http://digbig.com/4nbaf
Sharri Markson
"THE number of people caught having sex in public, swearing and engaging in other offensive behaviour has almost doubled in the past 10 years. Exclusive NSW Police data reveals offensive language and behaviour were among the most common charges issued by police in the first quarter of this year. "
Saturday, September 23, 2006
'Excited Delirium' a Disputed Catchall for Police-Related Deaths / Joint together, 21 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nbae
"An increasing number of deaths of people in police encounters or custody are being chalked up to a mysterious diagnosis of drug-related "excited delirium" -- a condition that some experts say is rare or nonexistent. The Associated Press reported Sept. 18 that excited delirium -- a racing heart caused by drug use or psychiatric problems, sometimes described as a fatal overdose of adrenaline -- is increasingly showing up on medical examiners' reports in cases where suspects die while being arrested or incarcerated. The condition first started showing up during the cocaine craze of the 1980s."
"An increasing number of deaths of people in police encounters or custody are being chalked up to a mysterious diagnosis of drug-related "excited delirium" -- a condition that some experts say is rare or nonexistent. The Associated Press reported Sept. 18 that excited delirium -- a racing heart caused by drug use or psychiatric problems, sometimes described as a fatal overdose of adrenaline -- is increasingly showing up on medical examiners' reports in cases where suspects die while being arrested or incarcerated. The condition first started showing up during the cocaine craze of the 1980s."
The Netherlands: Concerns about Schiphol fire need urgent follow up / Amnesty International, 21 Sep 2006
"The report of the independent Dutch Safety Board (DSB, Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid) on the fire at the temporary detention centre at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport during the night of 26-27 October 2005 has been released. Eleven irregular migrants were killed, and fifteen other people injured, as a result of the fire. The report of the DSB confirms earlier reports about unsafe detention conditions; inadequate implementation of safety recommendations; insufficient training on the part of the guards and their inadequate intervention upon discovery of the fire."
Leave bin Laden to us: MusharrafBruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent / The Australian, 23 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nbab
"PAKISTAN defiantly dug in its heels yesterday and insisted it would not allow foreign forces to enter its territory in search of Osama bin Laden, setting the stage for a major new clash between President Pervez Musharraf and critics who claim Islamabad is double-dealing with al-Qa'ida and the Taliban. Speaking in the Pakistani capital, senior government officials rejected absolutely the notion of foreign forces setting foot inside the country to hunt bin Laden and other senior al-Qa'ida and Taliban figures who Western intelligence sources are convinced are hiding in the remote territory of North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border."
"PAKISTAN defiantly dug in its heels yesterday and insisted it would not allow foreign forces to enter its territory in search of Osama bin Laden, setting the stage for a major new clash between President Pervez Musharraf and critics who claim Islamabad is double-dealing with al-Qa'ida and the Taliban. Speaking in the Pakistani capital, senior government officials rejected absolutely the notion of foreign forces setting foot inside the country to hunt bin Laden and other senior al-Qa'ida and Taliban figures who Western intelligence sources are convinced are hiding in the remote territory of North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border."
[USA] Firefighters moving to the front lines of counter-terror effort / Star-Ledger Staff, 22 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nayp
RICK HEPP
"Firefighters are the natural first responders in any large-scale terrorist attack, and for the past five years the state has worked to bolster their life-saving training and equipment. Now, state counter-terrorism officials want to use the access that fire inspectors have to homes and commercial buildings to help stop the next attack before it happens."
RICK HEPP
"Firefighters are the natural first responders in any large-scale terrorist attack, and for the past five years the state has worked to bolster their life-saving training and equipment. Now, state counter-terrorism officials want to use the access that fire inspectors have to homes and commercial buildings to help stop the next attack before it happens."
Criminal justice's youth dilemma / BBC News, 22 Sep 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5370696.stm
Joe Boyle
" Pressure is being put on the government to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. Can children really understand the difference between right and wrong? "
Joe Boyle
" Pressure is being put on the government to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. Can children really understand the difference between right and wrong? "
Long-term Effects of Universal Preventive Interventions on Methamphetamine Use Among Adolescents
ARCH PEDIATR ADOLESC MED/VOL 160, SEP 2006
PDF - http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/160/9/876
Richard L. Spoth, PhD; Scott Clair, PhD; Chungyeol Shin, PhD; Cleve Redmond, PhD
PDF - http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/160/9/876
Richard L. Spoth, PhD; Scott Clair, PhD; Chungyeol Shin, PhD; Cleve Redmond, PhD
Sweden: only a very Moderate change / Spiked Online, 19 Sep 2006
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/earticle/1679
Nathalie Rothschild
"The victory of the centre-right coalition over the Social Democrats is a result of the winds of opportunism rather than the winds of change. There has been much handwringing in British and other European media and political circles about the result of the Swedish elections. With the Social Democrats out, some commentators are referring to the result as ‘Stockholm syndrome’ and claiming that it has sent ‘reverberations’ and ‘shudders’ around Europe. But how much has really changed in the land of the welfare state?"
Nathalie Rothschild
"The victory of the centre-right coalition over the Social Democrats is a result of the winds of opportunism rather than the winds of change. There has been much handwringing in British and other European media and political circles about the result of the Swedish elections. With the Social Democrats out, some commentators are referring to the result as ‘Stockholm syndrome’ and claiming that it has sent ‘reverberations’ and ‘shudders’ around Europe. But how much has really changed in the land of the welfare state?"
Call me negative, but positive images are the last refuge of the incompetent / The Times, 22 Sep 2006
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-6-2368978-6,00.html
Mick Hume
"WHAT DO Muslim women wearing hijabs and skinny models with jabbing hips have in common? Both have been put under surveillance by the “positive image” police. And only a fool or a government minister could imagine that anything positive will come of it."
Mick Hume
"WHAT DO Muslim women wearing hijabs and skinny models with jabbing hips have in common? Both have been put under surveillance by the “positive image” police. And only a fool or a government minister could imagine that anything positive will come of it."
Stun guns: weapon or risk? / The Age, 23 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nayn
Kenneth Nguyen
"A confidential Alfred hospital analysis has found that Tasers expose subjects to "immediate risks and potentially fatal dangers", including fractures or head injuries when victims collapse, barb injuries and the potential to disrupt heart pacemakers. In 2004, surgeons from Adelaide's Queen Elizabeth Hospital struggled to save a man's eye after it was hit by a barb. With Taser use in Victoria limited, assessing its record overseas and interstate is complex."
Kenneth Nguyen
"A confidential Alfred hospital analysis has found that Tasers expose subjects to "immediate risks and potentially fatal dangers", including fractures or head injuries when victims collapse, barb injuries and the potential to disrupt heart pacemakers. In 2004, surgeons from Adelaide's Queen Elizabeth Hospital struggled to save a man's eye after it was hit by a barb. With Taser use in Victoria limited, assessing its record overseas and interstate is complex."
Hope of new future on the breadline... / Daily Post, 22 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4naym
"EX-OFFENDERS and long-term unemployed people are using their loaf to get back into the job market. A new bakery in Bethesda will train people who have come out of prison or have been on the dole to make bread. The ex-criminals and jobless people will run the bakery store while they are training in the project set up by the probation service in North Wales. The scheme is the brainchild of Mick Hartley, who works as a youth justice consultant within the North Wales Probation Area."
"EX-OFFENDERS and long-term unemployed people are using their loaf to get back into the job market. A new bakery in Bethesda will train people who have come out of prison or have been on the dole to make bread. The ex-criminals and jobless people will run the bakery store while they are training in the project set up by the probation service in North Wales. The scheme is the brainchild of Mick Hartley, who works as a youth justice consultant within the North Wales Probation Area."
New migrants struggle to forgo traditional ways / The Australian, 23 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nayj
Simon Kearney
"TRADITIONAL prejudices and customs among new migrant communities are causing racist turf wars and allowing domestic violence to go unchecked. Community workers and police in western Sydney have detailed how migrant communities want to adopt Australian values but are struggling to give up traditional practices that are illegal in Australia. Racism towards black African migrants from Sudan boiled over into a turf war in the western Sydney suburb of Granville last year when Sudanese and Lebanese men clashed over part of the suburb each was trying to claim as their own."
Simon Kearney
"TRADITIONAL prejudices and customs among new migrant communities are causing racist turf wars and allowing domestic violence to go unchecked. Community workers and police in western Sydney have detailed how migrant communities want to adopt Australian values but are struggling to give up traditional practices that are illegal in Australia. Racism towards black African migrants from Sudan boiled over into a turf war in the western Sydney suburb of Granville last year when Sudanese and Lebanese men clashed over part of the suburb each was trying to claim as their own."
[USA] Debunking The Myth Of Immigrant Criminality: Imprisonment Among First- And Second-Generation Young Men / ILW, September 2006
http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/
Rubén G. Rumbaut, et al.
"The past few decades have seen the confluence of two eras in the United States: an era of mass immigration and an era of mass imprisonment. A great deal has been said and written about each, reinforcing age-old popular stereotypes about immigration and crime (a Google search for "immigration +crime" immediately returns 57.2 million hits). But rarely are carefully researched connections made between the two, based on rigorous evidence."
[Originally published on the Migration Information Source (www.migrationinformation.org), a project of the Migration Policy Institute. Editor's note: The data in the first two columns of Table 3 have been corrected. Our deepest regrets for the error.]
Rubén G. Rumbaut, et al.
"The past few decades have seen the confluence of two eras in the United States: an era of mass immigration and an era of mass imprisonment. A great deal has been said and written about each, reinforcing age-old popular stereotypes about immigration and crime (a Google search for "immigration +crime" immediately returns 57.2 million hits). But rarely are carefully researched connections made between the two, based on rigorous evidence."
[Originally published on the Migration Information Source (www.migrationinformation.org), a project of the Migration Policy Institute. Editor's note: The data in the first two columns of Table 3 have been corrected. Our deepest regrets for the error.]
QinetiQ protects the world, virtually / The Times, 23 Sep 2006
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9075-2370710,00.html
By Angela Jameson
"The former research agency is now focusing on security solutions for businesses. It has been described as a sniffer dog for the 21st century but QinetiQ’s SPO-20 can only ever be a partial solution in the campaign against terrorism. One obvious drawback is that the millimetre wave technology it uses can spot a device that is tied to only the front of a potential suicide bomber. To be effective, an organisation would have to have a scanner trained on the backs of people approaching a building, as well as their fronts."
Click here to see the SPO-20 detection system
By Angela Jameson
"The former research agency is now focusing on security solutions for businesses. It has been described as a sniffer dog for the 21st century but QinetiQ’s SPO-20 can only ever be a partial solution in the campaign against terrorism. One obvious drawback is that the millimetre wave technology it uses can spot a device that is tied to only the front of a potential suicide bomber. To be effective, an organisation would have to have a scanner trained on the backs of people approaching a building, as well as their fronts."
Click here to see the SPO-20 detection system
The American Muslim Dilemma / Council on Foreign Relations, 22 Sep 2006
http://www.cfr.org/publication/11508/american_muslim_dilemma.html
Eben Kaplan
"Studies suggest U.S. prisons may be a particularly fertile breeding ground for Islamic radicalism. A special report from the George Washington University and the University of Virginia found a shortage of Muslim religious leaders to serve the demands of U.S. inmates, which allows extremist Muslims to more effectively recruit among the vulnerable prison population (PDF). One of the authors of the report, Frank J. Cilluffo, told a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security that prisons worldwide often lead to the radicalization of future terrorists (PDF), including such well-known figures as shoe-bomber Richard Reid and the late al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
Eben Kaplan
"Studies suggest U.S. prisons may be a particularly fertile breeding ground for Islamic radicalism. A special report from the George Washington University and the University of Virginia found a shortage of Muslim religious leaders to serve the demands of U.S. inmates, which allows extremist Muslims to more effectively recruit among the vulnerable prison population (PDF). One of the authors of the report, Frank J. Cilluffo, told a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security that prisons worldwide often lead to the radicalization of future terrorists (PDF), including such well-known figures as shoe-bomber Richard Reid and the late al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."
The American Muslim Dilemma / Council on foreign Relations, 22 Sep 2006
http://www.cfr.org/publication/11508/american_muslim_dilemma.html
Eben Kaplan
"Richard A. Falkenrath, New York City’s deputy police commissioner for counterterrorism, recently warned Congress, “The possibility of a ‘homegrown’ terrorist attack against New York City or any other American city is real and is worsening with time” (PDF). He is just one of many experts in recent months to warn about the danger of homegrown terrorism in the United States. In a discussion at a recent CFR symposium, counterterrorism expert R.P. Eddy said America’s next attackers will likely be “a lot closer to the Columbine killers,” than traditional jihadis."
Eben Kaplan
"Richard A. Falkenrath, New York City’s deputy police commissioner for counterterrorism, recently warned Congress, “The possibility of a ‘homegrown’ terrorist attack against New York City or any other American city is real and is worsening with time” (PDF). He is just one of many experts in recent months to warn about the danger of homegrown terrorism in the United States. In a discussion at a recent CFR symposium, counterterrorism expert R.P. Eddy said America’s next attackers will likely be “a lot closer to the Columbine killers,” than traditional jihadis."
COMMUNITY POLICING CONFERENCE - Community policing is not a soft touch / Jane's Police Review, 20 Sep 2006
http://jpr.janes.com
"NEIGHBOURHOOD policing is about much more than 'drinking tea' and officers must get the balance right between being a friendly face and enforcement, according to a Humberside Police officer who was the driving force behind a national conference." [Sub Required]
"NEIGHBOURHOOD policing is about much more than 'drinking tea' and officers must get the balance right between being a friendly face and enforcement, according to a Humberside Police officer who was the driving force behind a national conference." [Sub Required]
Cops and robbers / CIPFA, 22 Sep 2006
http://www.cipfa.org.uk/publicfinance/features_details.cfm?news_id=28780
Jan Berry
"The Treasury wants to cut costs, and police pay is on the hit list. That means officers could be paid less for doing more. And in these dangerous times, the performance ramifications could be very serious indeed."
