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SCAMERAS a Four-Year Evaluation Report

We are indebted to Eric Bridgstock for this brillaint analysis. Since 2007, He reviewed many of the claims for the road safety benefits of speed cameras and had extensive correspondence with camera partnerships, councils and their representatives, police, PACTS (Robert Gifford), Dr Linda Mountain and many other interested parties (IAM, RoSPA, AA, BRAKE, etc). In summary, He found a community who have convinced themselves that cameras “save lives” and became deeply disturbed by the string of unsupported claims ...
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Speed camera backers make cash from speed cameras

MCN General news By Steve Farrell - 20 September 2010
Organisations campaigning to save speed cameras receive income generated by the devices, MCN can reveal. The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Road Safety GB and the AA issued a joint statement calling for cameras not to be sacrificed in Coalition spending cuts. Now MCN can disclose how each of those organisations receives income generated through camera use. PACTS’ members, who fund the group through subscriptions, include two speed camera makers ..
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MCN reader's licences prove DVLA wrong

MCN By Steve Farrell - 16 April 2010. MCN readers have come forward to show their licences are identical to one DVLA said was forged because the vehicle symbols were wrong. Marcus Mee, 38, was charged with fraud after producing photocopies of a licence which appeared to prove DVLA had lost record of his motorcycle entitlement. He is one of scores of riders to complain of the DVLA issuing a replacement licence with motorcycle entitlement missing, then denying they ever had it. 20 readers came forward with similar licences ...
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The completion of a major criminal trial without a Jury

April 2010 What a wonderful week for UK Justice. …… a supporter comments
One of the fundamental pillars of our system of Justice is that we have the right to be tried by a jury of our peers (ordinary folks like ourselves). This simple requirement is there as one of the defences against being imprisoned or otherwise punished by the establishment..The reason given for the trial being held without a jury was that the jury members could not be protected from intimidation. So it is only because the Police cannot keep us safe.
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Policing the UK

We are within 6 weeks of a general election. This election will determine if the UK can remain a 1st (or 2nd) world country or continue the slide into the third world with all the corruption in government & public life that those who travel widely recognise as third world. In 6 years the PPP have had no significant support from any Labour, Liberal or Plaid Cymru politicians. Only a few conservative MPs & AMs have met with us and debated the issues as our democracy intended. We list a few key paragraphs from their manifesto
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SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

You may remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well.......... there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!.Sheriff Joe Arpaio who created the 'Tent City Jail': He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. He took away their weights and cut off all but 'G' movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county projects ...
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Second-hand car warning: know your rights

Consumers are paying an average of £425 each to fix faults with second-hand cars that are the dealer's responsibility to correct. A study by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) also found that many dealers are using illegal disclaimers like 'No Refund'. Make sure you know your rights when buying a second-hand car.
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Campaign to turn A55 into North Wales motorway

North Wales Daily Post Mar 16 2010.
A CAMPAIGN to make the A55 a motorway has been launched in a bid to cut deaths and injuries on the road and reduce congestion. A petition has been lodged on the 10 Downing Street website. The change of status would require installing a hard shoulder along the route, upgrading lighting and signage, and the strengthening of road barriers and the central reservation. It would also prohibit vehicles like tractors. The Welsh Assembly Government would not be drawn on the road’s status ....
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High Speed Rail - £billions for whom

This story courtesy of the Drivers alliance.
Lord Adonis the Transport Secretary yesterday announced plans for a High Speed Rail link
between London and Birmingham. On the surface, this seems like an inspiring and ambitious project which should be welcomed but why would we want to spend some £40 Billion on a train when the roads are in such a mess? The cost of this new train is half the value of the entire motorway network. For £40 billion we could build every bypass and every road we need for a 21st century system.
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Parking and traffic enforcement

A MANIFESTO ON THE REFORM OF PARKING AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
this manifesto deals with another aspect of the war against the motorist. We support the principle because of our core belief in SENSE and REASON. We have all been victims of the abusive system described here and these people are campaigning on our behalf. The war is against the majority who attempt to conduct their business in our towns and cities throughout the UK. Even today the opposition claims that they will support businesses in town centres ....
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Motorway speed cameras by stealth

This story courtesy of the driver’s alliance
With the election looming the Government is rolling out its ‘Controlled Motorways’ agenda as rapidly as possible. The visible signs of this are the miles and miles of road works while overhead gantries are erected which will eventually regulate the speed we can travel when traffic builds up. The Government claims that slower speeds will smooth out traffic flows and improve journey times. The Gantries will display the current speed limit and will also use speed cameras to enforce
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David Hanson MP talks about the benefits of officers on the beat.

