Eritt, since cases against human trafficking often end up in probation or acquittal due to insufficient evidence. The Polish-born social worker runs the ‘Invia Koordinations- und Beratungsstelle für Frauen’, an advice and support centre in Berlin for victims of trafficking from central and eastern Europe. It is harrowing work. ‘But if you look at it not in terms of justice, but with the people, the women, as the focus, you work quite differently,’ she says, a perspective which has been at the heart of her work over the past decade. The women she meets, most of whom have been forced into prostitution, possess a drive for life and a great deal of humour despite what they have been through. "It’s about carrying on" she says, "being able to live with what has happened."

ID cards face student scorn / Silicon.com, 10 July 2008
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39257530,00.htm
Nick Heath
"Young people have condemned ID cards as "illegal" and "creepy" on a website to canvas their views. People aged 16 to 25 have been using the site MyLifeMyID.org, launched today, to discuss the £4.4bn National Identity Scheme (NIS). So far the vast majority of the comments have been against the project."

Gov't data retention - how much is too much? / Silicon.com, 10 July 2008
http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/datalockdown/0,3800014480,39257533,00.htm
Nick Heath
"The Earl of Erroll, Merlin Hay, has warned against holding increasing amounts of data - such as proposals to retain internet, email and phone records under the draft Communications Data Bill. He predicted that the advent of petabyte storage and advanced "quantum search" algorithms could make it possible for authorities in future to trawl massive databases for behavioural traits which flag people as potential offenders.

Criminal record checks: more often wrong than right / The Register, 9 July 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/09/vetting_checks/
John Ozimek
"Sleight of hand by the Home Office doesn’t quite cover up the fact that last year the number of people wrongly branded as criminals was actually more than the number of people identified as having committed a sex crime. That is the picture that emerges if you take the time to wade through the morass of ever-so-slightly skewed figures put out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)."
CRB annual report: PDF - http://www.crb.gov.uk/pdf/Annual%20Report%20&%20Accounts%202006-07.pdf

Jacqui Smith kick-starts yoof ID debate site, site kick stops / The Register, 9 July 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/09/my_life_my_id_my_heart/
John Lettice
"Fresh from its success in selling ID cards to the aviation industry, the Home Office has moved straight on to young people with a 'have your say' online forum, mylifemyid.org. The site is fronted by a video of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith getting down with the yoof of Shooters Hill College."

Report fingers prints as ID scheme's point of failure / The Register, 10 July 2008
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/10/id_national_identity_scheme/
John Ozimek
"Yet more trouble assails the government’s £4.4bn National Identity Scheme (NIS), as an official report puts the boot into the preferred scheme for “exception handling” – and a bunch of techies show how the recommended system can be beaten."
PDF - http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/FINAL-BAG-annual-report-2007-v1_0.pdf

Criminals snared by new biometric cross-checks / Computing, 10 July 2008
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2221180/criminals-snared-biometric-4112481
Tom Young
"The UK visas agency has identified a number of suspected criminals overseas by cross matching its new biometric database of visa applicants with older police databases. Among those identified in the cross matching scheme – which has been running for two months – are two applicants in Vietnam whose fingerprints matched those found on a crime scene over 20 years ago, while a UK rape suspect was recently arrested in Australia. "As well as those wanted for questioning, there are people who are immigration compliant who may have a criminal record who obviously we want to keep out," said Mark Sedwill, international director of the UK Border Agency".

Online drug websites decline / Vnunet, 10 July 2008
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2221199/drug-sites-decline-online
Iain Thomson
"New research into the selling of drugs online has found that, while the number of sites offering drugs has declined for the first time since 2004, overall availability is still too high. Researchers at Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (Casa) found 365 sites this year selling drugs to consumers, compared to 581 over the same period last year."
You've got drugs: prescription drug pushers on the internet - PDF - http://www.casacolumbia.org/articlefiles/531-2008%20You've%20Got%20Drugs%20V.pdf

Brutal solutions to knife crime will fail / New Statesman, 10 July 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2008/07/young-black-british-generation
Darcus Howe
"Fatal stabbings among black youngsters did not begin when the British press discovered this grisly phenomenon a year or so ago. The first generation of young blacks to appear en masse in British society turned on each other with blades, in their alienation from the established order. But, side by side with these murders and woundings, there emerged corresponding groups of young black men who attempted to restore order in the community."