Jan Berry
"The Treasury wants to cut costs, and police pay is on the hit list. That means officers could be paid less for doing more. And in these dangerous times, the performance ramifications could be very serious indeed."
Friday, September 22, 2006
London bombing reports: key findings / BBC, 22 Sep 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5370666.stm
"Key findings of two reports, both published on 22 September, on the bomb attacks in London on 7 July 2005, in which four suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured hundreds of others. "
"Key findings of two reports, both published on 22 September, on the bomb attacks in London on 7 July 2005, in which four suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured hundreds of others. "
Fifth Report of the UK Steering Group on Alternative Policing Approaches to the Management of Conflict / NIO, 20 Sep 2006
PDF - http://www.nio.gov.uk/less_lethal_steering_group_phase_5_report.pdf
"The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has been instrumental in the huge advances achieved in the development of less lethal technology over the past eight years and should be proud of the role it has played. There has been a strong focus on the science and technology required to produce an effective and less potentially lethal alternative. But just as importantly, the development and introduction of stringent training and operational guidance and accountability measures have helped improve safety.”
"The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has been instrumental in the huge advances achieved in the development of less lethal technology over the past eight years and should be proud of the role it has played. There has been a strong focus on the science and technology required to produce an effective and less potentially lethal alternative. But just as importantly, the development and introduction of stringent training and operational guidance and accountability measures have helped improve safety.”
California's troubled prison system / KBPS, September 2006
http://digbig.com/4nasa
Podcasts
Part 1 - http://digbig.com/4nasd
Part 2 - link from this page - http://digbig.com/4nash
Part 3 - http://digbig.com/4nasf
Podcasts
Part 1 - http://digbig.com/4nasd
Part 2 - link from this page - http://digbig.com/4nash
Part 3 - http://digbig.com/4nasf
You don't get in that easily / Sydney Morning Herald, 23 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nary
James Button
Page 1 of 3 Single page
"As prospective citizens grapple with the idea of being a model Australian, several European countries are putting their immigrants to the test."
James Button
Page 1 of 3 Single page
"As prospective citizens grapple with the idea of being a model Australian, several European countries are putting their immigrants to the test."
Surveying the Scene / GovTech, 7 Sep 2006
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=100901
Jim McKay
"A 15-pound survey device, Leica Geosystems' SmartStation, lets officers record measurements and reconstruct an accident scene in 20 to 30 minutes. Before the SmartStation, they used a 300-foot steel tape measure, a pencil and paper to create a diagram of the accident. It was time-consuming -- the process took approximately three hours -- and not very accurate."
Jim McKay
"A 15-pound survey device, Leica Geosystems' SmartStation, lets officers record measurements and reconstruct an accident scene in 20 to 30 minutes. Before the SmartStation, they used a 300-foot steel tape measure, a pencil and paper to create a diagram of the accident. It was time-consuming -- the process took approximately three hours -- and not very accurate."
Enemies: How America's Foes Steal Our Vital Secrets -- And How We Let It Happen / The Washington Times, 20 Sep 2006
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060920-123737-3755r.htm
Bill Gertz
"Describes a growing threat posed by foreign agents and terrorists who exploit U.S. weaknesses in this third of three excerpts from his new book. Read Part I here and Part II here. The FBI, the CIA and other intelligence agencies continue to struggle to plant agents in, or recruit them from, deadly Islamist terror organizations here and abroad. The FBI, for example, did not have under way a single active investigation this past spring of al Qaeda or any Islamist group anywhere in the United States. Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is not alone in posing a threat of new attacks. The FBI believes that Lebanon-based Hezbollah has set up terrorist cells in at least 10 U.S. cities. The Iranian government has backed Hezbollah to the tune of $100 million. FBI officials worry that Iran could activate a network of Hezbollah terrorists here if the international community acts to stop the Islamic regime's nuclear program."
Bill Gertz
"Describes a growing threat posed by foreign agents and terrorists who exploit U.S. weaknesses in this third of three excerpts from his new book. Read Part I here and Part II here. The FBI, the CIA and other intelligence agencies continue to struggle to plant agents in, or recruit them from, deadly Islamist terror organizations here and abroad. The FBI, for example, did not have under way a single active investigation this past spring of al Qaeda or any Islamist group anywhere in the United States. Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is not alone in posing a threat of new attacks. The FBI believes that Lebanon-based Hezbollah has set up terrorist cells in at least 10 U.S. cities. The Iranian government has backed Hezbollah to the tune of $100 million. FBI officials worry that Iran could activate a network of Hezbollah terrorists here if the international community acts to stop the Islamic regime's nuclear program."
Azerbaijani embassy and consulate in Russia suspend passport issue / APA, 21 Sep 2006
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=14549
"Azerbaijani embassy and consulate in Russia suspended issuing passports to Azerbaijanis due to appearing of frauds, the Interior Ministry told the APA. Minister Ramil Usubov ordered providing opportunities for Azerbaijanis living abroad to get passports from our embassies and consulates in relevant countries in order to make this process easy or them. “Azerbaijani diplomatic services in other countries continue issuing passports. However, frauds have appeared in Russia, who cheat Azerbaijanis into giving them forged passports. Therefore, the embassy has suspended issuing passports to Azerbaijanis living in Russia for three or four months. They can get passports only in Azerbaijan,” the Ministry said.Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu has recently made public that several deceivers cheated Azerbaijanis into giving them forged passports outside the Embassy." [Brief]
"Azerbaijani embassy and consulate in Russia suspended issuing passports to Azerbaijanis due to appearing of frauds, the Interior Ministry told the APA. Minister Ramil Usubov ordered providing opportunities for Azerbaijanis living abroad to get passports from our embassies and consulates in relevant countries in order to make this process easy or them. “Azerbaijani diplomatic services in other countries continue issuing passports. However, frauds have appeared in Russia, who cheat Azerbaijanis into giving them forged passports. Therefore, the embassy has suspended issuing passports to Azerbaijanis living in Russia for three or four months. They can get passports only in Azerbaijan,” the Ministry said.Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu has recently made public that several deceivers cheated Azerbaijanis into giving them forged passports outside the Embassy." [Brief]
Publics of Asian Powers Hold Negative Views of One Another / Pew Global Research, 21 Sep 2006
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=255
"There is a good deal of dislike, if not outright hostility, in how the publics of major Asian countries view their neighbors. The deepest divides exist between traditional rivals - roughly seven-in-ten Japanese express an unfavorable view of China and an equal number of Chinese dislike Japan. Similarly, most Indians have an unfavorable view of Pakistan and most Pakistanis hold negative views about India. But there are other divisions as well. Both the Chinese and Japanese express generally unfavorable views of Pakistan, while the Chinese tend to feel negatively toward India as well."
PDF - http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/255.pdf
"There is a good deal of dislike, if not outright hostility, in how the publics of major Asian countries view their neighbors. The deepest divides exist between traditional rivals - roughly seven-in-ten Japanese express an unfavorable view of China and an equal number of Chinese dislike Japan. Similarly, most Indians have an unfavorable view of Pakistan and most Pakistanis hold negative views about India. But there are other divisions as well. Both the Chinese and Japanese express generally unfavorable views of Pakistan, while the Chinese tend to feel negatively toward India as well."
PDF - http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/255.pdf
Driven to desperate measures / IRR, 21 Sep 2006
http://www.irr.org.uk/2006/september/ha000013.html
Harmit Athwal
"No section of our society is more vulnerable than asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. Forced by circumstances beyond their control to seek a life outside their home countries, prevented by our laws from entering legally and from working, denied a fair hearing by the asylum system, excluded from health and safety protection at work, kept from social care and welfare, unhoused and destitute, vilified by the media and therefore dehumanised in the popular imagination, their hopes of another life are finally extinguished."
PDF - http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf/Driventodesperatemeasures.pdf
Harmit Athwal
"No section of our society is more vulnerable than asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. Forced by circumstances beyond their control to seek a life outside their home countries, prevented by our laws from entering legally and from working, denied a fair hearing by the asylum system, excluded from health and safety protection at work, kept from social care and welfare, unhoused and destitute, vilified by the media and therefore dehumanised in the popular imagination, their hopes of another life are finally extinguished."
PDF - http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf/Driventodesperatemeasures.pdf
The Game: Restorative Community Supervision for Adult Offenders / Real Justice, September 2006
http://www.realjustice.org/library/thegame.html
Joshua Wachtel
"A unique restorative model for supervising adult offenders incommunity-based programs, The Game was developed by Grahame Chaseling, a corrections officer in New South Wales, Australia. The Game is anempowering alternative to the conventional punitive prison andprobation programs Chaseling has encountered in his 20 years ofexperience. This article includes information on The Game and stories about Chaseling's experiences facilitating it, as well as details about other restorative work he is initiating.
PDF - http://fp.enter.net/restorativepractices/thegame.pdf
Joshua Wachtel
"A unique restorative model for supervising adult offenders incommunity-based programs, The Game was developed by Grahame Chaseling, a corrections officer in New South Wales, Australia. The Game is anempowering alternative to the conventional punitive prison andprobation programs Chaseling has encountered in his 20 years ofexperience. This article includes information on The Game and stories about Chaseling's experiences facilitating it, as well as details about other restorative work he is initiating.
PDF - http://fp.enter.net/restorativepractices/thegame.pdf
Telgi Tapes II / Times Now, 20 Sep 2006
http://www.timesnow.tv/articleshow/2009716.cms
"Brain-mapping: A ready reckoner - A brain-mapping test reveals knowledge stored in the recesses of the human mind. It is conducted to interpret the behaviour of a suspect. The test ascertains if a suspect’s brain recognises familiar facts involving the crime scene. Studies have shown that an innocent suspect's brain would not have stored or recorded certain information, which an actual perpetrator's brain would have stored. [Case study] According to sources the brain-mapping test establishes Telgi's link to a number of top political and police official in Karnataka and Maharashtra. The test also endorses his claim that his life is under threat. For the first time footage showing an accused being prepared and then put through this controversial procedure, is available to the public."
"Brain-mapping: A ready reckoner - A brain-mapping test reveals knowledge stored in the recesses of the human mind. It is conducted to interpret the behaviour of a suspect. The test ascertains if a suspect’s brain recognises familiar facts involving the crime scene. Studies have shown that an innocent suspect's brain would not have stored or recorded certain information, which an actual perpetrator's brain would have stored. [Case study] According to sources the brain-mapping test establishes Telgi's link to a number of top political and police official in Karnataka and Maharashtra. The test also endorses his claim that his life is under threat. For the first time footage showing an accused being prepared and then put through this controversial procedure, is available to the public."
London Prepared - Emergency advice for London - updated website
http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/
"Welcome to the website of the London Resilience Partnership. T he Partnership works to ensure London is ready to cope with any incident that might occur -whether it's natural, accidental or malicious. If you're a Londoner, a commuter, a visitor or you're responsible for business continuity in the capital, you will find advice and information on this site that could help you to be prepared and keep safe."
"Welcome to the website of the London Resilience Partnership. T he Partnership works to ensure London is ready to cope with any incident that might occur -whether it's natural, accidental or malicious. If you're a Londoner, a commuter, a visitor or you're responsible for business continuity in the capital, you will find advice and information on this site that could help you to be prepared and keep safe."
Belgians want deportations for criminal immigrants / Expatica, 20 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4naps
"Almost three-quarters of Belgians believe immigrants who commit serious crimes should be deported, new research has indicated. That percentage is in even higher In the Netherlands (76.6 percent), the UK (78.2) and Germany (90.2). British and UK nationals are in favour of a strict, but fair immigration policy and do not want to accept too many immigrants. However, those that do must be given full rights. The study also indicated that neither Belgium nor the other three countries see immigration as an economic threat. However, immigration is more often seen as a threat to the social security system and for the situation of the disadvantaged communities." [From - 'Multiculturalism Analysed' - Catholic University of Leuven] [Brief]
"Almost three-quarters of Belgians believe immigrants who commit serious crimes should be deported, new research has indicated. That percentage is in even higher In the Netherlands (76.6 percent), the UK (78.2) and Germany (90.2). British and UK nationals are in favour of a strict, but fair immigration policy and do not want to accept too many immigrants. However, those that do must be given full rights. The study also indicated that neither Belgium nor the other three countries see immigration as an economic threat. However, immigration is more often seen as a threat to the social security system and for the situation of the disadvantaged communities." [From - 'Multiculturalism Analysed' - Catholic University of Leuven] [Brief]
New blueprint for juvenile justice / Correction Connection Network News, 21 Aug 2006
http://corrections.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=13843
Sarah Etter
"In architecture, a blueprint is the foundation for a successful, sound and safe structure. In corrections, a newly released blue print could mean successful care and a strong foundation for juveniles suffering from mental health disorders. According to Dr. Joseph Cocozza this particular blueprint was long overdue. “We’re suggesting that about 70 percent of the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for having a mental health disorder. Probably about 25 percent of those have very serious issues,” Cocozza explains. “We’ve known for a long time that we needed to address this particular population. The new question we’re addressing now is: What do we do?” In the report brief, [PDF] A Blueprint for Change: Improving the System Response to Youth with Mental Health Needs Involved with the Juvenile Justice System, Cocozza and co-author Kathleen Skowyra set the stage to help juveniles struggling with mental heath disorders."
Sarah Etter
"In architecture, a blueprint is the foundation for a successful, sound and safe structure. In corrections, a newly released blue print could mean successful care and a strong foundation for juveniles suffering from mental health disorders. According to Dr. Joseph Cocozza this particular blueprint was long overdue. “We’re suggesting that about 70 percent of the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for having a mental health disorder. Probably about 25 percent of those have very serious issues,” Cocozza explains. “We’ve known for a long time that we needed to address this particular population. The new question we’re addressing now is: What do we do?” In the report brief, [PDF] A Blueprint for Change: Improving the System Response to Youth with Mental Health Needs Involved with the Juvenile Justice System, Cocozza and co-author Kathleen Skowyra set the stage to help juveniles struggling with mental heath disorders."
