Displaying items by tag: police

Keir Starmer has announced a bold 'Plan for Change’, prioritising increased neighbourhood safety, improved NHS services, education reforms, and economic growth. Central to this vision is the pledge to recruit 13,000 additional police officers, police community support officers, and special constables across England and Wales. Starmer emphasised the importance of visible, community-based policing to restore trust and reduce fear. The plan also addresses NHS waiting lists, aiming to improve access to healthcare. Education reforms focus on early childhood development, ensuring children start school prepared to learn. Additionally, Starmer highlighted a commitment to clean energy, aiming to make Britain a green energy superpower by 2030. Addressing broader issues, Starmer pledged improvements in living standards, housing development, and stricter immigration controls. He criticised past governments for 'sticking plaster' politics, vowing lasting change through strategic, measurable goals.

Gun crime in London has surged by nearly 30%, impacting areas once considered safe. The recent shooting of an eight-year-old girl in Ladbroke Grove highlights the escalating violence linked to gang rivalries. Community leaders attribute the rise to recently released prisoners returning to their communities with unresolved conflicts.  High-crime areas are seeing younger individuals recruited into gang activities, including carrying weapons. The surge in gun-related incidents has placed immense pressure on Scotland Yard, which faces severe budget cuts of £450 million, potentially reducing the police force by two thousand officers. Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasises efforts like the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which has funded 350,000 opportunities for youth and contributed to a reduction in homicides and stabbings. Initiatives such as youth worker programmes in hospitals and police custody aim to prevent reoffending and exploitation. Organisations like The Children’s Society are working to protect vulnerable children through education, awareness campaigns, and collaborative efforts to tackle the root causes of violence, offering hope for a safer future.

Avon and Somerset police have issued an apology to Pastor Dia Moodley, who was arrested while street preaching in Bristol. Moodley, a grandfather and pastor, was detained for thirteen hours after being accused of 'racially or religiously aggravated harassment without violence'. The arrest followed an incident where Moodley answered a question contrasting Christianity with Islam and expressed his belief in binary gender. During the confrontation, he was pushed from his stepladder, and his signs were damaged. One of the signs, which contained a Bible text, was destroyed by university staff when instructed to do so by the police. Moodley, represented by the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), sustained a soft tissue injury during the altercation. His counsel called the treatment 'appalling' and urged the strengthening of free speech laws to protect peaceful, lawful expression of beliefs. Although the police dropped their investigation, the event highlights concerns over discriminatory policing and the freedom to share Christian beliefs publicly.

Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 230 Chinese nationals suspected of executing online scams targeting international banks. They seized 250 computers and 500 mobile phones involved in the fraudulent activities, with investigations continuing into the scale of the financial theft. They were helped by a special team sent from China; the biggest raid, on 12 October, netted 126 Chinese men. China’s crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have driven some to seek illegal activities abroad. The Chinese embassy expressed its readiness to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Sri Lanka, which has had advanced 5G  telecommunications infrastructure since 2019. In June the police arrested over two hundred suspects, primarily from India, for similar financial fraud operations.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a Christian charity volunteer, has won £13,000 in compensation and received an apology after being wrongfully arrested twice for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in a 'buffer zone' - an area designated to prevent actions that may intimidate women entering the clinic. Her first arrest occurred in November 2022, but she was cleared of charges in February 2023 when prosecutors failed to present evidence. Despite this, she was arrested again for the same action weeks later. Supported by ADF International, she pursued legal action against the police, citing wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and human rights violations. Although grateful for her vindication, Vaughan-Spruce expressed concern that Christians should not have to fight for their rights in such a manner. Her case emerges as government ministers review police guidelines, potentially redefining the legal standing of 'silent prayer' near abortion clinics across England and Wales.

The authorities have intensified their investigation into internet influencer Andrew Tate, who faces serious charges, including human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and money laundering. Recently, masked police conducted raids at his property near Bucharest, as part of an ongoing probe by Romania's anti-crime agency. Tate, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, were arrested in 2022 and have since been formally indicted. While they have consistently denied all allegations, claiming a lack of evidence and a political conspiracy, they remain under strict legal restrictions, including house arrest and a ban on leaving the country. The case has garnered significant attention due to Tate's divisive online presence, where he promotes misogynistic views to millions of followers: he has already been banned by various social media platforms. The trial's start date is yet to be determined, following a lengthy preliminary legal process.

An Ohio police officer, Connor Grubb, has been indicted on four counts of murder for fatally shooting 21-year-old pregnant Black woman Ta'Kiya Young in a grocery store parking lot on 24 August 2023. Grubb and another officer approached Young, suspecting her of shoplifting. When she refused to exit her car, he stood in front of the vehicle and, as she slowly drove forward, fired a shot through the windshield, killing her and her unborn daughter. A grand jury indicted Grubb on multiple charges, including murder and involuntary manslaughter. He is being defended by his police union, which claims the indictment is politically motivated, and stated that he had had to ‘make a split-second decision’. Meanwhile, Young's family's lawyer, Sean Walton, called the indictment a ‘solemn victory’ in their pursuit of justice, citing the unnecessary aggression shown by the officers.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha has appeared in court after being charged with multiple murders following the discovery of nine dismembered bodies in a Nairobi quarry. Khalusha has supposedly confessed to killing 42 women: his lawyer has claimed he was tortured into confessing, which prosecutors deny. The case has intensified scrutiny on Kenya's police, already under pressure from anti-government protests and accusations of human rights abuses. The bodies, found in sacks, were mostly women aged 18-30. Police say they have found evidence linking Khalusha to the murders, including mobile phones and female clothing at his home. The case has sparked public outrage and renewed focus on femicide in the country: some 500 Kenyan women were murdered between 2017 and January 2024. An independent police authority is investigating potential police involvement. Protests demanding president William Ruto's resignation continue amid the scandal: police chief Japhet Koome has resigned, after pressure to provide answers about the police’s conduct during the protests.

At least twenty people have been killed in a series of shootings in Dagestan on 24 June. The attacks targeted a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a traffic police post. Among the victims were fifteen law enforcement officers and civilians, including an Orthodox priest. The synagogue and church were set on fire before the attackers fled. The authorities say that five gunmen were later shot dead, and two sons of a local district head were arrested. The regional governor called it a ‘day of tragedy’ and declared three days of mourning in the predominantly Muslim region. Russia's national anti-terrorism committee attributed the attacks to ‘terrorists’, though no group claimed responsibility. This incident follows a major attack on a concert hall in Moscow three months ago, which killed 145 people​.

Following violent protests in which 22 people were killed, president William Ruto has announced he will not sign a finance bill proposing new taxes. The bill, which aimed to raise funds to pay off debt, has faced widespread opposition from Kenyans struggling economically. On 25 June thousands of protesters stormed parliament, an action which Ruto called ‘treasonous’. In the chaos which ensued, the police and military were accused of brutality, with human rights groups reporting abductions and hundreds of injuries. Acknowledging the ‘widespread dissatisfaction’, Ruto admitted the need for a national conversation on managing the country's affairs together. The high court has suspended the military deployment and ordered the release of all protestors. Many young voters who supported Ruto in 2022 now oppose his reforms, feeling betrayed by the economic hardships. He has been criticised for not adopting a more conciliatory approach, and widespread protests continue: see