A sea change on immigration? / New Statesman, 10 July 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2008/07/immigration-government-public
Martin Bright
"The creation of the UK Border Agency is probably a good idea. The IND was so demoralised by a series of crises (dodgy visas from eastern Europe, David Blunkett's lover's nanny, foreign criminals on the loose) that it needed a change of direction. The incorporation of customs appears to be making everyone happy, not least the minister, who is delighted to hear that immigration officers have been making substantial drugs seizures and customs officers have been finding illegal immigrants. Customs enforcement officers on the Vigilant seemed genuinely pleased that their bosses were no longer obsessed with seizing contraband cigarettes to secure additional revenue for the Exchequer."

Rape's a real crime / New Statesman, 10 July 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/law-and-reform/2008/07/rape-conference-police-women
Nicole Westmarland
"The message from John Yates and Vernon Coaker was a clear one – senior officers must go back to their forces and ensure that changes are implemented. The message from Rape Crisis and the SAFE centre was equally clear – survivors of sexual violence must be treated with respect and given the support they need. All seemed agreed on four key points: 1) relationships should continue to be built between the voluntary sector and the police, 2) there is an urgent need for increased interest and investment from the Department of Health, 3) there is the need for a complete turnaround in societal attitudes about rape and 4) this postcode lottery must end."

Australia: Experts to advise government on 457 visas / Work Permit, 9 July 2008
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2008-07-09/australia/panel-advise-government-457-visa-program.htm
"A panel of experts will advise the Australian government on how to improve its temporary 457 visa scheme, according to Immigration Minister Chris Evans. The panel will include various Australian state government officials as well as industry groups and union representatives. Australia's temporary 457 visa -- similar to the United States H-1B visa -- allows Australian employers to hire workers from abroad. Controversy has surrounded the program related to allegations of employer-exploitation of workers."

Danish Green Card: Denmark's points based immigration scheme / Work Permit, 9 July 2008
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2008-07-09/denmark/danish-green-card-overview.htm
"When most people think of immigrating to the European Union, Denmark doesn't immediately spring to mind. But with an attractive corporate culture, flourishing IT industry, and laid back European lifestyle, Denmark turns out to be a very good prospect for someone who wants to live and work abroad. Points based immigration systems which assess people based on their skills and other factors are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. The United Kingdom is currently implementing its own points based system after getting some inspiration from Australia's success in attracting skilled migrants."

Knife crime has been ignored for too long / Guardian, 10 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/10/knifecrime.ukcrime1?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Angela Phillips
"It's dangerous being a young man, always has been. Young men are twice as likely as young women to be the victims of crime, and knifing – often as the result of an argument – has long been the most common method of dispatch. In fact, it's so common that, when I first started teaching journalism in the mid-90s, I set up an exercise in which the task was to arrange crimes in order of their news value. The stabbing of a young man after a fight came at the bottom of the list. It was already such a common occurrence that it was unlikely to make it into the pages of a national paper. Child murder, on the other hand, was usually a headline-grabber due to its rarity. So what is going on and why are newspapers monitoring every incidence of stabbing and checking on the sales of "stab vests"?"

Burglary 'does not deserve jail' / Times, 9 July 2008
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4297070.ece
Ben Quinn
" Burglars and other “less serious” thieves should normally be handed community punishments rather than jail terms, sentencing advisers have recommended. Unpaid work or a curfew could be a better way of punishing such offences, according to a Sentencing Advisory Panel review of principles, which could influence the way that criminals are dealt with. The panel also stated that while the law does not allow the court to take into account the feelings of victims or bereaved relatives when they demand a harsh sentence, judges may listen to them if they are calling for leniency."