In an article for the Guardian in response to an item by Martin Kettle, David Hanson MP, Minister for crime, policing and counter-terrorism talks about the benefits of officers on the beat. Read the guardian article AND the varied but informative comments. Martin Kettle's article (It's time to shout down the bobbies-on-the-beat mantra, 11 February) does not recognise the significant contribution of the increased numbers of police officers since 1997 on the overall reduction of crime and the increase in public confidence ..
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A story from the magistrates blog

A man in his sixties is before the court. He has pleaded not guilty a few times but has finally decided to listen to his solicitor and accept that he doesn't have a ghost of a defence to the allegation of driving without insurance. The offence is technical, but the insurance laws are very rigid. His representative is not, to be frank, very good. We have to prompt him in the right direction and he finally puts forward the arguments that we have already taken on board. We decided on an Absolute Discharge and no costs ....
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Simplification of speed limit rules

Proposals to simplify motorway speed limits for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) were published today by the Department for Transport. The changes are needed because of differences that have arisen between new vehicles, which are fitted with speed limiters, and older vehicles which are not. This means that while newer HGVs are limited to 56mph older vehicles are able to drive at up to 70 mph on the motorway. Similarly, new passenger vehicles with over eight seats are limited to 62.5 mph on the motorway ....
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How realistic is New Realism

New Realism is the name given to a movement of academic transport theorists who, led by Professor Phil Goodwin, advocates a different direction in transport policy. Their core belief was that congestion could not be relieved by road building but instead demand for road space should be managed through adding cost or difficulty. The successful 'Predict and provide; policy was out and the new buzz word in Government was ‘sustainability'.This White paper eventually became the Governments (Prescott)£180bn 10 year transport plan.
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Police Powerless To Prevent Crime Spree

This Story courtesy of the Police Oracle 05-Jan-10
An 11-year-old serial crook stole his mum's car, crashed it, then stole a second vehicle - on the same day The Sun newspaper exposed his life of crime. The thug has been arrested more than 50 times in two years and is among the top ten burglars in his town. Cops caught up with the tearaway twice during his latest crime spree on New Year's Day. But on both occasions they were forced to free him. Under juvenile crime rules, police are unable to lock him up until he is 12 ..
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The lessons of New York's falling murder rate.

James Forsyth. the Spectator 28th December 2009

New York’s ever falling murder rate is one of the wonders of modern urban policy. It is proof that decisive political leadership can arrest and then reverse decline that many had considered inevitable.

This year, as The New York Times reports, New York is scheduled to record the lowest number of murders since records began in 1962. In 1990 there were 2,245 murders, in 2009 to date, there have only been 461 despite the NYPD reducing its number of officers by 6000.
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The Yobs at the base

The yobs who commit one offence every second.
By James Slack Daily Mail, 4th February 2009
Police recorded 3.9million acts of anti-social behaviour - such as criminal damage and graffiti - in England and Wales. But Government researchers say only 11 per cent of such offences are actually reported to officers - pushing the true total to 35million.
The Tories, who uncovered the figures, said they showed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's many anti-yob initiatives were not working.

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Drunkenness, violence and vandalism blight most of Britain

Mail Online by Steve Doughty on 29th December 2009
Officials running Labour's campaign against anti-social behaviour believe that most of the country has a major problem. A Home Office survey found that 73% said drunkenness and rowdiness is a 'significant problem' in their area. More than four out of five believe that teenagers hanging around the streets are also a concern. Seven out of ten cite vandalism and graffiti as a scourge of their district or town. The figures came more than a decade of Labour mismanagement.
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SPECS average-speed cameras type approved

MCN By Steve Farrell - 21 December 2009
Hi-tech average-speed cameras capable of catching motorcycles are finally ready for roll-out after winning Home Office type approval. So-called Specs3 cameras are a new generation of the average-speed cameras already seen at motorway road-works across the country. But whereas the old kind are all front-facing, the new ones can be rear-facing and therefore capable of reading motorcycle number plates. The new ones allow many to be linked together to create speed control ZONES ...
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Fatal hit-and-run driver gets hospital detention order

The Guardian Monday 21 December 2009
A driver who knocked down and killed an 11-year-old boy as she drove at double the speed limit was given an indefinite hospital detention order today.Hannah Saaf, 28, was found after a nine-day police hunt sitting in a field 10 miles from the scene of the crash in Bristol. When she was taken into custody she broke down in tears and said: "I've stolen a life".Saaf, a law graduate and mother of twins, had spent the night before the crash on 1 May smoking cannabis and listening to music..
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Big Brother Councils Treble CCTV Cameras

Sky News 18th December 2009
Fears are growing over "Big Brother" councils after it was revealed they have trebled the number of CCTV cameras. There are now 60,000 cameras being operated by local authorities. Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/ revealed the figures, after putting in a Freedom Of Information request to every council in the country. Director Alex Deane said the rise of the expensive "surveillance networks" had made little impact on the crime figures they were designed to cut.
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Does anyone smile on public transport

A mother of 3 called a BBC radio 5 Live phone in on the subject of car use. At the age of 41 she had recently passed her test and bought her first car. Her exact words were; “After 20 years of walking and waiting for buses in the rain with my three children, having my little car has changed my life, my life is so much easier” She went on to say; “I worked out that it’s actually cheaper now for me to run my car then to use public transport”
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Drivers Alliance News, Are cars being unjustly treated?