Force admits rejecting white men / BBC, 22 Sep 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/5369876.stm
"Gloucestershire police force has admitted illegally rejecting 108 job applicants because they were white men. The Police Federation said the force has been trying to recruit more female officers and more people from ethnic minorities to meet a government target. Solicitor, Nigel Tillott, said: "The impact of this is that it is now clear how far public authorities can go in positive action. "What they cannot do is discriminate against white males when it comes to job applications."
"Gloucestershire police force has admitted illegally rejecting 108 job applicants because they were white men. The Police Federation said the force has been trying to recruit more female officers and more people from ethnic minorities to meet a government target. Solicitor, Nigel Tillott, said: "The impact of this is that it is now clear how far public authorities can go in positive action. "What they cannot do is discriminate against white males when it comes to job applications."
[Norway] Arrest in synagogue shooting / Aftenposten, 20 Sep 2006
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1465350.ece
"A 29-year-old man with links to the criminal A-gang is among the four suspects arrested on Tuesday and charged with firing on Oslo's synagogue last weekend. The man was arrested in Germany this summer, suspected of participating in the planning of a terrorist attack on the soccer World Cup there. He was released quickly.Last week he was arrested again, this time charged with threats against crime journalist Nina Johnsrud from the newspaper Dagsavisen."
Related stories:
Charged with terrorism - 21.09.2006
Bishop seeks more support for Jewish community - 19.09.2006
Synagogue shooting spurs calls for tighter security - 18.09.2006
Synagogue was terror target - 11.09.2006
Synagogue vandalized - 02.08.2006
"A 29-year-old man with links to the criminal A-gang is among the four suspects arrested on Tuesday and charged with firing on Oslo's synagogue last weekend. The man was arrested in Germany this summer, suspected of participating in the planning of a terrorist attack on the soccer World Cup there. He was released quickly.Last week he was arrested again, this time charged with threats against crime journalist Nina Johnsrud from the newspaper Dagsavisen."
Related stories:
Charged with terrorism - 21.09.2006
Bishop seeks more support for Jewish community - 19.09.2006
Synagogue shooting spurs calls for tighter security - 18.09.2006
Synagogue was terror target - 11.09.2006
Synagogue vandalized - 02.08.2006
Serious knife injuries are increasing / Medical Studies/Trials, 21 Sep 2006
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20286
"Serious knife injuries are increasing, say trauma experts at the Royal London Hospital in a letter to the British Medical Journal. Several recent deaths have fuelled the perception that forensic knife injuries have become an epidemic, resulting in a knife amnesty and government discussion of new punitive measures, write Charles Knowles and colleagues. The authors audited knife injuries at their east London hospital, one of Europe's busiest emergency departments, to establish the size of this problem in a representative urban area."
Stabbing: data support public perception - König et al. BMJ.2006; 333: 652
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/333/7569/652
PDF - http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/333/7569/652
[Sub Required]
"Serious knife injuries are increasing, say trauma experts at the Royal London Hospital in a letter to the British Medical Journal. Several recent deaths have fuelled the perception that forensic knife injuries have become an epidemic, resulting in a knife amnesty and government discussion of new punitive measures, write Charles Knowles and colleagues. The authors audited knife injuries at their east London hospital, one of Europe's busiest emergency departments, to establish the size of this problem in a representative urban area."
Stabbing: data support public perception - König et al. BMJ.2006; 333: 652
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/333/7569/652
PDF - http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/333/7569/652
[Sub Required]
From punishment to problem solving - a new approach to children in trouble / KCL:CCJS, 22 Sep 2006
PDF - http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/rel/ccjs/2006-punishment-to-problem-solving.pdf
Rob Allen
"The first in a series of Whose Justice? publications provides a detailed examination of the youth justice system setting out a series of radical reforms."
Rob Allen
"The first in a series of Whose Justice? publications provides a detailed examination of the youth justice system setting out a series of radical reforms."
Thursday, September 21, 2006
A better mutual assistance system : A review of Australia’s mutual assistance law and practice / Attorney General, September 2006
http://digbig.com/4nahh
"Australia could co-operate more closely with other countries in pursuing their wanted criminal or terrorist suspects within our borders, including conducting electronic surveillance on them even though the person hasn’t conducted an offence under Australian law. This is one of a range of possible changes to Australia’s mutual assistance arrangements with foreign governments flagged by the federal government. Other possible changes raised in a discussion paper include making it easier for foreign governments to freeze suspected proceeds of crime in Australia and forcing suspects to supply DNA samples to a foreign government, even though the person has committed no offences here."
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nahj
"Australia could co-operate more closely with other countries in pursuing their wanted criminal or terrorist suspects within our borders, including conducting electronic surveillance on them even though the person hasn’t conducted an offence under Australian law. This is one of a range of possible changes to Australia’s mutual assistance arrangements with foreign governments flagged by the federal government. Other possible changes raised in a discussion paper include making it easier for foreign governments to freeze suspected proceeds of crime in Australia and forcing suspects to supply DNA samples to a foreign government, even though the person has committed no offences here."
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nahj
[Australia] Corrective Services Jun 2006 / ABS, September 2006
http://digbig.com/4nahf
"This publication presents information on persons in custody and community-based corrections. The statistics are derived from information provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from administrative records held by corrective services agencies in each state and territory, and from the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department for details on federal prisoners. Details are provided for each state and territory on: prisoner numbers and imprisonment rates by type of custody (i.e. open or secure custody or periodic detention); prisoner numbers by legal status (sentenced or unsentenced) for all prisoners and for Indigenous prisoners; the number of sentenced receptions into custody; the number of federal prisoners; and the numbers and rates of persons serving community-based corrections orders."
"This publication presents information on persons in custody and community-based corrections. The statistics are derived from information provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from administrative records held by corrective services agencies in each state and territory, and from the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department for details on federal prisoners. Details are provided for each state and territory on: prisoner numbers and imprisonment rates by type of custody (i.e. open or secure custody or periodic detention); prisoner numbers by legal status (sentenced or unsentenced) for all prisoners and for Indigenous prisoners; the number of sentenced receptions into custody; the number of federal prisoners; and the numbers and rates of persons serving community-based corrections orders."
Your marriage rights / This is Local London, 21 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nagw
"It is not only women from south Asian families who can be forced into marriage, though they make up the majority of cases. "There are also quite a lot happening to Somalians as well; Turkish, too. "But this is happening nationally and internationally. It is a global problem."
Mrs Bhaloo confirms that though the problem of forced marriage has only come to prominence recently, it is not new, and the consequences can be catastrophic. She said: "The first case was a long time ago, but people didn't speak out because they didn't know where to go. "Forced marriage has resulted in murders in families. Women have been murdered when they have refused to get married. "It was about five years ago when we were just about starting to look into forced marriage. Maybe one reason it took until then was that we could see it was happening all over the place but people didn't know where to go or who to get in contact with."
"It is not only women from south Asian families who can be forced into marriage, though they make up the majority of cases. "There are also quite a lot happening to Somalians as well; Turkish, too. "But this is happening nationally and internationally. It is a global problem."
Mrs Bhaloo confirms that though the problem of forced marriage has only come to prominence recently, it is not new, and the consequences can be catastrophic. She said: "The first case was a long time ago, but people didn't speak out because they didn't know where to go. "Forced marriage has resulted in murders in families. Women have been murdered when they have refused to get married. "It was about five years ago when we were just about starting to look into forced marriage. Maybe one reason it took until then was that we could see it was happening all over the place but people didn't know where to go or who to get in contact with."
Cyber Storm Exercise / U.S. Department of Homeland Security, September 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nagb
"The report details key findings from Cyber Storm which was the largest and most complex multi-national, government-led cyber exercise to examine response, coordination, and recovery mechanisms to a simulated cyber event within international, federal, state, and local governments and in conjunction with the private sector. "Exercises like Cyber Storm are essential to our continued efforts to secure cyberspace and America's cyber assets," said George W. Foresman, DHS Under Secretary for Preparedness. "We are committed to working with our public, private, and international partners to turn the lessons learned from Cyber Storm into solutions for enhancing our nation's cyber preparedness and response capabilities."
"The report details key findings from Cyber Storm which was the largest and most complex multi-national, government-led cyber exercise to examine response, coordination, and recovery mechanisms to a simulated cyber event within international, federal, state, and local governments and in conjunction with the private sector. "Exercises like Cyber Storm are essential to our continued efforts to secure cyberspace and America's cyber assets," said George W. Foresman, DHS Under Secretary for Preparedness. "We are committed to working with our public, private, and international partners to turn the lessons learned from Cyber Storm into solutions for enhancing our nation's cyber preparedness and response capabilities."
Responding to open drug scenes and drug-related crime and public nuisance – towards a partnership approach / Pompidou Group, August 2006
PDF - http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/attached/2993-RespondingToOpenDrugScenes.pdf
Johnny CONNOLLY
"This report provides an overview of the hearings of the Pompidou Group Expert Forum on
Criminal Justice (hereafter Criminal Justice Platform) between 2004 and 2006. During this
period five platforms meetings were convened on the subject of open drug scenes, drugrelated
crime and the types of responses developed in various countries throughout the
European Union and beyond. Presentations were heard covering the experience in over
thirty cities. The scale and nature of the problems associated with ‘open drug scenes’ varies
from place to place. However, most countries have acknowledged that the complexity of the
problem requires a multi-faceted response developed."
Johnny CONNOLLY
"This report provides an overview of the hearings of the Pompidou Group Expert Forum on
Criminal Justice (hereafter Criminal Justice Platform) between 2004 and 2006. During this
period five platforms meetings were convened on the subject of open drug scenes, drugrelated
crime and the types of responses developed in various countries throughout the
European Union and beyond. Presentations were heard covering the experience in over
thirty cities. The scale and nature of the problems associated with ‘open drug scenes’ varies
from place to place. However, most countries have acknowledged that the complexity of the
problem requires a multi-faceted response developed."
Why nobody should be tried twice for the same offence / Spiked Online, 19 Sep 2006
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1678/
John Fitzpatrick
" The UK government's ditching of the double jeopardy rule diminishes the dignity and autonomy of all of us. "If there is compelling evidence, say in the form of DNA or other scientific analysis or of an unguarded admission that an acquitted person is after all guilty of a serious offence, then, subject to stringent safeguards….what basis in logic or justice can there be for preventing proof of that criminality?’ So asked the English Lord Justice Auld as he made the case in September 2001 for dispensing with the rule against double jeopardy, the rule that you cannot be tried twice for the same offence (1). He put the question, but the answer quite escaped him. It had also, less surprisingly, escaped the New Labour government, which already, in June 2001, had announced its intention to change the law on double jeopardy in relation to murder cases."
John Fitzpatrick
" The UK government's ditching of the double jeopardy rule diminishes the dignity and autonomy of all of us. "If there is compelling evidence, say in the form of DNA or other scientific analysis or of an unguarded admission that an acquitted person is after all guilty of a serious offence, then, subject to stringent safeguards….what basis in logic or justice can there be for preventing proof of that criminality?’ So asked the English Lord Justice Auld as he made the case in September 2001 for dispensing with the rule against double jeopardy, the rule that you cannot be tried twice for the same offence (1). He put the question, but the answer quite escaped him. It had also, less surprisingly, escaped the New Labour government, which already, in June 2001, had announced its intention to change the law on double jeopardy in relation to murder cases."
[USA] The Impact of New Immigrants on Young Native-Born Workers, 2000-2005 / CIS, September 2006
http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back806.html
Andrew Sum, Paul Harrington, and Ishwar Khatiwada
"Over the 2000-2005 period, immigration levels remained very high and roughly half of new immigrant workers were illegal. This report finds that the arrival of new immigrants (legal and illegal) in a state results in a decline in employment among young native-born workers in that state. Our findings indicate that young native-born workers are being displaced in the labor market by the arrival of new immigrants."
PDF - http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back806.pdf
Andrew Sum, Paul Harrington, and Ishwar Khatiwada
"Over the 2000-2005 period, immigration levels remained very high and roughly half of new immigrant workers were illegal. This report finds that the arrival of new immigrants (legal and illegal) in a state results in a decline in employment among young native-born workers in that state. Our findings indicate that young native-born workers are being displaced in the labor market by the arrival of new immigrants."
PDF - http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back806.pdf
[Australia] Citizenship model will work for PM / Australian, 20 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nafh
Paul Kelly
"Like John Howard's other ideas, the test for immigrants will ultimately find favour with the public. JOHN Howard's citizenship test is the latest example of a philosophy that has defined his prime ministership for a decade: the idea of social cohesion and cultural traditionalism as instruments in Western liberal democracies. Howard's plan is to have the new citizenship model operating before the 2007 election. It is a classic study of the way Howard uses values and symbols in politics. Howard and parliamentary secretary Andrew Robb want to invest citizenship with a deeper meaning. But it transcends this exercise. Consider the multiple Howard brands being reinforced: loyalty to nation, individual responsibility, social obligation and cultural unity."
Paul Kelly
"Like John Howard's other ideas, the test for immigrants will ultimately find favour with the public. JOHN Howard's citizenship test is the latest example of a philosophy that has defined his prime ministership for a decade: the idea of social cohesion and cultural traditionalism as instruments in Western liberal democracies. Howard's plan is to have the new citizenship model operating before the 2007 election. It is a classic study of the way Howard uses values and symbols in politics. Howard and parliamentary secretary Andrew Robb want to invest citizenship with a deeper meaning. But it transcends this exercise. Consider the multiple Howard brands being reinforced: loyalty to nation, individual responsibility, social obligation and cultural unity."
