September 3 2010
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How reporters can guard against branding Muslims as 'terrorists'

 

I’m a reporter for a paper, website or broadcasting
station. Local police have raided various premises and arrested a number of men on suspicion of terrorist activity. They hold a media briefing but give little information, arguing that national security is at stake.
What questions should I ask, and what should I report?
This is a story that has come up, amid a blaze of police publicity, quite a few times. The NUJ Ethics Council has been discussing how to handle it. Turn the page for its advice.
NUJ ETHICS COUNCIL GUIDELINES ON REPORTING TERRORISM
When reporting official claims (by police, government or security services) about terror suspects or terrorist threats
■ Request evidence for the claims and report any failure to provide meaningful information.
■ Ask why the ordinary criminal law does not suffice to counter threats of violent activities.
When reporting official claims about ‘anti-terror’ legislation and its role in protecting society
■ Be careful not to present claims as fact; qualify them as alleged or suspected. Otherwise you may be complicit in inciting racial and religious hatred, or in smearing specific individuals if the claims are false.
■ Remind readers that ‘anti-terror’ laws authorise police action against non-violent activities, so that individuals may be suspected for their religious practices or beliefs, for the people they associate with, the organisations they belong to or the websites they visit.
■ Remember that only 20 per cent of those arrested under terrorism laws are charged with a terrorism-related
offence, that only 5 per cent are convicted – and again that the offences include a broad range of non-violent activities, for instance organising or taking part in legitimate public protests.
■ Avoid implying that terror suspects are terrorists, or that a ‘terrorist conviction’ involves planning or taking part in violent activities.
When presented with an ‘expert’ on terrorism or related subjects
■ Ask about the expert’s qualifications and why their opinion should be given particular weight.
■ Check how the expert’s work is funded. ■ Try to ensure a political balance with different expert views.

Harsh British laws have seen Muslims branded as "terrorists", arrested and imprisoned without charge. The National Union of Journalists has armed reporters with guidelines to prevent them being used by police and the security services as a propaganda tool to whip up Islamaphobia.

submitted by Editor on August 13th 2010

Criminal cops who’ve kept their jobs are ‘a scandal’

 