Electric cars will speed climate change claims the Environmental Transport Association (ETA)1.
This sounds bizarre; but it seems the report’s intended target is Governments energy policy and how we generate future electricity rather than the uptake of electric vehicles. Organisations like the Campaign for Better Transport petition for a halt to all road building claiming that ‘predict and provide’ doesn’t work. In response to the disparity between road and (higher)rail spending, they call for increased investment in rail.
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New guidance on Welsh speed limits

Nov 5 2009 Daily Post. COUNCILS are being encouraged to review their speed limits in new guidance published by the Welsh Assembly Government today. The guidance covers 20mph zones, speed limits on urban and rural roads and aims to ensure all limits are appropriate for their locations. The reality is that the current and intended dabbling with speed limits does the exact opposite. It confuses and distracts drivers and leads to many of the root causes of serious crashes such as tailgating and dangerous overtaking.
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TPA publishes report on cuts in transport spending

The transport budget is likely to face some of the most substantial cuts in the years to come. Leaked reports suggest that cuts may total £29 billion over a ten-year period.1 In this context, politicians will have to make tough choices and set priorities in order to effectively allocate scarce transport funding.
Key points.
In the year 2007-08 spending on rail was £8.2 billion and total road spending was £8.3 billionDuring the same period total passenger km was 59 billion for rail and 749 billion for road

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NOT GUILTY MOTORISTS WILL FACE COURT COSTS

Drivers acquitted of motoring charges will pay costs under new government scheme.
The government-inspired change to the current set-up - where drivers get costs refunded if they're innocent - is being implemented to save cash, in spite of fierce opposition from legal and motoring groups who were nominally 'consulted' before the new policy was drawn up. Could you afford to fight an unfair ticket?. According to The Taxpayers Alliance, that equates to 400,000 people annualy or one in four of those who challenge a ticket.



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Quotes pertaining to Environmentalists, Greens & Anti-car activists

I now find that many environmental groups have drifted into self-serving cliques with narrow vision and rigid ideology. At the same time that business and government are embracing public participation and inclusiveness, many environmentalists are showing signs of elitism, left-wingism, and downright eco-fascism. The once politically centrist, science-based vision of environmentalism has been largely replaced with extremist rhetoric. Science and logic have been abandoned and the movement is often used to promote other causes
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CCTV helps solve just ONE crime per 1,000

Daily Mail on 25th August 2009
Only one crime is solved a year for every 1,000 CCTV cameras, police admitted yesterday. The startling figure comes in a Scotland Yard report which warns that a network that can capture individuals as many as 300 times a day is failing to improve public safety. Officers found that the million cameras covering London have helped clear up barely 1,000 crimes. Critics say the revelation should lead to a wholesale shake-up of the hugely costly CCTV system.


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CCTV schemes have little effect on crime

CCTV schemes in city and town centres have little effect on crime. Alan Travis, Home affairs editor The Guardian, Monday 18 May 2009
Criminologists' research shows surveillance cameras are 'at their most effective' in cutting vehicle crime in car parks. The use of closed-circuit television in city and town centres and public housing estates does not have a significant effect on crime, according to Home Office-funded research to be distributed to all police forces in England and Wales this summer.


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HM Prison Service is failing, a new approach is urgently needed.

The objective of the Prison Service

The objective should be to protect the public by helping offenders to lead useful and law abiding lives in prison and on release, while keeping them secure in humane conditions.

The performance of Politicians in managing the Prison service

The reconviction rates of ex-prisoners within two years of release for all adults are

1995 2005 change

58% 65% 12%

Judged against this objective, the Prison Service as part of the Criminal Justice System is a horrendous failure.


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Building new roads will reduce congestion and save lives.

Building new roads will reduce congestion and save lives.
Our recent tour of Southern Spain highlighted their progress. Unfortunately, the folk at the UK Campaign for Better Transport believe otherwise and actively try to prevent any road building. New roads clearly alleviate congestion and provide safer journeys. Spain has been building thousands of miles of new road capacity over the past few years and congestion is almost non existant except in the major cities.

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Police are increasingly using heavy handed tactics against Protesters

The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) said it was concerned the right to protest was being undermined by "autocratic" police measures. Police are increasingly using "heavy handed" tactics against protesters, a committee of MPs has warned ahead of the G20 summit being hosted in London. Anti-terror powers were being "misused" to restrict lawful protest, the committee said. The report found no "systematic" human rights abuses but urged changes in the law and police methods.
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The IPCC, is it a toothless watchdog ?

MPs have criticised the effectiveness of the police complaints watchdog in monitoring its own recommendations, claiming systems for checking the quality of its work were "conspicuously absent". The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the IPCC had "limited" evidence of the impact of its own work as responsibility for monitoring was unclear. It said there was a "lack of clarity" over the issue and called on the Home Office to ensure there was a "clear and well-established line of accountability".
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The Fire service and the Speed kills policy

The Government, the Police AND the fire service are obcessed with the gratuitous and simplistic message that ‘speed kills’ and that means exceeding a posted speed limit. This video clip courtesy of North Wales weekly news repeats the message AND claims that the fire service are doing everything to prevent road deaths. The problem is that this message is dangerously misleading despite being absolutely true. Road safety is all about psychology and little about physics. When the physics becomes critical it is usually TOO LATE.
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Over 4,500 Photo licences out of date

The fine is £1000 renewal is £17.50. Thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence. They risk prosecution after failing to spot the extremely small print on their photocard licence which says it automatically expires after 10 years and has to be renewed - even though drivers are licensed to drive until the age of 70.16,136 expired this summer, but only 11,566 renewed. This 'stealth tax' will earn the Treasury an estimated £437million over 25 years.
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North Wales County Council pay scales