Man critical from beanbag weapon / Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep18, 2006
http://digbig.com/4nafg
Jeff Long, Richard Wronski and Mark Shuman
"Several Chicago-area police departments have been equipping officers with weapons that use "less lethal" force, from tasers to beanbag shotguns. Schaumburg police begin training next week with weapons that look like paintball guns but deliver a ball of pepper spray. The beanbag shooting in Wonder Lake underscores the weapons' dangerous potential, authorities said Monday.Police used a 12-gauge shotgun that fired a shell containing a small bag filled with silica shot. Its effective range is 25 yards, authorities said.Officers are trained to use such shotguns as lethal weapons when the situation calls for it, Lowery said. "This just transitioned from a 'less than lethal' option to a lethal option," he said of the Wonder Lake shooting."
Jeff Long, Richard Wronski and Mark Shuman
"Several Chicago-area police departments have been equipping officers with weapons that use "less lethal" force, from tasers to beanbag shotguns. Schaumburg police begin training next week with weapons that look like paintball guns but deliver a ball of pepper spray. The beanbag shooting in Wonder Lake underscores the weapons' dangerous potential, authorities said Monday.Police used a 12-gauge shotgun that fired a shell containing a small bag filled with silica shot. Its effective range is 25 yards, authorities said.Officers are trained to use such shotguns as lethal weapons when the situation calls for it, Lowery said. "This just transitioned from a 'less than lethal' option to a lethal option," he said of the Wonder Lake shooting."
Review of the effectiveness of operational procedures for the identification, placement and safeguarding of vulnerable young people in custody / Home
Office, 18 Sep 2006
PDF - http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/lambert-report-180906?view=Binary
David Lambert
"This is the full report presented to the Home Office by David Lambert, apart from certain references in chapters 1 and 2 that have been removed for legal reasons. Where words have been omitted, this is indicated in the text."
PDF - http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/lambert-report-180906?view=Binary
David Lambert
"This is the full report presented to the Home Office by David Lambert, apart from certain references in chapters 1 and 2 that have been removed for legal reasons. Where words have been omitted, this is indicated in the text."
The Global State of Information Security 2006 / CIO Magazine, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nafe
ALLAN HOLMES
"Some things are getting better—slowly—but security practices are still immature and, in some cases, regressing." [7 pages]
ALLAN HOLMES
"Some things are getting better—slowly—but security practices are still immature and, in some cases, regressing." [7 pages]
[Canada] Youth correctional services: Key indicators 2004/2005 / StatCan, 20 Sep 2006
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060920/d060920d.htm
"The average number of young people aged 12 to 17 in sentenced custody and on probation continued to decline in the second year following the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). In 2004/2005, 1,300 young people on average were in sentenced custody on any given day, down about 16% from 2003/2004 and down 50% since the YCJA went into effect."
"The average number of young people aged 12 to 17 in sentenced custody and on probation continued to decline in the second year following the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). In 2004/2005, 1,300 young people on average were in sentenced custody on any given day, down about 16% from 2003/2004 and down 50% since the YCJA went into effect."
[Australia] Crackdown on gang crime / the Australian, 20 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4naet
"GANG members attempting to recruit fellow criminals could be jailed for seven years, and police afforded greater search and arrest powers under new laws passed through NSW parliament. Police Minister Carl Scully said the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Gangs) Bill 2006 afforded NSW the toughest anti-gang powers in Australia, providing jail terms of up to 16 years for gang-related activities. "We are targeting the entire hierarchy from the Mr Bigs right down to their criminal foot soldiers and those who try to recruit them," Mr Scully said.
"Now anyone who participates in gang crime faces up to five years jail for any criminal activity, even if they are the smallest fish in the organisation." Recruiting a person to engage in organised criminal activity and knowingly engaging in organised crime in a way that contributes to a criminal activity or crime being committed have both been made an offence punishable by imprisonment. Gang members who commit crimes against police or destroy and damage property during public disorder will now also face jail terms of up to 16 years." [Brief]
"GANG members attempting to recruit fellow criminals could be jailed for seven years, and police afforded greater search and arrest powers under new laws passed through NSW parliament. Police Minister Carl Scully said the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Gangs) Bill 2006 afforded NSW the toughest anti-gang powers in Australia, providing jail terms of up to 16 years for gang-related activities. "We are targeting the entire hierarchy from the Mr Bigs right down to their criminal foot soldiers and those who try to recruit them," Mr Scully said.
"Now anyone who participates in gang crime faces up to five years jail for any criminal activity, even if they are the smallest fish in the organisation." Recruiting a person to engage in organised criminal activity and knowingly engaging in organised crime in a way that contributes to a criminal activity or crime being committed have both been made an offence punishable by imprisonment. Gang members who commit crimes against police or destroy and damage property during public disorder will now also face jail terms of up to 16 years." [Brief]
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report / (NCJ 212906) March 2006
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/nr2006/index.html
Snyder, H., and Sickmund, M.
"Presents comprehensive information on juvenile crime, violence, and victimization and on the juvenile justice system. This OJJDP National Report brings together the latest available statistics from a variety of sources and includes numerous tables, graphs, and maps, accompanied by analyses in clear, nontechnical language. "
PDF - http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/nr2006/downloads/NR2006.pdf
Snyder, H., and Sickmund, M.
"Presents comprehensive information on juvenile crime, violence, and victimization and on the juvenile justice system. This OJJDP National Report brings together the latest available statistics from a variety of sources and includes numerous tables, graphs, and maps, accompanied by analyses in clear, nontechnical language. "
PDF - http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/nr2006/downloads/NR2006.pdf
Al-Zawahiri's September 11 Video Hits Main Themes of al-Qaeda Doctrine / Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 36 (September 19, 2006)
http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370135
Michael Scheuer
"On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, al-Qaeda's media production unit presented a 70-plus-minute videotape of an interview with second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri [1]. Unlike videos issued to commemorate earlier 9/11 anniversaries, al-Zawahiri's video was not dedicated solely or even primarily to the actions of those he calls the "blessed 19." Rather, the tape appears to be primarily directed toward Muslims and to serve as a summation of where the "defensive jihad" against the United States stands and where it is going."
Michael Scheuer
"On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, al-Qaeda's media production unit presented a 70-plus-minute videotape of an interview with second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri [1]. Unlike videos issued to commemorate earlier 9/11 anniversaries, al-Zawahiri's video was not dedicated solely or even primarily to the actions of those he calls the "blessed 19." Rather, the tape appears to be primarily directed toward Muslims and to serve as a summation of where the "defensive jihad" against the United States stands and where it is going."
Internet Jihadis React to Alleged Nuclear Plot on the United States / Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 36 (September 19, 2006)
Abdul Hameed Bakier
"Recent reports indicating al-Qaeda's preparations for a nuclear attack in the United States by al-Qaeda's alleged nuclear expert, Adnan El-Shukrijumah, has prompted conflicting reactions among Islamists in the jihadi forums (Terrorism Focus, September 12; al-Arabiya, September 11). The jihadi forums described the possible nuclear attack, and they also discussed a separate plan by al-Qaeda to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan with 300 suicide bombers. This latter plan was labeled The Ramadan Invasion, a reference to Prophet Muhammad's first war with infidels that was called the Badr invasion that took place in the month of Ramadan. With regard to the nuclear plot, the debate revolved around whether Islam justifies killing innocent people with weapons of mass destruction. Other forums hailed the news of the possible nuclear attack by saying that "this is a good omen for all lovers of jihad" [1].
"Recent reports indicating al-Qaeda's preparations for a nuclear attack in the United States by al-Qaeda's alleged nuclear expert, Adnan El-Shukrijumah, has prompted conflicting reactions among Islamists in the jihadi forums (Terrorism Focus, September 12; al-Arabiya, September 11). The jihadi forums described the possible nuclear attack, and they also discussed a separate plan by al-Qaeda to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan with 300 suicide bombers. This latter plan was labeled The Ramadan Invasion, a reference to Prophet Muhammad's first war with infidels that was called the Badr invasion that took place in the month of Ramadan. With regard to the nuclear plot, the debate revolved around whether Islam justifies killing innocent people with weapons of mass destruction. Other forums hailed the news of the possible nuclear attack by saying that "this is a good omen for all lovers of jihad" [1].
The GSPC: profile of an Islamic extremist group / Expatica France, 14 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nady
"The GSPC Islamic extremist group, which pledged its allegiance to Osama bin Laden and vowed to pursue jihad in Algeria, is said to have been founded on the instructions of the al-Qaeda leader. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has become the main extremist group in Algeria's Islamist rebellion, which has left some 150,000 people dead since 1992."
"The GSPC Islamic extremist group, which pledged its allegiance to Osama bin Laden and vowed to pursue jihad in Algeria, is said to have been founded on the instructions of the al-Qaeda leader. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has become the main extremist group in Algeria's Islamist rebellion, which has left some 150,000 people dead since 1992."
France reacts cautiously to videotaped threat / Expatica, 14 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nadw
"A radical Algerian Islamist group that has singled out France as its sworn enemy officially placed itself at al-Qaeda's orders, vowing to support the terror network's war on "crusaders" worldwide. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an armed movement which has long been linked to Al-Qaeda, formally pledged allegiance to the network's chief Osama bin Laden in a statement released online. "Our soldiers are at his call so that he may strike who and where he likes," said a text signed by the group's leader Abu Mossaab Abdelwadud, who also vowed to pursue the group's "jihad" or holy war against the Algerian authorities."
"A radical Algerian Islamist group that has singled out France as its sworn enemy officially placed itself at al-Qaeda's orders, vowing to support the terror network's war on "crusaders" worldwide. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an armed movement which has long been linked to Al-Qaeda, formally pledged allegiance to the network's chief Osama bin Laden in a statement released online. "Our soldiers are at his call so that he may strike who and where he likes," said a text signed by the group's leader Abu Mossaab Abdelwadud, who also vowed to pursue the group's "jihad" or holy war against the Algerian authorities."
[Canada] Errors led to Canadian's torture / SwissInfo, 19 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4nads
David Ljunggren
"Canadian police wrongly identified an Ottawa software engineer as an Islamic extremist, prompting U.S. agents to deport him to Syria, where he was tortured, an official inquiry concluded. Maher Arar, who holds Canadian and Syrian nationality, was arrested in New York in September 2002 and accused of being an al-Qaeda member. In fact, said the judge who led the probe, all the signs point to the fact Arar was innocent." [Extradition...]
David Ljunggren
"Canadian police wrongly identified an Ottawa software engineer as an Islamic extremist, prompting U.S. agents to deport him to Syria, where he was tortured, an official inquiry concluded. Maher Arar, who holds Canadian and Syrian nationality, was arrested in New York in September 2002 and accused of being an al-Qaeda member. In fact, said the judge who led the probe, all the signs point to the fact Arar was innocent." [Extradition...]
Chili and Liberty / Cicero, September 2006
http://www.cicero.de/97.php?ress_id=1&item=1300
von Amartya Sen
"Having two styles or traditions co-existing side by side, without the twain meeting, must really be seen as plural monoculturalism. The vocal defense of multiculturalism that we frequently hear these days is very often nothing more than a plea for plural monoculturalism. If a young girl in a conservative immigrant family wants to go out on a date with an English boy, that would certainly be a multicultural initiative. In contrast, the attempt by her guardians to stop her from doing this (a common enough occurrence) is hardly a multicultural move, since it seeks to keep the cultures separate. And yet it is the parents' prohibition, which contributes to plural monoculturalism, that seems to garner the loudest and most vocal defense from alleged multiculturalists, on the ground of the importance of honoring traditional cultures--as if the cultural freedom of the young woman were of no relevance whatever, and as if the distinct cultures must somehow remain in secluded boxes." [Integration...]
von Amartya Sen
"Having two styles or traditions co-existing side by side, without the twain meeting, must really be seen as plural monoculturalism. The vocal defense of multiculturalism that we frequently hear these days is very often nothing more than a plea for plural monoculturalism. If a young girl in a conservative immigrant family wants to go out on a date with an English boy, that would certainly be a multicultural initiative. In contrast, the attempt by her guardians to stop her from doing this (a common enough occurrence) is hardly a multicultural move, since it seeks to keep the cultures separate. And yet it is the parents' prohibition, which contributes to plural monoculturalism, that seems to garner the loudest and most vocal defense from alleged multiculturalists, on the ground of the importance of honoring traditional cultures--as if the cultural freedom of the young woman were of no relevance whatever, and as if the distinct cultures must somehow remain in secluded boxes." [Integration...]
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Named, shamed, detained and forgotten / Index for Free Expression, 19 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4myrx
Jason Pollard
Society closes the book and the jail doors on the ASBO generation. Who speaks for the hundreds of children held in Britain’s overcrowded juvenile jails? Not the Labour government, argues youth offenders’ panel member Jason Pollard, who fears state policy fails both the kids and the communities they come from. In August 2006 Rod Morgan, head of the Youth Justice Board, warned that prisons for 10 – 17 year olds were nearing operational capacity. Britain currently has some of the highest numbers of young people in custody in Europe, and at any time the juvenile estate holds over 2,500 juvenile offenders. Nearly 7,000 young people under 18 pass through the juvenile prison system each year. Does this warning mean that it is now time, nine years after New Labour came to power, to reassess the government’s approach to youth justice and the continued incarceration of ever higher numbers of under-18s?"
Jason Pollard
Society closes the book and the jail doors on the ASBO generation. Who speaks for the hundreds of children held in Britain’s overcrowded juvenile jails? Not the Labour government, argues youth offenders’ panel member Jason Pollard, who fears state policy fails both the kids and the communities they come from. In August 2006 Rod Morgan, head of the Youth Justice Board, warned that prisons for 10 – 17 year olds were nearing operational capacity. Britain currently has some of the highest numbers of young people in custody in Europe, and at any time the juvenile estate holds over 2,500 juvenile offenders. Nearly 7,000 young people under 18 pass through the juvenile prison system each year. Does this warning mean that it is now time, nine years after New Labour came to power, to reassess the government’s approach to youth justice and the continued incarceration of ever higher numbers of under-18s?"