Canada fights wedding fraud abroad / Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0708/p07s04-woam.html
Susan Bourette
“Although the Canadian government says it keeps no figures on it, immigration officials and lawyers say foreigners are increasingly using phony marriages as a way to gain entry to Canada. 'It's epidemic,' says Vancouver immigration lawyer Andrew Wlodyka. 'People are using all sorts of devious tricks and it throws the whole system of immigration into disrepute.' The federal government has quietly been ramping up its training programs for immigration officials and has formed a working group to try to figure out how to crack down on sham marriages. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley returned from India six weeks ago where she investigated some of the methods used to dupe Canadian officials.”

[Canada] Tackling Drug And Alcohol Abuse In The Oilfields / DOB Magazine, 7 July 2008
http://www.dobmagazine.nickles.com/article.asp?article=magazine%2F080707%2FMAG2008_L70001.html
Jim Cabay
“For at least a decade, Jim Cabay has watched substance abuse intensify among Alberta's field crews. "At one time, drugs were pretty much confined to labourers and newer apprentices," says the operations manager of Bonnyville Welding Ltd. "Now we have to be careful when we're hiring journeymen and supervisors as well." His own company, supported strongly by its corporate customers, uses screening and termination to keep the problem in check among its 100-120 workers. However, any welder or pipefitter who gets released can soon find work elsewhere in the chronically labour-tight oilpatch.”

Harm Reduction 2009 Website Launched / International Harm Reduction Association, 8 July 2008
http://www.ihra.net/Thailand/Home
“IHRA’s harm reduction conferences (formerly known as the ‘International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm’) have been held around the world each year since 1990. They have become key events for the harm reduction field and have helped to put harm reduction on the map and to coordinate advances, innovations, evidence and advocacy in this field. The conference website also features an archive of the previous 19 conferences in this series. This archive is a work in progress and will eventually contain overviews, presentations, photos and reports from every conference since 1990.”

Circular 2008/01: Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 / Ministry of Justice, 9 July 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/circular-criminal-justice-2008-01.pdf

Safeguarding Children: the third joint chief inspectors’ report on arrangements to safeguard children / Healthcare Commission, 9 July 2008
PDF - http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/Safeguarding_children_July_2008.pdf “A‘Safeguarding Children' report is published every three years. It assesses how well agencies are working at both national and local levels to safeguard children and young people. Safeguarding children is more than protecting children from abuse or neglect. It also means ensuring their health and development is not impaired, and that they are growing up safe and well cared for in order to have the best possible life chances.”

Africans condemn EU curbs on illegal immigration / Reuters, 9 July 2008
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL09544575.html
Ingrid Melander
“Senior African officials criticised new European Union rules against illegal immigration on Wednesday, accusing the wealthy bloc of failing to treat migrants with dignity and of breaking pledges to cooperate. EU ministers backed French proposals on Monday for a European pact to stem illegal immigration and attract highly skilled job-seekers, weeks after the EU decided illegal immigrants could be detained for up to 18 months and face a 5-year re-entry ban.”

The seeds of exclusion / Salvation Army, 2008
PDF - http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/0/4EDD0C6DE833283B8025747F00428441/$file/TheSeedsOfExclusion-FullReport.pdf
“The purpose of The Seeds of Exclusion, the fourth in a series of reports published by The Salvation Army, is to identify how patterns of early-life experience contain the seeds of later problems, and how The Salvation Army and others might tackle them. In the late 19th century William Booth, the Founder of The Salvation Army, drew on the analogy of a cliff fall to describe his understanding of social intervention. While it is entirely appropriate to rescue the man or woman who has fallen into the sea, it is much better to tackle the roots of the individual's problem at the top of the cliff from which they fell. This report is a 21st-century expression of Booth's 'top-of-the-cliff' vision and strategy.”

Whole Force Run From A Laptop / Police Oracle, 10 July 2008
http://www.policeoracle.com/news/Whole-Force-Run-From-A-Laptop_16737.html
“Policing operations in Northamptonshire can now be run from a single laptop computer from any location in the event of a widespread network failure. The Force has invested heavily in business continuity preparations and can now call upon a mobile policing system – to which the laptop is integral - if there is a system failure at Force Headquarters, Wootton Hall. Senior officers in the Force Communications Centre (FCC) have tested the system, using emergency facilities elsewhere in the county, and the tests have shown that Northamptonshire Police can maintain a full service to the public in almost any eventuality.”