North Wales County Council pay scales for elected councillors
2008/09 Allowances - payable from 1 June 2008 £
Approved by Council on 4 December 2008

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Irish MP on global warming

Irish Environment minister Sammy Wilson 31st December 2008 I still think man-made climate change is a con.
The Green Party and the campaign group Friends of the Earth demanded his resignation,
“Spending billions on trying to reduce carbon emissions is one giant con that is depriving third world countries of vital funds to tackle famine, HIV and other diseases”, Sammy Wilson said. The DUP minister has been heavily criticised by environmentalists for claiming that ongoing climatic shifts are down to nature and not mankind.
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Oliver Cromwell's speech 1653

Oliver Cromwell's speech dismissing Parliament on 20th April 1653
“... It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? All we say is “if the cap fits wear it! whether it be plain cloth, a silly grey
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A man in the street said

This comment from a BBC website discussing the controversy over crime statistics … we were directed to this page by ACC Ian Shannon of NWPF. The crime figures are a joke under the present Labour government, most middle class people gave up calling the police ages ago unless they really had to. If Labour had been tough on crime and the causes of crime we would all feel a lot safer, instead we have huge sections of society blighted by crime and indeed areas of crime where the police rarely go these days, regardless of the PR.

The relentless over-regulation of drivers Intelligent Speed Adaptation

The relentless over-regulation of drivers and driving continues with the promotion of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) by the Government's farcical 'Motorists' Forum.The claim is that injury accidents could be reduced by 29% by fitting cars with ISA. The 29% is a figure spun from two entirely different 'contributory factors' for fatal accidents derived from flawed police 'box ticking' on STATS 19 forms: 12% for 'exceeding the speed limit,' and 17% for 'excessive speed for the conditions, UNDER the posted limit.'
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Policing Pledge - what you can expect

The following Pledge is verbatim from the Police website on Saturday January 17th 2009
The Police service in England and Wales will support law abiding citizens and pursue criminals relentlessly to keep you and your neighbourhoods safe from harm. We will:
Always treat you fairly with dignity and respect ensuring you have fair access to our services at a time that is reasonable and suitable for you. Provide you with information so you know who your dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team is, where they are based ....
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Police criticised over 'routine' use of Taser stun guns

The Independent Sunday, 13 April 2008
Police chiefs were criticised yesterday for using Taser stun guns to handle routine public order situations involving people under the influence of alcohol, and the mentally ill. An official report on the use of "less-lethal weapons" since the wider use of Tasers was approved last year has revealed that the vast majority of incidents involved individuals with drink, drugs or psychological problems.
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TASERS AND EXPLOSIVE CHARGES

Where are all our Police Officers?, playing with more boys’ toys in Ruthin!
More stun guns for police. Daily Post Feb 28 2007 by Tom Bodden.
PLANS to kit out more cops in rural North Wales with stun guns were unveiled yesterday.
The stun guns are due to be introduced in the summer to reduce critical response times to serious crimes. Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom wants to train some frontline officers to use the Taser electronic stun gun which is currently restricted to specialist armed units.


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North Wales Police Perception vs Reality

North Wales police and the police authority are holding a series of PCF meetings across North Wales entitled ‘Perception vs Reality’Rhian Rees Roberts, the Authority’s newly appointed policy officer, said: “The detection rate is up from 21% in 2002/03 to 40% in 2007/08, and North Wales has the second highest sanctioned detection rate in England and Wales. However, national figures demonstrate that fear of crime and anti-social behaviour is higher in North Wales than in many areas of England and Wales.
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Global Warming The HEAT OF THE MOMENT

Scientists abandon global warming 'lie' Posted by WorldNetDaily December 11, 2008
WASHINGTON – A United Nations climate change conference in Poland is about to get a surprise from 650 leading scientists who scoff at doomsday reports of man-made global warming – labeling them variously a lie, a hoax and part of a new religion. Later today, their voices will be heard in a U.S. Senate minority report quoting the scientists, many of whom are current and former members of the U.N.'s own Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
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Victims of Crime

Deputy Chief Constable's Blog Tuesday, December 02, 2008 More than ever before, we are focusing our efforts to ensure that victims of crime receive a better service to help them through both the trauma of the offence and the subsequent complexities of the criminal justice system. Last week I was privileged to be at the launch of "Victim Support Plus" across Wales. The northern event took place in Conwy led by David Hanson, Minister of State for Justice. "Plus" is a new telephone service offering support to all victims.
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CONGESTION COMMERCIAL CANNED

Manchester says no to C-Charge promotional advert
A public information film backing congestion charging for Manchester and funded by the Department of Transport has been pulled by ITV following complaints of bias. Granada pulled the ad from its planned slot in Saturday’s broadcast of the X Factor, following complaints to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom that have apparently questioned the film’s impartiality.