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Prisons in Denmark / BBC Newsnight, 13 Sep 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/5342018.stm
"Nick Pearce from the Institute for Public Policy Research, visited a prison in Denmark with a very different approach to punishment. In Denmark, while they're tough on crime, the guiding principle is that life in prison should be as close as possible to normal life, so prisoners have a daily routine of work and education. And, as Nick found, it works. Denmark imprisons 77 people out of every hundred thousand - in Britain, it's double that rate. Re-offending rates are impressive - in Denmark a third of prisoners re-offend within two years, while in Britain it's two thirds." [Brief]
Video - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm
"Nick Pearce from the Institute for Public Policy Research, visited a prison in Denmark with a very different approach to punishment. In Denmark, while they're tough on crime, the guiding principle is that life in prison should be as close as possible to normal life, so prisoners have a daily routine of work and education. And, as Nick found, it works. Denmark imprisons 77 people out of every hundred thousand - in Britain, it's double that rate. Re-offending rates are impressive - in Denmark a third of prisoners re-offend within two years, while in Britain it's two thirds." [Brief]
Video - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm
Monday, September 18, 2006
Special forces / Sunderland Today, 18 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mybp
SARAH STONER
"SPECIAL Constables have been pounding the beat in Sunderland and County Durham for the past 175 years. Sunderland Today looks back at their history. FORMULA 1 racing driver Nigel Mansell was one, as were Emperor Napoleon III and TV presenter Judith Chalmers. Even Jack Hubert, the film and theatre star, managed a stint in the Special Constabulary, working as a commandant in London during the 1940s. Indeed, Special Constables have been playing a vital role in policing Britain for the past 175 years – and are just as necessary today as they were back in 1831." It seems that Durham was one of the first forces to use specials," recalls police historian Harry Wynne from the North Eastern Police History Society." It was during the time of the strike of 1832, when serious outrages were perpetrated upon the lead miners of North Hetton Colliery."
SARAH STONER
"SPECIAL Constables have been pounding the beat in Sunderland and County Durham for the past 175 years. Sunderland Today looks back at their history. FORMULA 1 racing driver Nigel Mansell was one, as were Emperor Napoleon III and TV presenter Judith Chalmers. Even Jack Hubert, the film and theatre star, managed a stint in the Special Constabulary, working as a commandant in London during the 1940s. Indeed, Special Constables have been playing a vital role in policing Britain for the past 175 years – and are just as necessary today as they were back in 1831." It seems that Durham was one of the first forces to use specials," recalls police historian Harry Wynne from the North Eastern Police History Society." It was during the time of the strike of 1832, when serious outrages were perpetrated upon the lead miners of North Hetton Colliery."
Families meet cops in bid to end teen gun wars / Liverpool Echo, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mybn
Michelle Fiddler,
"THE families of rival youth gang members have been invited to attend secret crisis meetings with Liverpool's top police officers. Escalating rivalry between the warring Norris Green and Croxteth gangs has already resulted in murder, attacks, verbal threats and homes being shot at over recent months."
Michelle Fiddler,
"THE families of rival youth gang members have been invited to attend secret crisis meetings with Liverpool's top police officers. Escalating rivalry between the warring Norris Green and Croxteth gangs has already resulted in murder, attacks, verbal threats and homes being shot at over recent months."
Pakistan rights activists want Islamic rape laws suspended / Jurist PaperChase Newsburst, 17 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mybb
Natalie Hrubos
Women's rights activists in Pakistan [JURIST news archive] urged the government to suspend controversial religious laws that make it extremely difficult to prosecute rapists in the country. The Pakistan parliament [official website] delayed [JURIST report] the introduction of a revised 2006 Protection of Women Bill [BBC report] as planned on Friday because Islamic leaders do not want to change the laws, called the Hudood Ordinances [Pakistan government backgrounder], and would not make a compromise deal to parallel them with secular criminal laws. The bill, which would classify rape under the penal code and make it easier for women in Pakistan [CBC backgrounder] to prove rape allegations, is at the center of a debate between liberals and conservatives in the country. Liberals who support changing the laws say the laws are old-fashioned and discriminatory against women. Conservatives, on the other hand, accuse bill supporters of trying to "westernize" the country." [Brief]
Natalie Hrubos
Women's rights activists in Pakistan [JURIST news archive] urged the government to suspend controversial religious laws that make it extremely difficult to prosecute rapists in the country. The Pakistan parliament [official website] delayed [JURIST report] the introduction of a revised 2006 Protection of Women Bill [BBC report] as planned on Friday because Islamic leaders do not want to change the laws, called the Hudood Ordinances [Pakistan government backgrounder], and would not make a compromise deal to parallel them with secular criminal laws. The bill, which would classify rape under the penal code and make it easier for women in Pakistan [CBC backgrounder] to prove rape allegations, is at the center of a debate between liberals and conservatives in the country. Liberals who support changing the laws say the laws are old-fashioned and discriminatory against women. Conservatives, on the other hand, accuse bill supporters of trying to "westernize" the country." [Brief]
Report to the Turkish Government on the visit to Turkey carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 7 to 14 December 2005 / Council of Europe, September 2006
http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-30-inf-eng.htm
PDF - http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-30-inf-eng.pdf
The Turkish Government's response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2006) 31.
PDF - http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-31-inf-eng.pdf
http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-30-inf-eng.htm
PDF - http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-30-inf-eng.pdf
The Turkish Government's response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2006) 31.
PDF - http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-31-inf-eng.pdf
Prisons: mental health institutions of the 21st century?
Australian Medical Journal, 2006; 185 (6): 302-303
http://digbig.com/4myat
Paul White and Harvey Whiteford
PDF - http://digbig.com/4myas
http://digbig.com/4myat
Paul White and Harvey Whiteford
PDF - http://digbig.com/4myas
Safeguarding the citizen in the age of information / ISS4PS, 2006
http://www.iss4ps.police.uk/
"The ISS4PS is ACPO's overarching strategy for IT. The police service can no longer afford to treat IT as a set of isolated programmes of work, which lead to duplication of effort, isolation of information and ever-increasing complexity. The ISS4PS calls on the police service to work together to adopt common standards, products and services. The ultimate goal of the ISS4PS is a police service where information can be found easily when and where it is needed, where information technology is developed and run according to modern industry standards, providing a flexible and efficient service to the business of policing."
Vol 1: PDF - http://www.iss4ps.police.uk/files/ISS4PS_V3_Volume_One.pdf
Vol 2: PDF - http://www.iss4ps.police.uk/files/ISS4PS_V3_Volume_Two.pdf
"The ISS4PS is ACPO's overarching strategy for IT. The police service can no longer afford to treat IT as a set of isolated programmes of work, which lead to duplication of effort, isolation of information and ever-increasing complexity. The ISS4PS calls on the police service to work together to adopt common standards, products and services. The ultimate goal of the ISS4PS is a police service where information can be found easily when and where it is needed, where information technology is developed and run according to modern industry standards, providing a flexible and efficient service to the business of policing."
Vol 1: PDF - http://www.iss4ps.police.uk/files/ISS4PS_V3_Volume_One.pdf
Vol 2: PDF - http://www.iss4ps.police.uk/files/ISS4PS_V3_Volume_Two.pdf
Sunday, September 17, 2006
EU Backs Terrorist Detection Technology / Police Oracle, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.policeoracle.com/news/detail.cfm?id=11353
"The EU Commission has adopted a Green Paper on detection technologies aimed at bringing together the private and public sector to develop the most cost effective way of tackling the problem. The Green Paper aims to promote the development of an advanced market in certified detection technology which should lead to greater availability of products and services at lower cost, more effectiveness and better protection of privacy. Following the increased terrorist threat, detection technologies are increasingly used by law enforcement authorities."
Green Paper on detection technologies in the work of law enforcement, customs and other security authorities
PDF - http://digbig.com/4mxtm
"The EU Commission has adopted a Green Paper on detection technologies aimed at bringing together the private and public sector to develop the most cost effective way of tackling the problem. The Green Paper aims to promote the development of an advanced market in certified detection technology which should lead to greater availability of products and services at lower cost, more effectiveness and better protection of privacy. Following the increased terrorist threat, detection technologies are increasingly used by law enforcement authorities."
Green Paper on detection technologies in the work of law enforcement, customs and other security authorities
PDF - http://digbig.com/4mxtm
New 'Pendulum' DNA Technique / Police Oracle, 14 Sep 06
http://www.policeoracle.com/news/detail.cfm?id=11354
"A new forensic technique has been used for the first time to help bring a sex offender to justice...."
"A new forensic technique has been used for the first time to help bring a sex offender to justice...."
[USA] County opens first girls justice camp Specialized help available for youths / Inside Bay Area, 16 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxtj
Rachel Cohen
"The county opens its first-ever juvenile justice camp for girls within a couple of weeks. T he Margaret J. Kemp Girls Camp, part of the county's new Youth Services Center, combines programs from probation, mental health, education, the courts and many other like-minded teams to create programs that address girls' unique developmental needs. Unlike Juvenile Hall next door, which has 180 beds for kids who stay an average of 15 days, the Girls Camp is intended for 14-17-year-old girls who are court-ordered to stay from 90 to 180 days. It has 30 beds. The girls will stay in dorm rooms designed to foster a sense of community. The circular complex of buildings is free of fences, though there are consequences if a girl walks off-campus without permission. The ground-breaking facility is one of the first in the country and the first in the state to address girls' unique developmental needs in their own space."
Rachel Cohen
"The county opens its first-ever juvenile justice camp for girls within a couple of weeks. T he Margaret J. Kemp Girls Camp, part of the county's new Youth Services Center, combines programs from probation, mental health, education, the courts and many other like-minded teams to create programs that address girls' unique developmental needs. Unlike Juvenile Hall next door, which has 180 beds for kids who stay an average of 15 days, the Girls Camp is intended for 14-17-year-old girls who are court-ordered to stay from 90 to 180 days. It has 30 beds. The girls will stay in dorm rooms designed to foster a sense of community. The circular complex of buildings is free of fences, though there are consequences if a girl walks off-campus without permission. The ground-breaking facility is one of the first in the country and the first in the state to address girls' unique developmental needs in their own space."
What cops already know: Tasers are unsafe / Political Addairs Magazine, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4077/1/210/
Aram James
"Probably the most compelling argument to date that the use of Tasers should be banned is the fact that several large police departments -- in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz. -- have now prohibited testing them on fellow officers during training exercises. This is due to the proliferation of severe injuries and subsequent lawsuits by injured officers. Amazingly, the same police departments that now ban the use of Tasers on their own rank and file continue to use them on their citizenry -- sometimes with fatal consequences."
Aram James
"Probably the most compelling argument to date that the use of Tasers should be banned is the fact that several large police departments -- in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz. -- have now prohibited testing them on fellow officers during training exercises. This is due to the proliferation of severe injuries and subsequent lawsuits by injured officers. Amazingly, the same police departments that now ban the use of Tasers on their own rank and file continue to use them on their citizenry -- sometimes with fatal consequences."
[France] Al Qaeda allies with Algerian rebels against France / Peninsular, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxsx
"Al Qaeda has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests. Current and former French officials specialising in terrorism said yesterday that an Al Qaeda alliance with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, was cause for concern. Al Qaeda’s No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, announced the “blessed union” in a video posted this week on the Internet to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States. France’s leader have repeatedly warned that the decision not to join the US-led war in Iraq would not shield the country from terrorism."
"Al Qaeda has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests. Current and former French officials specialising in terrorism said yesterday that an Al Qaeda alliance with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, was cause for concern. Al Qaeda’s No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, announced the “blessed union” in a video posted this week on the Internet to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States. France’s leader have repeatedly warned that the decision not to join the US-led war in Iraq would not shield the country from terrorism."
[Netherlands] Weapons find linked to Muslim terror group / Exptica, 7 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxst
"Detectives have found two guns in a communal cellar of a residential complex in The Hague.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) in The Hague suspects the weapons belong to a Muslim terror organisation allegedly headed by Samir A, a Dutchman of Moroccan descent."
"Detectives have found two guns in a communal cellar of a residential complex in The Hague.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) in The Hague suspects the weapons belong to a Muslim terror organisation allegedly headed by Samir A, a Dutchman of Moroccan descent."
Staying a Step Ahead of Fraud / Intelligent Enterprise, 1 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxss
Michael Voelker
"The perpetrators of fraud change tactics faster than conventional methods of detection can track. Predictive analytics, authentication and rules engines will help detect and fight crime before the losses mount."
Michael Voelker
"The perpetrators of fraud change tactics faster than conventional methods of detection can track. Predictive analytics, authentication and rules engines will help detect and fight crime before the losses mount."
[New Zealand] Whangarei kids beaten for wrong 'colours' - police / Stuff, 12 Sep 2006
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3794876a11,00.html
DENISE DIDSBURY
"Primary school children are getting beaten up for wearing the wrong 'colours' in Whangarei, as a gang culture increases, according to police. Serious violence has increased in Whangarei. The police blame the drug methamphetamine and dealers who "prey on our kids". They also blame gang colours seen on TV and gangs like Black Power and Head Hunters, which moved into Whangarei about a year ago. Deputy mayor Phil Halse said there were about 15 different youth gangs in Whangarei."
DENISE DIDSBURY
"Primary school children are getting beaten up for wearing the wrong 'colours' in Whangarei, as a gang culture increases, according to police. Serious violence has increased in Whangarei. The police blame the drug methamphetamine and dealers who "prey on our kids". They also blame gang colours seen on TV and gangs like Black Power and Head Hunters, which moved into Whangarei about a year ago. Deputy mayor Phil Halse said there were about 15 different youth gangs in Whangarei."
[Australia] Police concerned by 'gang' rise / The Australian, 12 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxsr
Evan Schwarten
"GANGS of youths, mostly of Pacific Islander descent, have taken on the names of notorious Los Angeles crime gangs and established themselves in southeast Queensland. Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson today admitted groups were mugging and committing violent offences around Logan, south of Brisbane. Despite referring to themselves as Bloods and Crips and wearing the rival LA gangs' trademark red and blue bandanas, the Logan youths were not the same as their US namesakes."