Reporting Performance Information to Citizens/ Communities and Local Government, 9 July 2008
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/35.pdf
"This report presents findings from research which investigates how local authorities report their performance information to citizens and what support is available to assist them with this task. Through local authority case studies and focus groups with citizens, the research identifies some examples of good practice by local authorities in reporting performance information to citizens and explores the type of information of interest to citizens."

Metropolitan Police enlists IT to transform HR for entire service / Public Technology, 10 July 2008
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16556
“Steria has won a new contract with London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) to transform the MPS’s Human Resources (HR) function. The contract will support a significant improvement in the delivery of the MPS’s HR service, and will drive cost savings through the creation of a new HR Service Centre in Central London and implementation of HR business partnering.”

UK firm touts 'digital DNA' security / Vnunet, 7 July 2008
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2220944/torotech-touts-digital-dna
Ian Williams
"A UK security firm has unveiled what it claims is the first "digital DNA" mapping technology to protect the identities and security of internet users. ToroTech reckons that it can control security and online access by using a device's unique combination of chipset, disk drive, motherboard, DVD drive, screen, keyboard, serial numbers etc to create a 'digital DNA' of the device. Every time the user logs-in to the system it compares the profile of the computer that is trying to connect against the stored profile and user ID. If the DNA does not match, access is denied."

PDF now ISO standard / Resource Shelf, 6 July 2008
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/07/06/pdf-now-iso-standard/
“As an ISO standard, we can ensure that this useful and widely popular format is easily available to all interested stakeholders,” said ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden in a statement. “The standard will benefit both software developers and users by encouraging the propagation and dissemination of a common technology that cuts across systems and is designed for long-term survival.”

Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2007 / Australian Bureau of Statistics, 26 June 2008
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/4510.0?OpenDocument
"This publication presents national crime statistics relating to victims of a selected range of offences that have been recorded by police. These statistics provide indicators of the level and nature of recorded crime victimisation in Australia and a basis for measuring change over time. As not all crimes are reported to or recorded by police, other data sources can assist in providing a more comprehensive view of crime levels in society."

Sexual abuse the awful truth / New Statesman, 3 July 2008
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2008/07/women-violence-abuse
Liz Kelly and IL
"When a woman like IL speaks out, writes Liz Kelly about a lifetime of coping with sexual abuse, the government has a duty to listen. Her article spells out the human cost of a fractured approach to dealing with violence against women."

Sex offenders unlikely to commit second crime / New Scientist, 6 July 2008
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg19926633.100-sex-offenders-unlikely-to-commit-second-crime.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
"Sex crime statistics tend to make depressing reading, but now there is some good news from the most populous state in the US. Just 3.2 per cent of more than 4000 sex offenders released on parole in 2002 were re-imprisoned for another sex offence in the subsequent 5 years, according to new figures from California. While experts know that sex offenders are less likely to reoffend than most other criminals (New Scientist, 24 February 2007, p 3), the very low rate of re-imprisonment in the new study will challenge public perceptions about the risks these criminals pose. The figures are broadly consistent with a 2007 Minnesotan study, which found that 3.2 per cent of sex offenders released from 1990 to 2002 had been re-imprisoned for a further sex crime within 3 years of their release. What's more, sex offenders in Minnesota are even less likely to reoffend ..."
[Sub required]

Cybercriminals in Web 2.0 goldrush / Computer Weekly, 8 July 2008
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/08/231395/cybercriminals-in-web-2.0-goldrush.htm
"Cybercriminals are not only using new technologies to propagate cybercrime, but are also turning to social engineering to snare victims. ... The tools and technologies used to create popular social networking sites have become a goldmine for cybercriminals, said Trend Micro. In March, Trend Micro discovered that more than 400 phishing kits for generating phishing sites were targeting top Web 2.0 sites in the areas of social networking, video sharing and VoIP.
Threat roundup and forecast report: http://us.trendmicro.com/us/threats/enterprise/security-library/threat-reports/index.html

Lords push Government on web security / Personal Computer World, 8 July 2008
http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2221089/lords-push-government-web
Clive Akass
"The Government is not doing enough to protect people from crime online, a House of Lords committee report said today. It calls for legislation to hold banks responsible for losses from e-fraud and to allow people to report it directly to police rather than going through their banks.
It also recommends a law to force organisations to report all security breaches, such as the loss of customer details."

