Thursday 8 November 2007

Policing in London

According to provisional Home Office figures, there were 58 firearms-related homicides in 2006-07 compared with 49 in the previous year. That is an increase of 18% in just one year. If we include airguns, the number of homicides in 2006-07 rises to 61. There were 413 firearms incidents that resulted in serious injury - more than one a day.
But at the same time, the trend in gun crime overall has been going down. But all this is happening under the leadership of sir Ian Blair the current chei if the MET Police. As a black person do you feel safe on the streets of london.Please kindly Email your views
London's police chief Sir Ian Blair [above] angrily refused to resign despite elected members of the city's assembly passing a vote of no-confidence in his leadership.

City of London Photo: Ayoub mzee
At one point, after questioning by Richard Barnes, the Conservative group leader, the Metropolitan Police commissioner bluntly replied: "I have stated my position. If you have the power to remove me, then go on."


Policing in london photo: Ayoub mzee
Despite the motion being passed, the assembly does not have the power to remove the Commissioner. He is appointed by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary and only the Metropolitan Police Authority, which has so far supported Sir Ian, has the power to make recommendations to her.
Mounted Police Photo: Ayoub mzee
The Mayor of London, reiterated his backing for Sir Ian, describing London Assembly members as "second-rate politicians who no-one has ever heard of".
"They would run naked down the street if they thought they could get an interview on your programme," the Mayor told Sky News.

Mounted police Photo: Ayoub mzee

New figures released by the Metropolitan Police revealed gun crime has risen by 10% in the last six months, although knife crime has fallen


Click here to see Map of fatal shootings

Photo: Ayoub mzee

Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has branded the number of teenage killings - 22 so far this year - "totally unacceptable".

Photo: Ayoub mzee

A senior officer has said that the force has more work to do in building language and cultural skills to police new ethnic community groups.

Photo: Ayoub mzee

Police documents leaked earlier this year painted a remarkable picture of London's gang culture, with groups based in almost every borough.



Photo: Ayoub mzee
Hackney, Lambeth and Wandsworth showed some of the biggest concentrations of gangs, with many members carrying weapons and involved in street robbery and other crimes.
Photo: Ayoub mzee
The rise in crime in black communities is blamed on social exclusion, absent fathers, lack of positive role models and real or perceived racial discrimination by the authorities.

Photo: Ayoub mzee

A Commons committee looking at the involvement of young black people in crime also heard it has never been easier to get hold of guns. The cost of hiring a weapon is said to have fallen to between £50 and £100

[Special acknowledgement: BBC]



Crime News
Police hunt Leicester nursing home killer
A murder inquiry has begun after two women, one in her fifties and the other in her seventies, were found dead
Man found in bonfire 'was murdered'
Witnesses reported seeing Stephen Croft being taunted next to the bonfire by a gang of youths brandishing a burning log
Excerpts from the witness statements
Perugia police leak details from statements given in the hunt for the murderers of Ms Kercher, a British student
Alarm over terror questioning plans
Fears over Home Office plan to allow crime as well as terror suspects to be re-questioned after charges brought
Flatmate 'ignored Meredith's screams'
Italian police leak details from statements given in the hunt for the murderers of British student Meredith Kercher
Lotto rapist likely to have to pay his victim
A woman is "almost certain" to win her legal fight for compensation from man who won lottery after raping her in 1988
Net ‘terror kids’ are West’s big threat
The new terror threat facing the West is coming from 'self-radicalising kids' who are inspired by the internet
Guard of honour for dead firefighters
The bodies of three firefighters were recovered last night from the wreckage of the burnt out warehouse where they died
Police investigate Kirsty Wark’s husband
Police are investigating the alleged theft of data involving the television programme maker Alan Clements
Gun residue ‘compelling’ in Dando conviction
Prosecutors say the man jailed for the murder of Jill Dando was convicted because the evidence against him was 'compelling'
Meredith Kercher ‘killed after refusing orgy’
The flatmate of Meredith Kercher who was murdered in Italy has confessed to being involved with two men in her death
Two held on suspicion of recruiting for jihad
The pair were held over their alleged involvement in a Europe-wide network enlisting men to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq
Diana crash 'impossible to engineer’
Crash investigators tell the inquests the fatal collision in Paris was 'virtually impossible' to have been deliberately set up
Boy, 13, arrested after body found in bonfire
Stephen Croft, 34, was discovered in the embers of the fire at Birkhenhead, Merseyside, in the early hours of today
Police: we know identity of Rhys Jones's killer
Chief constable of Merseyside claimed today that the net is tightening on the 11-year-old boy's murderer
Harry off the hook over alleged harrier shooting
Crown Prosecution Service tells police there is 'insufficient evidence' to bring proceedings over Sandringham incident
MI5 head: children of 15 being groomed for terror
In his first public speech, spy chief Jonathan Evans indicated the number of terrorist suspects has doubled to 4,000
Landlord fined for smoking ban breach
A pub landlord has been fined £500 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs after he admitted flouting the public smoking ban

WATCH VIDEO:Reports
British army responsible for soldier's death in Iraq

Somali pirates free S. Korean sailor Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:55:34
Piracy has been rife off Somalia coast.One of the 23 sailors aboard a Japanese tanker abducted by Somali pirates has been freed and returned home safely, says an official. The sailor- one of the two South Koreans aboard the Golden Nori - came back home together with South Korean officials this week, an official at the S. Korean Foreign Ministry said on condition of anonymity. The official refused to disclose further details about the sailor's release, citing safety concerns for the remaining 22 crew. Negotiations have been under way for the release of the Japanese chemical tanker which was hijacked by pirates in Somali's infamously lawless waters. The ship's crew are from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar. Piracy has been rife off Somalia since the country slid into chaos in 1991.
DT/BGH
London is at its best in winter. With millions of lights brightening up the streets and window displays looking like a Christmas wish-list, there's a festive feel to the city. Oxford Street is the first to switch on its illuminations this year, to much fanfare, marking the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
As winter descends upon London, seasonal spirit simply sweeps the streets. Come the end of November red-cheeked shoppers, carol singers and merry revellers bustle across the city wrapped in scarves and hats.
In 2007, the Christmas lights ceremonies in London will be on the following dates [details to be added when available]:-
Oxford Street: Wed 7 November 2007 5:00-6:30pm (from a stage outside John Lewis)Lights will be switched on by Leona Lewis, and there will be performances by Westlife and some of the cast of the West End musical Mary Poppins.*
For more information and for photos of past events, see: Ideas/Album/OxfordStreetLights- Regent Street: Tue 20 November 2007* For photos of past events, see: Ideas/Album/RegentStreetLights -
Bond Street: Thu 22 November 2007* For photos of past events, see: Ideas/Album/BondStreetLights-
Covent Garden Market: date to be confirmed* For photos of past events, see: Ideas/Album/CoventGardenLights- Trafalgar Square: Thu 6 December 2007* For photos of past events, see: Ideas/Album/NorwegianTree
The lights are lit after dark each day until 6th January (Twelfth Night)
British Christmas traditions: Ideas/Album/Christmas


SYMPOSIUM ON AFRICA INVESTMENT -RWANDA AND TANZANIA
Photo Ayoub mzee
H.E Rwanda Ambassador UK Mr Cleve Gatete The new HOC -Tanzania High Commission uk
Photos: Ayoub mzee
The Tanzania Trade center director Mr. Yusuf Kashangwa-next is the Rwanda Director General of Rwanda investement and Export Promotion center[RIEPA]