Evan Schwarten
"GANGS of youths, mostly of Pacific Islander descent, have taken on the names of notorious Los Angeles crime gangs and established themselves in southeast Queensland. Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson today admitted groups were mugging and committing violent offences around Logan, south of Brisbane. Despite referring to themselves as Bloods and Crips and wearing the rival LA gangs' trademark red and blue bandanas, the Logan youths were not the same as their US namesakes."
Manchester police form first LA-style 'gang squad' to tackle growing menace / Independent, 12 Sep 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article1521846.ece
Jason Bennetto
"Britain's first Los Angeles-style "gang squad" is being set up in Manchester to tackle the growing menace of organised groups of violent youths." [Sub Required]
Jason Bennetto
"Britain's first Los Angeles-style "gang squad" is being set up in Manchester to tackle the growing menace of organised groups of violent youths." [Sub Required]
[New Zealand] Police admit taser injuries / TVNZ, 12 Sep 2006
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/828998
"Three police officers have been injured while testing the controversial new taser guns, and now police are admitting there is a risk of injury. Three police officers recently volunteered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the taser - an electrical weapon fires two barbs into the offender with a force of 50,000 volts - at police trials. Although none of the officers suffered any lasting effects, records obtained under the Official Information Act showed that two suffered minor flesh wounds and one was dazed after falling badly and hitting his head, despite controlled conditions." [Brief]
"Three police officers have been injured while testing the controversial new taser guns, and now police are admitting there is a risk of injury. Three police officers recently volunteered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the taser - an electrical weapon fires two barbs into the offender with a force of 50,000 volts - at police trials. Although none of the officers suffered any lasting effects, records obtained under the Official Information Act showed that two suffered minor flesh wounds and one was dazed after falling badly and hitting his head, despite controlled conditions." [Brief]
[Canada] Boyd's new rules [cautionary taser tales] Edmonton Sun, 12 ~Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxsp
"A drop in the number of taser shocks is due to new training techniques. Officers are taught to threaten a suspect with the Taser first by flashing the laser, which more often than not encourages compliance from a suspect because he or she thinks they're about to get zapped. Edmontonians have been rightly concerned about whether some members of Boyd's force had been abusing the devices. Indeed, over the past week, Edmontonians have no doubt been disturbed to read of two troubling instances of police officers accused of misusing their stun guns."
"A drop in the number of taser shocks is due to new training techniques. Officers are taught to threaten a suspect with the Taser first by flashing the laser, which more often than not encourages compliance from a suspect because he or she thinks they're about to get zapped. Edmontonians have been rightly concerned about whether some members of Boyd's force had been abusing the devices. Indeed, over the past week, Edmontonians have no doubt been disturbed to read of two troubling instances of police officers accused of misusing their stun guns."
The Prison system / Socialist Worker, September 2006
Prisoner K
» A nightmare world of security and paranoia
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9569
» A brutal life of punishment
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9616
» Rehabilitation better than punishment - http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9698
» A nightmare world of security and paranoia
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9569
» A brutal life of punishment
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9616
» Rehabilitation better than punishment - http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9698
Al-Qaeda's Evolving Strategy Five Years after September 11 / Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 35 (September 12, 2006)
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370127
Chris Heffelfinger
"Five years after September 11, al-Qaeda is, in its own words, "continuing the policy of bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy," drawing the United States into a gradually widening conflict until it is no longer sustainable to continue operations against the mujahideen. Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri have mentioned this "bleed-to-bankruptcy" plan more than once in recent years. It became an integral part of their long-term strategy following the 9/11 attacks since, after the fall of the Taliban government, they understood that they could no longer operate as they did before, but they could inspire fellow Muslims to take up the cause with little or no direct involvement on their part."
Chris Heffelfinger
"Five years after September 11, al-Qaeda is, in its own words, "continuing the policy of bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy," drawing the United States into a gradually widening conflict until it is no longer sustainable to continue operations against the mujahideen. Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri have mentioned this "bleed-to-bankruptcy" plan more than once in recent years. It became an integral part of their long-term strategy following the 9/11 attacks since, after the fall of the Taliban government, they understood that they could no longer operate as they did before, but they could inspire fellow Muslims to take up the cause with little or no direct involvement on their part."
Lessons Learned from 9/11: DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents / USDOJ, September 2006
PDF - http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/214781.pdf
"Provides guidance for the use of DNA identification in mass disasters so that all victims can be accounted for and identified. Designed to augment Mass Fatality Incidents: A Guide for Human Forensic Identification / Technical Working Group for Mass Fatality Forensic IdentificationJune 2005
PDF - http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/199758.pdf
"Provides guidance for the use of DNA identification in mass disasters so that all victims can be accounted for and identified. Designed to augment Mass Fatality Incidents: A Guide for Human Forensic Identification / Technical Working Group for Mass Fatality Forensic IdentificationJune 2005
PDF - http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/199758.pdf
Combating animal rights extremism in the UK / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 4 Sep 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"While acts of international terrorism are often high profile and shocking, domestic extremism can be more insidious, with highly personal attacks devastating people's lives. Countering such attacks is the remit of the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit under the stewardship of Supt Steve Pearl, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary." [Sub Required]
Hydrogen cyanide gas: 'low-end' terrorism / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 4 Sep 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"While terrorists have long attempted to develop cyanide-based weapons, the gas has significant limitations. Jane's and Rusi assess the likelihood of a successful attack in an article originally published in Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor" [Sub Required]
A charitable donation? Funding terrorist activity / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 31 Aug 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"A review of Charity Commission inquiry reports during the last few years elicits a smattering of cases that contain allegations of charities' involvement with terrorists. ..."[Sub Required]
Small world constraints on terrorism attack planning / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 31 Aug 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"It is said that a human chain of six links connects anyone on the planet to anybody else. However, the intelligence services required a chain ...31-Aug-2006" [Sub Required]
"While acts of international terrorism are often high profile and shocking, domestic extremism can be more insidious, with highly personal attacks devastating people's lives. Countering such attacks is the remit of the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit under the stewardship of Supt Steve Pearl, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary." [Sub Required]
Hydrogen cyanide gas: 'low-end' terrorism / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 4 Sep 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"While terrorists have long attempted to develop cyanide-based weapons, the gas has significant limitations. Jane's and Rusi assess the likelihood of a successful attack in an article originally published in Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor" [Sub Required]
A charitable donation? Funding terrorist activity / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 31 Aug 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"A review of Charity Commission inquiry reports during the last few years elicits a smattering of cases that contain allegations of charities' involvement with terrorists. ..."[Sub Required]
Small world constraints on terrorism attack planning / RUSI/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor, 31 Aug 2006
http://rjhm.janes.com
"It is said that a human chain of six links connects anyone on the planet to anybody else. However, the intelligence services required a chain ...31-Aug-2006" [Sub Required]
A Global Assessment of Terrorism / University of Central Florida, September 2006
PDF - http://www.ucfglobalperspectives.org/white_paper_09_02_2006.pdf
"The United States and its allies need to overhaul their counter-terrorism policies to deal more effectively with the challenges posed by global terrorism. The paper's recommendations include recognizing that terrorism maintains "local roots and connections" and needs to be combated on the local level. It also calls for expanding education about terrorism in schools and universities, and avoiding "America-first" responses to terrorism that gives the impression the war on terror is being waged by and primarily for the United States. The white paper is the product of a three-day working conference late last year that was organized and hosted by UCF's Terrorism Studies Program and Global Connections Foundation. The conference featured more than 50 specialists from 20 countries who have operational and policy responsibilities related to terrorism. "
"The United States and its allies need to overhaul their counter-terrorism policies to deal more effectively with the challenges posed by global terrorism. The paper's recommendations include recognizing that terrorism maintains "local roots and connections" and needs to be combated on the local level. It also calls for expanding education about terrorism in schools and universities, and avoiding "America-first" responses to terrorism that gives the impression the war on terror is being waged by and primarily for the United States. The white paper is the product of a three-day working conference late last year that was organized and hosted by UCF's Terrorism Studies Program and Global Connections Foundation. The conference featured more than 50 specialists from 20 countries who have operational and policy responsibilities related to terrorism. "
1960-today: Skinhead culture / Libcom, 11 Sep 2006
http://libcom.org/history/1960-today-skinhead-culture
"A short history of Skinhead culture from its birth in 1960s Britain, and its relation to racist, anti-racist and working class politics."
"A short history of Skinhead culture from its birth in 1960s Britain, and its relation to racist, anti-racist and working class politics."
Saturday, September 16, 2006
[Aistralia] Give credit where it's due / Australian, 13 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxqd
Brett Bowden
"MERV Bendle suggested that Australian academics don't take terrorism and hence research on terrorism seriously. Among other significant contributions to our understanding of the terrorist threat, Carl Ungerer (University of Queensland) has written about the threat of agroterrorism to Australia in the international journal Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. Michael Davis (University of Tasmania) and I are contextualising the threat of terrorism in Europe in an edited volume with a preface by Geoffrey Robertson titled Terror: From Tyrannicide to Terrorism in Europe, 1605 to the Future (University of Queensland Press, 2007).
Five years ago it would have been difficult to find a university in this or many other countries that offered extensive undergraduate and postgraduate courses on terrorism and security. Today it is difficult to find one that doesn't. Far from being complacent and safely tucked away in their comfort zones, Australian academics are leading the charge in meeting the challenges of terrorism head-on."
Brett Bowden
"MERV Bendle suggested that Australian academics don't take terrorism and hence research on terrorism seriously. Among other significant contributions to our understanding of the terrorist threat, Carl Ungerer (University of Queensland) has written about the threat of agroterrorism to Australia in the international journal Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. Michael Davis (University of Tasmania) and I are contextualising the threat of terrorism in Europe in an edited volume with a preface by Geoffrey Robertson titled Terror: From Tyrannicide to Terrorism in Europe, 1605 to the Future (University of Queensland Press, 2007).
Five years ago it would have been difficult to find a university in this or many other countries that offered extensive undergraduate and postgraduate courses on terrorism and security. Today it is difficult to find one that doesn't. Far from being complacent and safely tucked away in their comfort zones, Australian academics are leading the charge in meeting the challenges of terrorism head-on."
GROUNDBREAKING LAWSUIT CHALLENGES RACIAL PROFILING BY POLICE / Open Society Justice Initiative, 12 Sep 2006
http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=103402
"In the first-ever legal challenge to racial profiling filed with an international human rights tribunal, a coalition of advocacy groups today submitted an application to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, seeking to halt racial profiling by police. The application challenges a ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court which held that police could target blacks for identity checks because racial appearance is a proxy for immigration status. Racial profiling is a growing problem in many European countries, including Spain, and the application asks the Committee to rule that race may not be used as a criterion in police stops."
Ethnic Profiling in Spain: Investigations and Recommendations
http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2/fs/?file_id=17428&rand=0.922578590229
"The report documents the pervasiveness of racial profiling by law enforcement in Spain, including repeated stops and searches of ethnic minorities without explanation and the use of racist language by police officers."
"In the first-ever legal challenge to racial profiling filed with an international human rights tribunal, a coalition of advocacy groups today submitted an application to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, seeking to halt racial profiling by police. The application challenges a ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court which held that police could target blacks for identity checks because racial appearance is a proxy for immigration status. Racial profiling is a growing problem in many European countries, including Spain, and the application asks the Committee to rule that race may not be used as a criterion in police stops."
Ethnic Profiling in Spain: Investigations and Recommendations
http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2/fs/?file_id=17428&rand=0.922578590229
"The report documents the pervasiveness of racial profiling by law enforcement in Spain, including repeated stops and searches of ethnic minorities without explanation and the use of racist language by police officers."
Community, not just technology, needed in crime prevention / San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxqc
Jeff Adachi
"There are many different opinions about how best to address San Francisco's crime problem and rising homicide rate. What is missing from this discussion is an evidence-based approach to crime prevention, with clear goals, measurable outcomes and a process for accountability. One example is the debate on the use of crime-surveillance cameras. Will the presence of 72 additional cameras in crime-ridden areas stop violent crime or only displace it?"
A link to the 2005 study on crime surveillance cameras can be found at www.sfgov.org/pd
Jeff Adachi
"There are many different opinions about how best to address San Francisco's crime problem and rising homicide rate. What is missing from this discussion is an evidence-based approach to crime prevention, with clear goals, measurable outcomes and a process for accountability. One example is the debate on the use of crime-surveillance cameras. Will the presence of 72 additional cameras in crime-ridden areas stop violent crime or only displace it?"
A link to the 2005 study on crime surveillance cameras can be found at www.sfgov.org/pd
Rebuilding and ResilienceFive Years After 9/11 / U.S. Department of State, 2006
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0806/ijpe/ijpe0806.htm
"This journal examines how the United States has rebounded and how the international community has rebuilt and come together to condemn terrorism in the five years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Highlights include articles about the rebuilding of the area around the World Trade Center, U.S. government efforts to facilitate travel to the United States, an interfaith roundtable, planned 9/11 memorials, and how survivors are rebuilding their lives."
PDF - http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0806/ijpe/ijpe0806.pdf
Terrorism: A War Without Borders [Video]
Common Myths about al-Qaida Terrorism Dr. Marc Sageman
"This journal examines how the United States has rebounded and how the international community has rebuilt and come together to condemn terrorism in the five years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Highlights include articles about the rebuilding of the area around the World Trade Center, U.S. government efforts to facilitate travel to the United States, an interfaith roundtable, planned 9/11 memorials, and how survivors are rebuilding their lives."