Most Deaths From Guns In America Are Suicides / Agoravox, 1 July 2008
http://www.agoravox.com/article.php3?id_article=8406
Rob Port
"Here’s a fact the gun-control activists don’t often talk about: The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens’ ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves. Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation’s nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Blood sisters / Guardian, 3 July 2008
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,2289179,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Angela Neustatter
"According to the Youth Justice Board, there has been a 25% increase in offences committed by girls aged 10 to 17 over the past three years - with a 50% increase in violent offences. The issue was brought into sharp focus this week in reports of the trial of Chelsea Bennett, 19, who admitted stabbing and killing Sian Simpson, 17. Bennett was cleared of murder, having argued that she acted in self-defence. Police reports of the crime noted that there had been between 12 and 30 girls at the scene in Croydon, south London, when the killing happened in June last year - Simpson's death had apparently come after hours of escalating tension between two groups of young women."

'You pick up your knife like you pick up your keys' / Guardian, 5 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/05/knifecrime.ukcrime3?gusrc=rss&feed=society
Jo Adetunji and Eric Allison
"Ciaran Lamon, 17, a friend of one of the people who was with Shakilus Townsend after he was stabbed in Thornton Heath, south London, said that he and his friends were constantly aware of the possibility of an attack. "It's only when people are killed that people take notice," said Lamon, a student. "It's a real possibility that if you walk home something's going to happen. I'm not in a gang and I've been confronted loads of times. If they stop a couple of people carrying knives then that's a good thing but it won't solve the problem."

Work together to uncover the causes of youth crime / Guardian, 6 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/06/knifecrime.ukcrime?gusrc=rss&feed=society
"The government points to figures showing a decline in the overall crime rate to show that its approach is working. But as an epidemic of fatal knife attacks in the capital shows, those assertions do not reflect many people's experience of insecurity walking the streets. Already, 18 teenagers have died a violent death in London this year. The government's response has been to promise a crackdown - increased police powers and tougher sentences. That might be reassuring were it not such a tired refrain. The Conservatives, meanwhile, offer no alternative."

Of dignity and equality / Guardian, 7 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/07/civilliberties?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
Shami Chakrabarti
"I know that some people believe that "liberty" represents the opposite of "security" or "community" or both. They should think again. There is no freedom without dignity and equal treatment. The law of the jungle spells tyranny for many. That's why the abolition of the slave trade is a landmark for both liberty and equality and celebrated by democrats across the political spectrum. That's why the postwar human rights framework is not a pacifist doctrine and recognises the need for both freedom and protection if people and democratic society are to survive."

Healthy eating plan for public sector workers, patients and prisoners / Guardian, 8 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/08/health.health?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
James Meikle
"Hospital patients, prisoners and millions of Britain's public sector workers are to be the focus of a healthy eating initiative drawn up by ministers. Canteens will be expected to meet new guidelines on nutrition, lower fat, salt and sugar content, and portion size. The scheme, already compulsory in schools, will be extended under voluntary arrangements to hospitals, care homes, prisons and government offices, although legislation has been threatened if these initiatives fail to work."

The value of a self-governed life / Guardian, 8 July 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/08/civilliberties?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
"The only freedom which deserves the name," according to John Stuart Mill, "is that of pursuing our own good in our own way". The sentence appears in surely the most famous book on the subject of liberty, On Liberty, published in 1859. For Mill, liberty (or freedom – he used the terms interchangeably) was the supreme political and ethical value because each of us is the expert on what makes for a good life for ourselves."

Workforce fears as migrants leave / BBC, 8 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7494864.stm
"The Scottish Government has been urged to do more to avert a labour crisis in the Highlands as increasing numbers of migrant workers return home. More than 2,000 people from Eastern European countries registered for National Insurance in the Highlands last year. Unofficial figures this year show that a quarter of them have left. The falling value of the pound is thought to be a factor, as well as improving employment prospects abroad."

