Risk Aversion to Restorative Justice

Extensive international research evidence testifies that restorative justice, delivered in accordance with its principles and values, has benefits for both victims of crime and offenders. As a process for responding to harm, it gives victims a voice in a way that is sensitive to their needs, while holding offenders accountable for their actions and promoting individual responsibility – something that has been shown to reduce reoffending.

Research has found that many practices referred to as ‘restorative’ in the context of policing did not conform adequately to the principles and values of restorative justice. Also too little use was being made of restorative justice practices in relation to more serious adult crimes for which there is an existing and robust evidence base. This mirrored officers’ perceptions (and possibly previous police practice) which have emphasised that restorative justice is only for more minor crime and not for persistent offenders.

Source: Police Professional (signup required)

Suffolk to use drone technology

As part of a multi-agency Air Support Unit, the drones will be used by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Suffolk Constabulary, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and Norfolk & Suffolk 4×4 Response.

The drones will provide a range of aerial surveillance options to support emergency services and voluntary organisations across a wide range of incidents including:

• large-scale open fires or complex structural fires
• urban area search and rescue
• major incident or disaster response
• investigative support
• hazardous materials response including Environmental Impact Assessments
• road traffic accidents
• significant multi-agency events
• missing persons searches
• pre-planned operations and risk information gathering

By improving the ability to see and understand what is happening from the air, the drones will support emergency services and voluntary organisations to inform the decisions they make when dealing with an incident. They will also help to reduce risks to the public and emergency service workers.

The drones and camera equipment cost around £42,500 and they are based at Woodbridge Fire and Police station, have 24/7 emergency response capability and can be used by 17 specially trained remote pilots.

 

Facial Imagery in the Police

Prof. Martin Evison of Northumbria University discusses issues regarding the capture, storage, retrieval, and use of digitised facial imagery by the police.

Source: Policing Insight

Brain Injury may fuel crime

More than half of criminals may have suffered a head injury which could be fuelling their offending, a new review by British brain experts suggests.

Specialists from the universities of Oxford, Exeter, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield, and the Centre for Mental Health, are calling for all prisoners to be routinely checked for signs of traumatic brain injuries.

A comprehensive review, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, suggests that bumps to the head from falls, assaults or road accidents can lead to neural injuries which alter the brain structure, and increase the risk of violence offending.

The authors claim that up to 60 per cent of people in custody have suffered some kind of head injury in the past, ranging from mild to severe.

In contrast, around one in 200 people in the general public have been admitted to hospital for a head injury according to the charity Headway.

Source: Telegraph

Joint enterprise law wrongly interpreted for 30 years, Supreme Court rules

The law which has allowed people to be convicted of murder even if they did not inflict the fatal blow has been wrongly interpreted for more than 30 years, the Supreme Court has ruled.

The joint enterprise law has been used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants “could” have foreseen violent acts by their associates.

However, judges ruled it was wrong to treat “foresight” as a sufficient test.

Their decision could pave the way for hundreds of prisoners to seek appeals.

It will apply in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most UK overseas common law territories but not in Scotland, which has its own rules on joint enterprise.

Source: BBC News

Football fans suing in landmark case to ensure ‘future dispersal powers not abused’

A group of Bristol City supporters has taken out legal action against a force in a case that could have far-reaching consequences for future policing of football matches.

The ten fans are suing West Midlands Police, claiming false imprisonment and a breach of article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

They maintain they were contained illegally and unable to watch their team play Birmingham City in September 2015 in a Championship game.

The group, which is also claiming compensation, is hoping to ensure that future “dispersal powers” are not abused by West Midlands Police or any other forces around the country.

Source: Police Professional

Firearms License Guidance Updated

New guidance has been released on how to get firearms licensing, manage weapons for a shooting club or get a museum licence.

Source: Gov.uk

New Electoral Laws proposed to combat intimidation in public life

The government will consult on plans to remove personal information from ballot paper and new electoral law offence.

In a speech to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage, the Prime Minister reflected on the nature of public life and reiterated her concerns about the increasing intimidation and abuse of people taking part in elections.

The Prime Minister announced that the government will consult on a new offence in electoral law of intimidating parliamentary candidates and their campaigners. The current offence of electoral intimidation relates to undue influence on voters.

She set out plans to bring forward legislation to remove the requirement for candidates standing as councillors in local elections to have their addresses published on ballot papers, in time for local elections in May 2019.

Source: Wired-gov.uk

Force told ‘no appeal’ in football costs court battle

Suffolk Constabulary has been told it cannot appeal a court ruling that could force it to pay up to £500,000 to a football club.

The Supreme Court decision means the force remains responsible for policing costs on the two roads outside Ipswich Town Football Club’s (ITFC) main turnstiles.

The court found the roads in question were publicly owned and were not “owned, leased or controlled” by the club. Suffolk Constabulary asked the Supreme Court whether it could appeal the ruling, but was told it has no grounds to do so.

Source: Police Professional

Emergency Services Network reaches new milestone

The new 4G Emergency Services Network (ESN) system has achieved its first successful demonstration over a live public mobile network.

This is a significant milestone for the project which will provide emergency services with a new cutting-edge communication system.

Engineers performed the test on 8 February between an EE mobile mast site in Bristol and a location in Basingstoke. This is the first time Motorola Solutions’ software has linked together with the live EE mobile phone network and demonstrated prioritisation of emergency services communications on a public network.

Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said:
“This is a complex project which will provide the emergency services with the most advanced communications system of its kind anywhere in the world – which is why successful tests like these are an excellent achievement. Members of the public are already seeing some of the incidental benefits of the project like its improvement of the 4G mobile network – 90 per cent of the UK is now covered.”

Source: Gov.uk