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WLGA, The A55, HGVs and cycling

Brunstrom’s blog Friday, October 27, 2006 Yesterday was different. I gave a (very) short speech at the Welsh Local Government Association Annual Conference in Llandudno in the morning, and then spent the afternoon with Tamsin Dunwoody AM, the Deputy Minister for Economic Development & Transport in the Welsh Assembly Government. One of the absolutely invaluable benefits of devolution is that it is now possible for Ministers to get close to real problems, to gain real hands on knowledge and experience ....
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AVERAGE CAMERAS TO REPLACE GATSOS

Transport secretary says average speed cameras are a fairer way to catch motorists. Average speed cameras are set to be rolled out across the UK to replace Gatsos. Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, said the traditional cameras were ‘arbitrary’ and ‘unfair’ and would be replaced by the newer technology. In an interview with the Sunday Times he said that so-called ‘spot’ cameras, which measure speed from a fixed point, were not as effective as average speed cameras.‘Spot speed cameras are seen by some people as unfair ...
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A symposium to discuss Language, Difference and Opportunity

This article is courtesy of the North Wales Police. This article is courtesy of the North Wales Police. The webite has a video precis of the presentations. A symposium to discuss Language; Difference and Opportunity. Language as a source of division, though not yet sufficiently recognised as a social problem, is far more apparent than language as a route to compromise. To explore this issue North Wales Police and the National Language and Cultural Centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn organised a symposium ....
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A message from Paul Smith’s SAFESPEED

We are delighted that Swindon Council have been able to finally start to restore some sense to the roads of Swindon.
We do expect that this will take some time to show up in the figures. But we are totally confident that as the bad side effects of Speed Camera's start to wear off, and education improves, people will find the return to being responsible behind the wheel is a very comfortable and proud place to be. To no longer be obsessed with driving to a specific speed, but instead to drive responsibly .....
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Lack of local prison in North Wales means we are failing vulnerable prisoners

Oct 14 2008 by Carl Butler, Daily Post. THE lack of a prison in North Wales is a breach of basic human rights, chief constable Richard Brunstrom claimed yesterday. Offenders from North Wales are scattered among 25 different prisons across the UK – as far afield as Newcastle and Dover. The Chief Constable is backing a campaign by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board to secure a multi-purpose prison for North Wales. Mr Brunstrom said: “A prison is needed for the reintegration of offenders back into society.
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SWINDON SEES SENSE

Councillors agree to stop taxpayer funding of speed cameras. Swindon Tory councillors voted last night to axe taxpayer funding of the local Speed Camera Partnership, saying the money spent on fixed cameras would be better spent elsewhere. Last year Swindon voters coughed up £320,000 to pay for the cameras, while all the revenue from speeding tickets went straight into treasury coffers. Speaking on the BBC this morning, local Tory councillor Peter Greenhalgh said current government road safety policy was ineffective.
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Six killed in M6 crash horror

Four children and their parents were among seven people killed in a series of crashes which brought chaos to the M6 today Tuesday 21st October 2008 The youngsters and two adults died at the scene when their car, which had been travelling from Birmingham to Llandudno, burst into flames after a collision on the northbound carriageway last night. A Portuguese lorry driver, aged 46, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The crash happened at around 10.40pm between junctions 16 and 17 for Sandbach.
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The Metropolitan Police Authority

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is an independent statutory body, established under The Greater London Authority Act 1999. The MPA Board is made up of 23 members. Twelve of these members are appointed by the Mayor from the London Assembly. Four are magistrates selected by the Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority and seven are independents, one of whom is appointed directly by the Home secretary, the other vacancies being advertised openly. The Chair of the MPA is chosen by the members themselves.
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ANPR in Birmingham from the contractor’s who installed it

We have predicted that these systems will be installed across the country. We recently reported the loss of a memory stick that contained vehicle data relating to terrorists in the Birmingham area. This and many other similar data losses tells us that these powerful tools and the data they collect will be in the hands of incompetents in Police forces and government departments. We know from recent history that surveillance of the private citizens by governments can lead to a deadly Police state.
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Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime

A review by Louise Casey 3 KEY FACTS FROM THE REVIEW
• 55% of the public say crime is the most important issue facing Britain today.
• Only 33% of the public are confident that the Criminal Justice System meets the needs of victims, but 79% agree it respects the rights of offenders.
• 73% of the public say that hearing about someone being a victim of crime in their local area affects etc
There are some who argue that the Government and the Criminal Justice System must not allow itself to be swayed by public opinion...

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Police Federation reaction to civilianisation of Police powers

By Simon Reed, Police Federation of England and Wales: 27.08.08 “It is extremely alarming that this government seems intent on diluting the policing resilience in this country by handing out traditional policing powers to civilian staff. The Federation has concern about the presence of an ill-equipped and poorly trained second layer of law enforcement for not only does it cause members of the public confusion over who has what powers, but undermines the special covenant between the police and the public.
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North Wales Police to trial apology scheme

July 2008 by Eryl Crump, Daily Post.
YOUNG petty criminals will be given the chance to apologise face-to-face to their victims in a pilot scheme to be trialled by North Wales Police. The scheme is an extension of a programme which has been used since 2006. Youngsters aged 10 to 17 who commit offences such as minor damage or petty theft will be asked if they want a Youth Restorative Disposal (YRD). They will have to face their victims, apologise and give an assurance that such behaviour will not be repeated.

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Policing on the cheap, or another move towards the Police state.