PDF - http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0806/ijpe/ijpe0806.pdf
Terrorism: A War Without Borders [Video]
Common Myths about al-Qaida Terrorism Dr. Marc Sageman
[Australia] Keelty: terrorism not fault of Muslims / The Australian, 16 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpx
George Megalogenis
"FEDERAL police commissioner Mick Keelty has urged people to back off Muslims, insisting Islamic Australia is not to blame for terrorism. Mr Keelty said racial profiling was self-defeating because it risked alienating mainstream Muslims while ignoring the real danger of homegrown non-Muslim terror. And Mr Keelty said he did not like the phrase "the war on terror", because it did not apply in Australia. "Unless people understand what is happening here, we risk alienating the Islamic community, we risk branding the Islamic community," he said. Mr Keelty made no criticism, direct or implied, of how politicians were conducting the debates on immigration and terror. But his message of inclusion is in contrast to the thrust of federal politics in the past few weeks."
George Megalogenis
"FEDERAL police commissioner Mick Keelty has urged people to back off Muslims, insisting Islamic Australia is not to blame for terrorism. Mr Keelty said racial profiling was self-defeating because it risked alienating mainstream Muslims while ignoring the real danger of homegrown non-Muslim terror. And Mr Keelty said he did not like the phrase "the war on terror", because it did not apply in Australia. "Unless people understand what is happening here, we risk alienating the Islamic community, we risk branding the Islamic community," he said. Mr Keelty made no criticism, direct or implied, of how politicians were conducting the debates on immigration and terror. But his message of inclusion is in contrast to the thrust of federal politics in the past few weeks."
[Australia] Migrant intervention aims to curb crime / Sydney Morning Herald, 14 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpw
Andrew Clennell
We don't want to have to bridge (the gap between cultures) in a court or a jail. In Sydney's west, there's a new emphasis from police on what they are calling "early intervention" - helping new migrants from war-torn lands get used to Australian laws. NSW police, perhaps conscious of previous ethnic gang problems, will launch a report today on the integration of African migrants in the Holroyd area and on initiatives police are leading in the area to better educate new refugee arrivals on the law of the land. It's an attempt to stop the sort of thing which has occurred in the past - a disenfranchisement with police and a lack of understanding of Australian laws."
Andrew Clennell
We don't want to have to bridge (the gap between cultures) in a court or a jail. In Sydney's west, there's a new emphasis from police on what they are calling "early intervention" - helping new migrants from war-torn lands get used to Australian laws. NSW police, perhaps conscious of previous ethnic gang problems, will launch a report today on the integration of African migrants in the Holroyd area and on initiatives police are leading in the area to better educate new refugee arrivals on the law of the land. It's an attempt to stop the sort of thing which has occurred in the past - a disenfranchisement with police and a lack of understanding of Australian laws."
GUINEA-BISSAU: Proposed law could outlaw female genital mutilation / Reuters Alert, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpt
"The practice of fanado, or female genital mutilation, could soon be outlawed by a new bill to be presented to the Guinea-Bissau parliament. FGM is common in 28 African countries, in some in the Middle East, and amongst the immigrant communities of these countries living abroad.
Many of the country's 30 ethnic groups practice it, including all the Muslim communities, about 46 percent of the population, especially in the eastern regions of Gabu and Bafatá. FGM is prohibited in the neighbouring countries of Senegal, Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso and Niger, so practitioners and Senegalese girls cross the border to perform the ceremony in Guinea-Bissau, where it is not a crime. [..] During the Muslim month of Ramadan, when people fast from dawn to sunset, Muslim men do not accept food from an uncircumcised Muslim woman and she will not be allowed to pray in a mosque. This was why women from non-Muslim ethnic groups who marry Muslim men are forced to undergo female genital mutilation, said Baldé."
"The practice of fanado, or female genital mutilation, could soon be outlawed by a new bill to be presented to the Guinea-Bissau parliament. FGM is common in 28 African countries, in some in the Middle East, and amongst the immigrant communities of these countries living abroad.
Many of the country's 30 ethnic groups practice it, including all the Muslim communities, about 46 percent of the population, especially in the eastern regions of Gabu and Bafatá. FGM is prohibited in the neighbouring countries of Senegal, Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso and Niger, so practitioners and Senegalese girls cross the border to perform the ceremony in Guinea-Bissau, where it is not a crime. [..] During the Muslim month of Ramadan, when people fast from dawn to sunset, Muslim men do not accept food from an uncircumcised Muslim woman and she will not be allowed to pray in a mosque. This was why women from non-Muslim ethnic groups who marry Muslim men are forced to undergo female genital mutilation, said Baldé."
Fighting terror with fear / The New York Times, 15 Sep 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/15/opinion/edcongress.php
Stampeding Congress : We'll find out in November how well the White House's be-very-afraid campaign has been working with voters. We already know how it's working in the U.S. Congress. Stampeded by the fear of looking weak on terrorism, lawmakers are rushing to pass a bill demanded by President George W. Bush that would have minimal impact on anti-terrorist operations but could cause profound damage to justice and the American way."
Stampeding Congress : We'll find out in November how well the White House's be-very-afraid campaign has been working with voters. We already know how it's working in the U.S. Congress. Stampeded by the fear of looking weak on terrorism, lawmakers are rushing to pass a bill demanded by President George W. Bush that would have minimal impact on anti-terrorist operations but could cause profound damage to justice and the American way."
[USA] Prison Reform for Dummies: What's Right and What's Wrong / American Chronicle, 13 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpr
Dr. B. Cayenne Bird
"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently thinks that sending people out of state away from their court cases and families is a right way to create more beds in prisons. Locking people in cages has never worked to lower or prevent crime since civilization began. This desperate plan is more evidence of the total disregard that this Governor has for human life and due process."
Dr. B. Cayenne Bird
"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently thinks that sending people out of state away from their court cases and families is a right way to create more beds in prisons. Locking people in cages has never worked to lower or prevent crime since civilization began. This desperate plan is more evidence of the total disregard that this Governor has for human life and due process."
[USA] Labor leaders fuming over Texas prison plan / Chronicle, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4185634.html
LISA SANDBERG
"The state may expand [Texas] program that hires convicts at cut-rate wages. The program, in both public and private detention facilities, is part of the federal Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) initiative. It has long rankled labor leaders, who've complained quietly that it could slowly but surely displace better-paid workers outside prison. That opposition is getting noisier as the state appears ready to add two new PIE operations to the four it now has. One would use prison inmates at the Boyd Unit in Teague in Central Texas to assemble muscle cars from kits. The second would have inmates at the Telford Unit in northeast Texas manufacture uniforms for U.S. postal workers, most of whom are unionized."
LISA SANDBERG
"The state may expand [Texas] program that hires convicts at cut-rate wages. The program, in both public and private detention facilities, is part of the federal Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) initiative. It has long rankled labor leaders, who've complained quietly that it could slowly but surely displace better-paid workers outside prison. That opposition is getting noisier as the state appears ready to add two new PIE operations to the four it now has. One would use prison inmates at the Boyd Unit in Teague in Central Texas to assemble muscle cars from kits. The second would have inmates at the Telford Unit in northeast Texas manufacture uniforms for U.S. postal workers, most of whom are unionized."
Outside View: Bin Laden laughs in his cave
http://digbig.com/4mxpn
VLADIMIR SIMONOV
"Judging by all, the al-Qaida leader is doing just fine. He must be in a euphoric mood. Terrorist number one has every reason to believe that he is winning in his holy war against the unfaithful and immoral West. One of his main achievements is personal freedom. Five years after 9/11 this guru of terrorism is sitting quietly in a well-warmed cave, most probably on the Afghan-Pakistani border, enjoying the banking of the CIA's unmanned Predators trying to spot him. "
VLADIMIR SIMONOV
"Judging by all, the al-Qaida leader is doing just fine. He must be in a euphoric mood. Terrorist number one has every reason to believe that he is winning in his holy war against the unfaithful and immoral West. One of his main achievements is personal freedom. Five years after 9/11 this guru of terrorism is sitting quietly in a well-warmed cave, most probably on the Afghan-Pakistani border, enjoying the banking of the CIA's unmanned Predators trying to spot him. "
Ten Legal Landmarks Since 9/11 / CBS, 14 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpk
Andrew Cohen
" Charts The Top Milestones In The Legal War On Terror. Five years after the twin towers fell, and with the legal war on terror still a work in progress, the law's journey from September 11, 2001 to today can be marked by only a few handfuls of milestones. Here they are, in chronological order, showing both the sweep of change and the reality that we still have a long way to go."
Andrew Cohen
" Charts The Top Milestones In The Legal War On Terror. Five years after the twin towers fell, and with the legal war on terror still a work in progress, the law's journey from September 11, 2001 to today can be marked by only a few handfuls of milestones. Here they are, in chronological order, showing both the sweep of change and the reality that we still have a long way to go."
CCTV does not work as a crime prevention tool / Secuirty Park, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxph
"The NSW Crime Prevention Division reported academic research that suggested CCTV does not work as a crime prevention tool. Another study furnished by the UK Home Office evaluating several CCTV sites in two countries, revealed that crime in the city centres and public housing areas had dropped by an insignificant 2%, after the CCTV systems had been installed. Considering the cost of installing public CCTV, this is a negligible ‘return on investment’. We are living in a time in human history where the words ‘security’ and ‘prevention’ are becoming synonymous. A new wave of criminal - expert in new forms of weaponry and destructive technologies are more insidious and more ingenious in their designs. This frightening reality has created a global demand for a new level of intelligence in security technologies – one that will deliver prevention rather than just retrospective video evidence."
"The NSW Crime Prevention Division reported academic research that suggested CCTV does not work as a crime prevention tool. Another study furnished by the UK Home Office evaluating several CCTV sites in two countries, revealed that crime in the city centres and public housing areas had dropped by an insignificant 2%, after the CCTV systems had been installed. Considering the cost of installing public CCTV, this is a negligible ‘return on investment’. We are living in a time in human history where the words ‘security’ and ‘prevention’ are becoming synonymous. A new wave of criminal - expert in new forms of weaponry and destructive technologies are more insidious and more ingenious in their designs. This frightening reality has created a global demand for a new level of intelligence in security technologies – one that will deliver prevention rather than just retrospective video evidence."
Police officers who chase criminals could face sack / This is London, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxpf
"Police officers who launch chases over roofs, railway lines and busy roads could be sacked for putting the health and safety of criminals at risk, it has emerged. New Home Office proposals say that any officer who knowingly flouts guidelines designed to protect themselves and the public could face dismissal for "gross misconduct". The suggested new rule has infuriated rank-and-file officers who feel that it amounts to a "criminal's charter."
"Police officers who launch chases over roofs, railway lines and busy roads could be sacked for putting the health and safety of criminals at risk, it has emerged. New Home Office proposals say that any officer who knowingly flouts guidelines designed to protect themselves and the public could face dismissal for "gross misconduct". The suggested new rule has infuriated rank-and-file officers who feel that it amounts to a "criminal's charter."
Friday, September 15, 2006
We doom our children to a disaster-movie life / Herald, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/70000.html
Melanie Reid
"No-one could ever doubt their sincerity. When a hugely distinguished alliance of experts from the worlds of arts, science, medicine and education declares that modern life is destroying childhood and damaging children, we would be foolish not to consider what they say seriously." [5 pages]
Melanie Reid
"No-one could ever doubt their sincerity. When a hugely distinguished alliance of experts from the worlds of arts, science, medicine and education declares that modern life is destroying childhood and damaging children, we would be foolish not to consider what they say seriously." [5 pages]
[Australia - NSW] Review of the Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act 2001 / Ombudsman, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.nswombudsman.nsw.gov.au/show.asp?id=431
"Our review of the police use of drug detection dogs attracted unprecedented community interest, as evidenced by the number of telephone enquiries, complaints and submissions that we received. Our review found that despite the best efforts of police officers, the use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers. Overwhelmingly, the use of drug detection dogs has led to public searches of individuals in which no drugs were found, or to the detection of (mostly young) adults in possession of very small amounts of cannabis for personal use. These findings have led us to question whether the Drug Dogs Act will ever provide a fair, efficacious and cost effective tool to target drug supply. Given this, we have recommended that the starting point, when considering this report, is to review whether the Drug Dogs Act should be retained at all.
drug detection dog 1.pdf
drug detection dog 2.pdf
drug detection dog 3.pdf
Read CCL's submission to the Ombudsman's review. (size: 255k)
Read what CCL's president says about the discussion paper.
Legal note: the Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act is no longer in force.
"Our review of the police use of drug detection dogs attracted unprecedented community interest, as evidenced by the number of telephone enquiries, complaints and submissions that we received. Our review found that despite the best efforts of police officers, the use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers. Overwhelmingly, the use of drug detection dogs has led to public searches of individuals in which no drugs were found, or to the detection of (mostly young) adults in possession of very small amounts of cannabis for personal use. These findings have led us to question whether the Drug Dogs Act will ever provide a fair, efficacious and cost effective tool to target drug supply. Given this, we have recommended that the starting point, when considering this report, is to review whether the Drug Dogs Act should be retained at all.
drug detection dog 1.pdf
drug detection dog 2.pdf
drug detection dog 3.pdf
Read CCL's submission to the Ombudsman's review. (size: 255k)
Read what CCL's president says about the discussion paper.
Legal note: the Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act is no longer in force.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT : By Invitation Only / CIO, 1 Sep 2006
http://www.cio.com/archive/090106/col_tec.html?source=nlt_cioinsider
GALEN GRUMAN
"Really Simple Syndication can improve business processes and help overwhelmed employees better manage information."
GALEN GRUMAN
"Really Simple Syndication can improve business processes and help overwhelmed employees better manage information."