Race and the criminal justice system / Ministry of Justice, 8 July 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/stats-race-criminal-justice.pdf

Call for new rape inquiry squads / BBC, 9 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7496013.stm
"Every police force should set up a specialist squad to investigate rape allegations, a senior officer says. John Yates, who speaks on the issue for the Association of Chief Police Officers, argues such teams would help raise standards of victim care."

Store tags to halt bird thieves / BBC, 9 July 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7496862.stm
"A supermarket has put electronic tags on chickens to stop them being stolen. The device, which is put on high value goods such as alcohol, has been placed on birds at a Sainsbury's store near Eastbourne, East Sussex. The supermarket is believed to have introduced the measure at its Hampden Park shop after a rise in the shoplifting of chickens."

Home Office information, systems and technology strategy 2008-09 / Home Office, 8 July 2008
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/HO-IST-strategy-2008-09

Major Crackdown On Metal Thieves / Police Oracle, 8 July 2008
http://www.policeoracle.com/news/Major-Crackdown-On-Metal-Thieves_16721.html
“The Association of Chief Police Officers' says metal theft is not a victimless crime, and highlights incidents such as communities losing power after thieves targeted electricity substations and a house exploding after gas copper tubing was stolen.”

Young people and drugs among 15 to 24 year olds: analytical report / European Commission, May 2008
PDF - http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_233_en.pdf

Australian Medical Association Launches Publication On Health Risks Of Cannabis Use / Medical News Today, 28 June 2008
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113191.php
“To coincide with Drug Action Week 2008, the Australian Medical Association has launched a brochure about the short and long-term effects of cannabis use.”
Take a closer look: cannabis and your health:
PDF - http://www.ama.com.au/youth/code/AMACannabisBrochure.pdf

How Long Does Drug Prohibition Need to Continue Before It's Declared a Failure? / Drug War Chronicle, 30 June 2008
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/89852/?ses=56307f41d70746f46d5d5309870d19c8
David Borden
“The findings are on the drug prohibition experiment are conclusive -- it's a failure. And while many of the people waging the drug war believe it's noble, that belief is misguided -- with half a million people incarcerated in US jails and prisons for drug offenses, the prohibition experiment is anything but noble. The day we legalize drugs is the day we can begin to clean up the mess that the drug prohibition experiment has created.”

Focus on Gender - A National Survey of Canadians' Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs - Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS) / Health Canada, 2008
PDF - http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/adp-apd/cas-etc/gender-sexe/gender-sexe-eng.pdf

Calgary taking break from experiment in recruiting U.K. bobbies / The Canadian Press, 28 June 2008
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080628.wbobbies0628/BNStory/National/home
Nadia Moharib
“For the Calgary police force, an experiment in recruiting bobbies from the United Kingdom to the city's police force has proven overwhelmingly successful. So successful, in fact, that police brass are taking a break and closing the gate on officers from across the pond, at least for now, said recruiting Staff Sgt. Craig Skelton. The force has been inundated with interest, with dozens of experienced officers from the British Isles continuing to apply. “Right now my staff is managing 124 applications from international [contenders] being processed right now,” Staff Sgt. Skelton said. “We found we were successful, more than we even imagined. Right now, we're taking a moment to slow down and catch our breath”.”

The street weapons commission report / Channel 4, June 2008-07-08
http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/S/street_weapons_commission/index.html
“The Street Weapons Commission, chaired by Cherie Booth, has toured the country to find out why so many young people now carry guns and knives. Highlights of each hearing were shown on Channel 4 every day from Monday 30 June to Thursday 3 July, ending in a live studio debate hosted by Jon Snow on Sunday 6 July at 7pm.”
PDF - http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/S/street_weapons_commission/pdfs/C4_SWC_final_report.pdf

A crisis of enforcement: The decriminalisation of death and injury at work / Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, June 2008
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/acrisisofenforcementstructure.html
“This briefing argues that fatalities and injuries caused through work are under-reported and the Health and Safety Executive does not have the resources to carry out proper enforcement. It suggests that being a victim of a work-related fatality or injury is far more likely than experiencing conventionally defined and measured violence and homicide.”
PDF - http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/opus685/crisisenforcementembargo.pdf