The Tories have accused the Government of "policing on the cheap" after ministers revealed that the number of civilians given police powers has increased by nearly 500 over two years. Employees of private security firms, housing associations and NHS trusts can receive Home Office accreditation to allow them to hand out fines for a variety of offences. Community Safety Accreditation Schemes, which were introduced under the Police Reform Act 2002, were set up to give civilians working in the community more powers.
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Child abuse

Just click on this link from a link …. because you can’t be bothered looking at our links and clicking on their links we have picked one out for you ..



This one is for parents and children and social workers and politicians and policeman and vicars and lawyers etc, etc ad infinitum!!


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Violent criminals and other serious offenders only get cautions

Solicitors complain their violent clients are escaping with cautions because police are chasing targets … By Niall Firth 31st July 2008
Violent criminals and other serious offenders are getting away with nothing more than a fine or a caution because police are obsessed with chasing targets, magistrates have warned.
The latest Home Office figures for fixed penalties show a 37 per cent increase in 2006, with a 17 per cent rise in cautions.
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Tomorrows world on CCTV

The comment below was posted on the Piston Heads website to explain the apparent Scamera slowdown……….it’s not a slowdown……the 500 proposed new Cameras were old technology.From someone in the know, the reason for the slow down is the move towards ANPR systems and Son of Specs fitted into signalised junctions will be the way of things in future!
Gatso's are too visible so are being phased out for the discrete roadside CCTV based ANPR. The PPP comments … you have been warned. Brunstrom is very enthusiastic about ANPR systems
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Surge in violent females - police

BBC news Saturday, 09 August 2008, 08:02 GMT
Violent women are stretching police resources, with increasing numbers arrested for such crimes, police have warned. The New chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Paul McKeever, told BBC TV there was a "new phenomenon" of violent women. Mr McKeever said: "Clearly there is an increase in the number of women who use violence in their everyday lives and when they are out drinking on the streets around the country."

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BAD ROADS CAUSE BREAKDOWNS TO SOAR

This story courtesy of Pistonheads website.
Despite huge revenue from car tax our roads continue to crumble.
The number of breakdowns is spiralling out of control thanks to Britain's potholed roads, according to the RAC. There has reportedly been a 76% rise in damaged tyres and huge increases in chipped windscreens.
Suspension damage is also on the rise as well as the need for underbody repairs. Punctures were the main cause of breakdowns for RAC members last year, resulting in over 200,000 call-outs.

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Rt Hon David Davis Parliamentary Candidate

David was born in 1948. He was educated at Warwick University (BSc Joint Hons Molecular Science/Computer Science 1968-1971), London Business School (Master's Degree in Business 1971-1973) and Harvard (Advanced Management Program 1984-1985). He is married to Doreen, and they have three children. He is a former Director of Tate & Lyle Plc. We have written a letter of support to David Davis. His recent resignation as MP and shadow minister and his reasons for so doing have received massive media coverage.


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MASS SURVEILLANCE HITS MANCHESTER

Practically every car that drives into Manchester is being photographed by a new network of police cameras, it has emerged. After London, the northern city is the first to use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Cameras in this way and it is estimated 600,000 motorists a day are being snapped by the new technology.When drivers use 12 major routes to enter the city their number plates,car colour & time are recorded & the Police will be storing the information for five years to fight terrorism, crime and car theft.
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Quangos

Quangos. The Unseen Government of the UK,
When the total number of quangos is added to the other government subsidiaries such as local authorities and NHS trusts, the total number of organisations controlled by the UK Government rises to 2,063, costing the taxpayer £257 billion and employing over 5.1 million people.Government in the UK is now so large, diverse and complex that it is impossible for anyone to manage effectively, let alone Ministers with no prior experience of management.
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Businesses complain that crime is costing them £12billion a year

High price: Crime, including shoplifting, is costing UK businesses £12billion a year, a fifth more than it did four years ago - a survey has shown. The increase coincides with the introduction of controversial on-the-spot fines for offences such as shoplifting, criminal damage and graffiti. Business leaders are also angry that the Government's British Crime Survey does not even gather statistics on crimes against businesses. The BCC's survey of 3,900 businesses found almost two-thirds had been victims in the past year.
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Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III

Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III Born May 28th 1944 served as the Mayor of New York from Jan.Ist 1994 through to Dec. 31st 2001. In his first term as mayor, Giuliani pursued an aggressive and hugely successful policing policy resulting in declines in virtually every category of crime. Such policing efforts led to an increase in the distrust of police by black Americans and other minorities. The man described above was invited to the UK by Blair to explain the success of his ‘zero tolerance’ policy.
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The Prime Minister urges courts to make more use of tough sentencing powers

Gordon Brown said today that the five-year mandatory minimum jail term for possessing a firearm — introduced four years ago but still not being fully enacted — was part of a range of tools available to clamp down on gun criminals. Mr Brown was responding to calls from a senior police chief for judges to be consistent in imposing the five-year term set down in law.
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Spot fines and cautions make criminal law a farce, says judge

The huge growth in on-the-spot fines to keep offenders out of the courts is in danger of bringing the law into disrepute, the Lord Chief Justice’s chief of staff says. Lord Justice Leveson, the senior presiding judge in England and Wales, said that the use of fixed-penalty notices in some cases had become a farce. In one case an offender had accumulated fines to a total of £960 for “no fewer than eight notices for theft, presumably shoplifting, and one for drunk and disorderly.
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Five Thousand New Prison Places Is Just A Start

Shadow Police Minister Nick Herbert was on Simon Mayo's BBC Five Live show today. Herbert was on to talk about his party's new plan to sell off dilapidated old prisons and replace them with new ones paid for with the proceeds. He reckons this will provide 5,000 new cells. Well, we certainly need them. Up against him was David Hanson, who managed to rubbish the new proposal as uncosted while admitting he hadn't actually read it and, simultaneously, claiming the Conservatives had 'copied Labour'.

