8th April 2003
This week’s briefing covers stories from 14 police areas in England and Wales across the following BTP regions:
London North (3): Norfolk, Suffolk, Thames Valley;
London South (1): Kent;
North East (3): Leicestershire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire;
North West (2) : Cheshire, Greater Manchester;
Wales & Western (5): Avon & Somerset, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, South Wales, West Midlands.
- All-Wales police force
- Kent youth PCC scandal
- Other national stories
- Police and crime plans
- By BTP area
All-Wales police force
The chief constable of Scotland’s new national police service has suggested that the merger of forces could be emulated in England and Wales. [BBC News]
- Gwent‘s chief constable subsequently backed the idea to merge all Welsh forces. [South Wales Evening Post]
- However, the PCC for Wales’s largest force, South Wales, dismissed the idea as ‘a huge mistake’ [South Wales Echo]
Kent youth PCC scandal
A [Mail on Sunday] investigation exposed messages on Twitter from Kent‘s new Youth PCC, some of them posted three years ago, containing controversial language on sex, drugs and gay people.
- Kent’s PCC, Ann Barnes, who is contributing part of her own salary to fund the new Youth PCC, has backed her appointment. [BBC Newsbeat]
- [Local news] in Kent covers Paris Brown’s apology.
Other national stories
The UK Border Agency is to be scrapped and brought directly under ministers’ control for the first time in five years to end its “closed, secretive and defensive culture”. [ITV News]
The Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government will move into one building in 2014 as part of continuing work to reduce costs. [Press release]
Police and crime plans
Twelve PCCs released their police and crime plans over the past fortnight, including:
By BTP area
North West
The [Daily Mail] reports on a Norfolk police constable who previously sued a burglary victim after falling over a kerb during a 999 call and has now demanded compensation from her own force over a car crash.
- Speaking on [ITV’s Daybreak], the force’s chief constable said it was “wholly inappropriate that police officers claim compensation against victims of crime”.
North East
Cleveland Police has recorded its lowest ever crime figures, according to data released by the force. [Darlington and Stockton Times]
Leicestershire‘s PCC has promised to tackle safety issues faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. [Rutland Times]
Wales and Western
A project to acclimatise dogs with livestock is being run by West Midlands Police in Warwickshire in a bid to cut the number of attacks on animals across the UK. [BBC News]