Criminal cops who’ve kept their jobs is ‘a scandal’
Marc Wadsworth and Deborah Hobson – The-Latest - EXCLUSIVE
Campaigners say revelations that hundreds of London’s police have criminal conviction is “a national scandal” and that officer found guilty of serious offences should be fired.                                                                                            
The-Latest has discovered from the Metropolitan Police Service through a Freedom of Information request that 639 officers have been found guilty of criminal offences since 2002. They have been convicted of crimes ranging from sex attacks and assaults on members of the public to drink driving and speeding  in the past eight years. 
Seventy nne were jailed, 73 of whom were sacked or forced to resign. Others who were jailed are believed to have resigned before they were convicted. 
Most of the officers kept their jobs after being successfully prosecuted - the majority of cases involved traffic offences. 
Suresh Grover, director of The Monitoring Group, said: “I think it’s a national scandal. There is clearly a crisis in the Met. This should be tackled immediately. Police officers with criminal convictions should be disciplined and the worst offenders dismissed from the police service. How else can the public have confidence in the police upholding the highest professional standards?”
The Monitor Group paved the way for the Macpherson inquiry which led to an overhaul of the Met following its blunders which resulted in the murderers of black teenager Stephen Lawrence walking free.
Police insiders say officers found guilty of serious traffic offences such as drink driving would normally be sacked. Eight officers were convicted of corruption, three of drugs offences, 43 of violence offences, 21 of sexual offences, five of perjury, 23 of theft and 17 of misconduct or malfeasance in public office. In February, former Met borough commander Ali Dizaei was jailed for four years for misconduct and sacked.  He was the highest ranking officer to be imprisoned in living memory.
One hundred and thirty seven officers retired or resigned either before or after they were convicted; 112 received a written warning and 124 received advice. Most of the officers - 447 - were convicted for driving offences, including 119 for drink driving and 98 for driving without due care and attention. Five were convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and seven of dangerous driving. One hundred and sixty one were found guilty of speeding and 20 of driving with no insurance. 
All officers convicted of a serious crime face the possibility of a Metropolitan Police Authority hearing to decide if they should lose part of their pension. Last year 39 were convicted of a crime - nine faced such a hearing. 
However, the overall number of officers facing formal misconduct hearings - which can lead to the sack - fell significantly last year. This is believed to be due to new procedures introduced in 2008, aimed at reducing a "blame culture" and instead helping officers to develop as individuals in the job. 
A Met spokeswoman told the-Latest: “The Metropolitan Police Service takes any allegations of wrong doing by officers or staff very seriously. Where appropriate, allegations of criminal behaviour or misconduct are investigated by officers from the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
The MPS will take firm action against any officer that receives a conviction. Any officer convicted of a serious offence which brings into question the MPS's ability to have confidence in their integrity can expect to be dismissed.
We take robust action in such cases so that the public can have confidence in our commitment to ensuring the professionalism, honesty and integrity of all our officers and staff.
It is important to note that the number of officers who have received convictions is an extremely small number in proportion to the total number of officers in the MPS which is over 33,000 and that the vast majority of our officers and staff carry out their service to Londoners in the manner the MPS and the public expects.
The significant majority of the convictions have been for traffic related offences and have mostly occurred when officers have been off duty. “
However, Michael Corley, Campaigns Manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “The police will have their own procedures for dealing with transgressors - just like any other organisation or employer.
“But ultimately, the individual must take responsibility for actions which might not only affect their life but the lives of other road users - as well as families, friends and colleagues.”
The Metropolitan Police Service have not provided data about officers who may have joined the force with criminal convictions because, they claim, some of the information is contained in manual records and they say that to search for the information would exceed the Freedom of Information request limits for cost and manpower. Also, they say that reprimands and penalty notices for criminal offences may not always be communicated to the Metropolitan Police Service and recorded on their systems. 
Radical reform of police forces in the UK has been promised by the new collation government led by Prime Minister David Cameron. Home Secretary Theresa May said the plans were 'the most radical reforms to policing in at least 50 years'. They include the introduction of directly-elected police commissioners with the power to sack chief constables, along with the prospect of elected U.S.-style prosecutors and the creation of a National Crime Agency to 'tackle organised crime and protect our borders'.
The beleaguered Met police, whose officers are supposed to “serve and protect” 7.2 million people in the Greater London area, has been the subject of blistering attacks in recent days from large sections of the public, civil rights groups like Inquest and chiefly the family of Ian Tomlinson. The 49-year-old newspaper vendor and father of nine, died after being hit by a police baton and violently pushed to the ground by an officer at last year’s heavily policed and high profile G20 protests in the city of London. 
The Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to bring charges against Police Constable Simon Harwood, a member of Scotland Yard’s territorial support group who was caught on camera attacking Tomlinson by a member of the public, has been widely criticised. 
The failure to make the police accountable for Tomlinson’s death has renewed debate about the nature of policing in the UK and the increasingly fraught relationship between the police, presumed to be the guardians of law and order and ordinary citizens. 
Deborah Coles, Co-Director of Inquest said: “The eyes of the world will be looking on with incredulity as yet again a police officer is not facing any criminal charges after what is one of the most clear-cut and graphic examples of police violence that has led to death.” 
The harrowing case of Brazilian Charles de Menezes, and the injustice of this young  man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station by the Metropolitan police in 2005 is still powerfully felt by a citizenry  more willing to challenge and question the actions  of the police than ever before.  
De Menezes was falsely identified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts. These events took place two weeks after the London bombings of 7 July 2005, in which 56 people died. No police officer has been prosecuted for De Menezes’ death.
The perception that the apparatuses of the state will do all that they can to cultivate and perpetuate a wholesome, blameless image of the police is very real, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to suggest lawlessness exists among  pools of officers.
Yet, there are some facts about the police which cannot remain hidden. 
    This week the new coalition government have announced plans to 
The coalition government yesterday set out plans for communities to 'reconnect' with police forces which have disappeared behind their desks, engulfed by a flood of red tape.
But the radical reforms are already being dismissed by Labour as 'policing on the cheap' and a fig leaf for cuts in fully sworn officers.
Home Secretary Theresa May said her plans were 'the most radical reforms to policing in at least 50 years'. She also announced: 
• The introduction of directly-elected police commissioners with the power to sack chief constables, along with the prospect of elected US-style prosecutors 
• The creation of a National Crime Agency to 'tackle organised crime and protect our borders'
• Regular beat meetings in supermarkets and old people's homes to hold officers to account
• 'Virtual' get-togethers on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter
• A bonfire of health and safety regulations that tie police in red tape
Mrs May said her reforms, part of David Cameron's Big Society project, would 'transfer power back to the people' and make police into “crime fighters not form writers”.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1297695/Unprecedented-police-shake-unpaid-civilians-patrol-bobbies.html#ixzz0ut9t35Fd

Marc Wadsworth and Deborah Hobson – The-Latest - EXCLUSIVE

Campaigners say revelations that hundreds of London’s police have criminal convictions is “a national scandal” and that officers found guilty of serious offences should be fired.

submitted by Editor on July 30th 2010

George Michael sorry for 'screwing up again' after crashing car

Pop star George Michael released a statement today apologising to his fans after he smashed his Range Rover into a UK photo developing store over the weekend.

submitted by Newsdesk on July 6th 2010
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