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The A55 is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

A catalogue of major hazards along the 80 mile (130km) North Wales artery have been highlighted today by North Wales police Chief Superintendent Geraint Anwyl, chairman of the National Roads Policing Intelligence Forum. He says a whole raft of safety measures are needed to cut the numbers killed and injured. He says the infrastructure of the road it not up to standard for a dual carriageway that forms part of Euroroute 22, between Hull and Dublin.
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Cooking the figures big style

Department for Transport figures, provided to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, led to massively erroneous conclusions about the relative cost effectiveness of speed cameras & vehicle activated signs. While the Transport Committeee claimed that speed cameras were marginally more cost-effective than vehicle activated signs, the truth is that vehicle activated signs are around 50 times more cost effective than speed cameras. Dft Quoted the cost of a camera as £7,500 pa, when the real average figure is £50,000

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Our future freedoms.

Before too many tears are shed over David Blunkett's departure, we should not forget that, as Home Secretary, he was the author of a vast extension to police powers. Now there will be almost no offence where the police cannot make an arrest and insist on taking DNA and photographs. That is the legacy of the man who slunk from office after a second scandal. The attack on liberty from Blunkett and Mr Blair has been so broad that it has been difficult to keep track of the the measures being pushed through parliament.
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Chief Constable wasted taxpayers’ money

CHIEF Constable Richard Brunstrom was yesterday dealt a blow when an appeal to house the UK’s first drug-needle dispensing machine in Colwyn Bay was thrown out.The decision by the Welsh Assembly’s planning inspector brings to an end a year long battle between North Wales Police and Conwy council – at a cost of £50,000. Residents and politicians were united in their joy last night after government inspector Iwan Lloyd said the potential harm the machine could cause would outweigh the benefits.
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Cannabis update, use increases as research highlights after affects

Scientists in New Zealand have found that Smoking a joint is equivalent to 20 cigarettes in terms of lung cancer risk, as they warned of an "epidemic" of lung cancers linked to cannabis. Eighty per cent of patients newly-diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses are heavy users of cannabis, scientists have warned ministers. The shocking figure emerged in a dossier submitted to Whitehall drug advisers as Gordon Brown weighs up whether or not to reverse Labour's policy of downgrading cannabis.
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North Wales Police Officers protest over pay

FIVE coachloads of North Wales officers were among 22,500 who joined a historic protest over pay during the UK’s largest ever gathering of police, in London yesterday. More than 170 of the region’s officers – a 10th of the force – marched alongside colleagues from Hyde Park to Westminster where they met MPs to lobby for a fairer pay rise. Several of the regions MPs voiced strong support four officers echoed by the PPP.
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UK ROADS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

Britain’s transport infrastructure is ‘not fit for purpose’ and the cost of congestion will soon exceed £20billion a year, according to a leading think tank. This country has the most congested roads, the fewest motorways and ‘some of the worst public transport’ among leading industrialised countries, the report from Policy Exchange said.

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Ian Lucas MP shocked by police’s personal attacks

WREXHAM MP Ian Lucas has said he is “shocked and saddened ” by untrue personal attacks on him by North Wales Police’s most senior chief officers. The Chief Officers described Mr Lucas as “Ian Ned Ludd Lucas”, talked about MPs being parachuted into Wales and suggested Mr Lucas was “purporting to represent people” during a discussion filmed for a BBC documentary entitled The Chief.
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Use Taser stun guns against children .

By JASON LEWIS the Mail on Sunday 2nd September 2007.The relaxing of restrictions on the use of the weapons comes despite warnings that they could trigger a heart attack in youngsters. Until now, Tasers - which emit a 50,000-volt electric shock - have been used only by specialist officers as a "non lethal" alternative to firearms. However, they can now be used against all potentially violent offenders even if they are unarmed. It is the decision not to ban their use against minors that is likely
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Police chief's Orwellian fears .,.. 4.2m CCTV cameras in Britain

A senior police officer has said he fears the spread of CCTV cameras is leading to "an Orwellian situation". Deputy chief constable of Hampshire Ian Readhead said Britain could become a surveillance society with cameras on every street corner. He told the BBC's Politics Show that CCTV was being used in small towns and villages where crime rates were low.
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Police Federation conference condemns TARGET CULTURE.

The Police Federation says 'target culture' stops officers doing their job. Frontline police officers are calling for an end to the "target-driven culture" they say is forcing them to make arrests for petty offences. The Police Federation of England and Wales says government targets lead to "ludicrous" decisions such as arresting a child for throwing a cucumber slice. Detectives are being diverted away from serious cases, it also warns.

The Home Office said it was discussing future tar
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BIKES UNDER THREAT

A private member's bill being debated in the House of Commons could have a massive impact on enthusiast motoring in the UK. The bill is currently aimed at two wheeled transport, but it doesn’t take much to imagine it being quietly targeted at cars later on.

The Off-Road Registrations Bill was proposed originally by the MP Graham Stringer


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MINISTERS are considering using cash from speed camera fines to help victims of road accidents

MINISTERS are considering using cash from speed camera fines to help victims of road accidents
EXCLUSIVE In the Sunday Mirror 4/02/07 By Vincent Moss, Political Editor.
The network of 5,600 cameras in England and Wales rakes in £115 million a year in fines. And campaigners want some of the money to be used to help fund charities working with the victims of road crashes.

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Road Pricing: Money for nothing!!

This analysis of the Governments Road pricing Policy by Paul Smith shows what an intelligent Professional can forsee compared to the incompetent sound bite idiots running this country! AND the so called oppsition parties who APPEAR to have nothing significant to say!
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Once again 'road pricing' is being discussed as a solution to traffic congestion.

The PPP stands for sense and reason in Road Safety and we fully Support Paul Smith of safespeed. Paul in his usual thorough and precise manner has issued the a Bulletin (original at http://www.safespeed.org.uk/roadpricing.html ) on the Government’s ‘Road Pricing’ proposals.
John Lambert our supporter and road safety engineer fom Australia has done afew simple sums for us.
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CAR TAX CHANGES

The proposed CAR TAX CHANGES are A TICKING TIMEBOMB.
The Tories believe 3.7m people will lose £90 under new car tax rules. An overhaul of the car tax system that would see spiralling costs for drivers of the most polluting cars is a ‘ticking timebomb’, the government has been warned.These policies are primarily stealth taxes attempting to fill the bottomless pit of government waste in every sphere of public service and services.


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Green Paper on Policing July 2008

The government says ….. It builds on the substantial achievements in policing and tackling crime already delivered. Earlier in the year the Government reached the milestone of a neighbourhood policing team in every area, with nearly £1 billion pounds over the last three years spent supporting police forces in rolling it out. The police workforce has grown and changed, there are now nearly 140,000 officers, 16,000 PCSOs and over 76,000 civilian staff. Overall crime is down by a third in ten years and the fear of crime is ...
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Road charging Update with more detail of the charges!

The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly bill to use it.

The tracking device will cost about £200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for a delivery driver. A non working Mum who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month.


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Fury at release of Police Constable’s killer

This story initially courtesy of the Police Oracle 6-Mar-10.
Fury erupted last night over the release of a gunman who killed a PC and wounded two others 36 years ago. It is thought to be the first time anyone who directly murdered a police officer has been released from jail in Britain. He was jailed for life three times over in 1975. Eight years later he tried to kill Moors Murderer Ian Brady in a psychiatric unit. He will be placed in an undisclosed bail hostel in the community and allowed to roam the streets...
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Big Brother moves ever closer

Big Brother moves ever closer in the name of sustainable development and justified by the climate change SCAM.
This story courtesy of Pistonheads website but go to the link in their article

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Home Office to grab for more CCTV power

Police are not happy with law, ICO, or surveillance quality By Mark ballard (comments by Idris francis) Wednesday 22/11/06
The police and Home Office are to press for regulatory powers that will insist that every one of the 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain is upgraded so it can be deputised to gather police evidence and provide a vehicle for emerging technologies that will automatically identify people and detect if they are doing anything suspicious.


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Cameras to no longer be used as ‘cash-cow’

MCN By James Sharpe - General news 18 June 2010
New Transport Minister Mike Penning has told MPs that the government will stop handing millions of pounds in grants to local authorities for new speed cameras. The number of speed cameras has trebled over the last 10 years, and raise around £110million a year. However Mr. Penning has warned the local authorities to use other effective means of road safety measures.Local authorities will still be able to install new cameras but only funded from council tax.

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24-hour licensing laws have failed to curb the binge-drinking culture

Cabinet Minister, Hazel Blears admits: We can't curb the binge-drinkers. People still wanted to get drunk and 'push the limits of danger'...24-hour licensing laws have failed to curb the binge-drinking culture.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Shannon said “North Wales Police dealt with 777 incidents, an increase of 17% on the previous New Year and the Ambulance Service responded to 240 calls, many of them related to assaults. We also made 183 arrests on 31st December and 1st January
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The naked streets concept

The naked streets concept. This is the opposite of the current control freak Policy to cover the roads with lines and slogans and litter the verges with a myriad misleading signs. The Durch are actually having a go.
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ANPR camera

ANPR camera.

Pervasive surveillance imminent as national database fires up to watch us all If you think that automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) is only there to catch the guilty, the uninsured, the tax dodger? Think again.

Britain's NEW top traffic cop has plans for a national surveillance network of cameras that will track every car, everywhere. According to an article in the Sunday Times and analysed in The Register, Meredydd Hughes wants the cameras installed every 40
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Blunkett downgraded cannabis

Former home secretary David Blunkett downgraded cannabis from Class B to Class C…….the PPP responded ….in our Aims and objectives (Drink & Drugs) over 2 years ago we stated…

‘The health problems arising from such a policy will obviously be long term and very significant. The long-term health consequences of Cannabis are only just becoming clear’.
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