Promoting Social Inclusion in Schools: A Group-Randomized Trial of Effects on Student Health Risk Behavior and Well-Being
American Journal of Health, September 2006, Volume 96, Issue 9
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/96/9/1582
George C. Patton, MD, Lyndal Bond, PhD, John B. Carlin, PhD, Lyndal Thomas, BSc(Hons), Helen Butler, BA(Hons), Dip Ed, G Dip in Adol Health, Sara Glover, PhD, Richard Catalano, PhD and Glenn Bowes, PhD
"The four-year study of 10,000 Victorian adolescents revealed that better social conditions in schools dramatically reduced anti-social behaviour associated with puberty. Sexual activity halved among students aged between 13 and 14, while tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use was cut by up to 25 per cent. Vandalism, theft and fighting fell by 20 per cent." [Sub Required]
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/96/9/1582
George C. Patton, MD, Lyndal Bond, PhD, John B. Carlin, PhD, Lyndal Thomas, BSc(Hons), Helen Butler, BA(Hons), Dip Ed, G Dip in Adol Health, Sara Glover, PhD, Richard Catalano, PhD and Glenn Bowes, PhD
"The four-year study of 10,000 Victorian adolescents revealed that better social conditions in schools dramatically reduced anti-social behaviour associated with puberty. Sexual activity halved among students aged between 13 and 14, while tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use was cut by up to 25 per cent. Vandalism, theft and fighting fell by 20 per cent." [Sub Required]
Get Real Drug Education DVD Launched / SDEWA, 13 Sep 2006
http://www.sdea.police.uk/default.aspx.locid-04bnew02b.htm
"The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and Scottish Executive today launched the Get Real DVD, a new interactive drug education resource that is set to revolutionise the way messages about substance misuse are delivered by police officers across Scotland."
A clip from DVD on this page - http://www.sdea.police.uk/get-real-dvd.html
"The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and Scottish Executive today launched the Get Real DVD, a new interactive drug education resource that is set to revolutionise the way messages about substance misuse are delivered by police officers across Scotland."
A clip from DVD on this page - http://www.sdea.police.uk/get-real-dvd.html
‘Reckless’ managers cause IT failures / CIPFA, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxhh
"Research has exploded the myth that prestigious government projects fail because managers are too risk averse. On the contrary, a Work Foundation report, seen exclusively by Public Finance, says that a reckless attitude towards information and communication technology projects has wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. The foundation criticises public sector managers for failing to test new systems properly before rolling them out, and for favouring over-complex designs. Alexandra Jones, associate director at the Work Foundation and co-author of the report Where next for transformational government?, said: ‘Too many government ICT projects fail to deliver the promised benefits because public sector managers have a reckless streak – they become dazzled by the potential of the technology and lose sight of what is practically deliverable.’"
"Research has exploded the myth that prestigious government projects fail because managers are too risk averse. On the contrary, a Work Foundation report, seen exclusively by Public Finance, says that a reckless attitude towards information and communication technology projects has wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. The foundation criticises public sector managers for failing to test new systems properly before rolling them out, and for favouring over-complex designs. Alexandra Jones, associate director at the Work Foundation and co-author of the report Where next for transformational government?, said: ‘Too many government ICT projects fail to deliver the promised benefits because public sector managers have a reckless streak – they become dazzled by the potential of the technology and lose sight of what is practically deliverable.’"
A new third way / CIPFA, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxhh
Stuart Etherington
"The NCVO believes that voluntary organisations should take on service delivery only where it coincides with their mission and values. Added to which, true reform means more than just transferring service delivery from the public to the voluntary sector – to make a real difference to our communities, public services need to be ‘transformed’. "
Stuart Etherington
"The NCVO believes that voluntary organisations should take on service delivery only where it coincides with their mission and values. Added to which, true reform means more than just transferring service delivery from the public to the voluntary sector – to make a real difference to our communities, public services need to be ‘transformed’. "
We're making sure Mersey crooks pay for their crime / Liverpool Echo, 14 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxhd
Ian Hernon
"MERSEYSIDE'S crime bosses are being hit where it hurts, in their pockets. A pilot scheme pioneered in the region has taken up to £1.4m in personal assets from criminals since April. Items confiscated by the National Enforcement Service included homes, cars, speed boats, jewellery, cash and designer clothes. Seven convicted criminals have already been sent back to jail for refusing to comply with confiscation orders. The service's confiscation unit operates out of Merseyside police HQ and, alongside local court staff, aims to disrupt the lifestyles of gangsters by seizing their cash and assets after conviction. Top targets are drug barons, people-traffickers, organised burglars and money launderers."
Ian Hernon
"MERSEYSIDE'S crime bosses are being hit where it hurts, in their pockets. A pilot scheme pioneered in the region has taken up to £1.4m in personal assets from criminals since April. Items confiscated by the National Enforcement Service included homes, cars, speed boats, jewellery, cash and designer clothes. Seven convicted criminals have already been sent back to jail for refusing to comply with confiscation orders. The service's confiscation unit operates out of Merseyside police HQ and, alongside local court staff, aims to disrupt the lifestyles of gangsters by seizing their cash and assets after conviction. Top targets are drug barons, people-traffickers, organised burglars and money launderers."
'Cocaine is now the commonest cause of heart failure in young,' warns inquest doctor / Western Mail, 15 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxgs
Robin Turner
"A DOCTOR gave a grim warning to recreational drugs users after the inquest into the death of Kelly Anne Brittain. Ms Brittain, a fit and healthy part-time ski instructor who liked to work hard and play hard, suffered a massive heart attack last July soon after taking cocaine at her home in Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley. Unlike heroin, cocaine is more associated with pop stars and actors than crime and death. But Home Office Pathologist Dr Rick James, who examined her body, said it was a little-known fact that cocaine-induced cardiac arrests were now the commonest cause of heart attacks in young people in the UK."
Robin Turner
"A DOCTOR gave a grim warning to recreational drugs users after the inquest into the death of Kelly Anne Brittain. Ms Brittain, a fit and healthy part-time ski instructor who liked to work hard and play hard, suffered a massive heart attack last July soon after taking cocaine at her home in Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley. Unlike heroin, cocaine is more associated with pop stars and actors than crime and death. But Home Office Pathologist Dr Rick James, who examined her body, said it was a little-known fact that cocaine-induced cardiac arrests were now the commonest cause of heart attacks in young people in the UK."
Code of conduct proposed for social networking sites / OUT-LAW News, 14 Sep 2006
http://www.out-law.com/page-7298
"Operators of social networking sites should create a joint code of practice regulating their treatment of children. That is just one of the possible courses of action suggested by researchers behind a report into children's use of the sites. Respected consumer bible Which? has conducted research into the dangers posed to children by social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo and has found behaviour which it says could shock parents. Users of the sites are exposed to bullying, pornography and junk food advertising, said the report, and parents are largely unaware of the problems."
"Operators of social networking sites should create a joint code of practice regulating their treatment of children. That is just one of the possible courses of action suggested by researchers behind a report into children's use of the sites. Respected consumer bible Which? has conducted research into the dangers posed to children by social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo and has found behaviour which it says could shock parents. Users of the sites are exposed to bullying, pornography and junk food advertising, said the report, and parents are largely unaware of the problems."
Thursday, September 14, 2006
[Belgium] Police chief urges separate jails for Muslim extremists / Expatica, 6 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxbd
" To prevent young criminals becoming radicalised in jail by the influence of charismatic fundamentalists, Audenaert urged Muslim extremists be housed in separate prisons. "A real form of idol worship exists around a number of these figures. That is not without its dangers," he said, urging for a "protective circle" to be built around them regardless of the cost."
" To prevent young criminals becoming radicalised in jail by the influence of charismatic fundamentalists, Audenaert urged Muslim extremists be housed in separate prisons. "A real form of idol worship exists around a number of these figures. That is not without its dangers," he said, urging for a "protective circle" to be built around them regardless of the cost."
Findings 1 / ROSIE, September 2006
PDF - http://www.nacd.ie/publications/ROSIE_Findings_Final.pdf
"New research shows significant reductions in drug use after one year's treatment. Ireland’s first national longitudinal study on drug misuse treatment is showing that significant reductions in drug use and involvement in crime by participants were achieved after one year of treatment [National Documentation Centre, Ireland]"
"New research shows significant reductions in drug use after one year's treatment. Ireland’s first national longitudinal study on drug misuse treatment is showing that significant reductions in drug use and involvement in crime by participants were achieved after one year of treatment [National Documentation Centre, Ireland]"
Making Mentoring More Effective / Young Minds, September 2006
PDF - http://www.youngminds.org.uk/sos/ym-sos-mentoring.pdf
"Evidence is emerging about the potential for harm in the type of mentoring scheme that places an adult volunteer with a young person who is deemed to be at risk. A Joseph Rowntree Foundation evaluation of the ‘Mentoring Plus’ scheme (a scheme which combines a mentoring approach with an element of training and employment support) found that the expected benefits of such mentoring schemes are not materialising. A meta-analysis of a number of American mentoring programmes found that the benefits of such schemes to date did not match the unqualified support that mentoring schemes have attracted over recent years. There is a potential danger in seeing mentoring as a cheap intervention (and consequently not expecting too much from it)."
"Evidence is emerging about the potential for harm in the type of mentoring scheme that places an adult volunteer with a young person who is deemed to be at risk. A Joseph Rowntree Foundation evaluation of the ‘Mentoring Plus’ scheme (a scheme which combines a mentoring approach with an element of training and employment support) found that the expected benefits of such mentoring schemes are not materialising. A meta-analysis of a number of American mentoring programmes found that the benefits of such schemes to date did not match the unqualified support that mentoring schemes have attracted over recent years. There is a potential danger in seeing mentoring as a cheap intervention (and consequently not expecting too much from it)."
The Arab and Iranian Reaction to 9/11: Five Years Later / MEMRI,
http://memrifilms.org/
"Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Middle East Media Research Institute has been monitoring, translating, and recording statements from the Arab and Iranian media about what took place on that day. Among these statements are conspiracy theories, by prominent journalists, members of academia, leading religious figures, and even Arab government officials, about what "really" happened. To mark the five-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, MEMRI has created a new film and book exposing conspiracy phenomena surrounding these events in the Arab and Iranian media. The documentary film by MEMRI Films about the Arab and Iranian reaction to 9/11 incorporates footage from various TV and satellite stations in the Middle East.
To view the entire film, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233961&ak=null
To view Part I, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233964&ak=null
To view Part II, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233957&ak=null
To view Part III, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233952&ak=null
The carefully documented book is now also available as a PDF. It includes a compilation of articles and editorials from the mainstream Arabic and Persian language press, as well as transcripts from television programs.
PDF - http://memrifilms.org/files/9-11-FULL.pdf
"Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Middle East Media Research Institute has been monitoring, translating, and recording statements from the Arab and Iranian media about what took place on that day. Among these statements are conspiracy theories, by prominent journalists, members of academia, leading religious figures, and even Arab government officials, about what "really" happened. To mark the five-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, MEMRI has created a new film and book exposing conspiracy phenomena surrounding these events in the Arab and Iranian media. The documentary film by MEMRI Films about the Arab and Iranian reaction to 9/11 incorporates footage from various TV and satellite stations in the Middle East.
To view the entire film, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233961&ak=null
To view Part I, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233964&ak=null
To view Part II, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233957&ak=null
To view Part III, visit: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=233952&ak=null
The carefully documented book is now also available as a PDF. It includes a compilation of articles and editorials from the mainstream Arabic and Persian language press, as well as transcripts from television programs.
PDF - http://memrifilms.org/files/9-11-FULL.pdf
[Australia] Beazley proposes visitors, migrants agree to values / Age, 12 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxaw
Michelle Grattan
"Kim Beazley has sought to outflank the Government in the debate about values by calling for people coming to Australia to agree to a 'values' statement as a visa condition. This statement should be included on the visa form, with people 'required to sign off on those values', the Opposition Leader proposed yesterday. Prime Minister John Howard has criticised a small section of the Muslim community for failing to integrate, including not adhering to Australian values such as respect for women."
Michelle Grattan
"Kim Beazley has sought to outflank the Government in the debate about values by calling for people coming to Australia to agree to a 'values' statement as a visa condition. This statement should be included on the visa form, with people 'required to sign off on those values', the Opposition Leader proposed yesterday. Prime Minister John Howard has criticised a small section of the Muslim community for failing to integrate, including not adhering to Australian values such as respect for women."
[Australia] Skilled migrants 'should speak English' / The Age, 11 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mxaq
" All skilled migrants and foreign workers should be able to speak basic English, a parliamentary committee says. The skilled migration scheme, which attracts almost 60,000 permanent and 60,000 temporary workers to Australia each year, has been heavily criticised over the past month following claims it is being exploited by unscrupulous employers. Labor says businesses are using the program to bring in foreign workers and pay them below industry standards, driving down wages."
" All skilled migrants and foreign workers should be able to speak basic English, a parliamentary committee says. The skilled migration scheme, which attracts almost 60,000 permanent and 60,000 temporary workers to Australia each year, has been heavily criticised over the past month following claims it is being exploited by unscrupulous employers. Labor says businesses are using the program to bring in foreign workers and pay them below industry standards, driving down wages."
Inquiry reveals welfare fraud by foreign nationals / 11 Sep 2006 The Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2006/0911/1156791558637.html
"A major cross-Border investigation between Irish and British authorities has uncovered widespread social welfare fraud by asylum seekers and other foreign nationals may have cost the State tens of millions of euro, The Irish Times has learned. Conor Lally reports. Sources close to the investigation, called Operation Gull, said they have been 'staggered' by the level and nature of abuses being detected. Coordinated swoops on ports and airports in the Republic and Northern Ireland have revealed significant numbers of foreign nationals taking advantage of the common travel area between the Republic and the UK in a bid to defraud the Irish Exchequer." [Immigration - Economic]
"A major cross-Border investigation between Irish and British authorities has uncovered widespread social welfare fraud by asylum seekers and other foreign nationals may have cost the State tens of millions of euro, The Irish Times has learned. Conor Lally reports. Sources close to the investigation, called Operation Gull, said they have been 'staggered' by the level and nature of abuses being detected. Coordinated swoops on ports and airports in the Republic and Northern Ireland have revealed significant numbers of foreign nationals taking advantage of the common travel area between the Republic and the UK in a bid to defraud the Irish Exchequer." [Immigration - Economic]
Parents Want Concrete Support Not Parenting Lessons / Medical News Today, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=51428&nfid=nl
"Government plans to spend more money on advice that may not be welcomed by parents, who are more interested in concrete services than in parenting classes, according to research from the ESRC Families and Social Capital Research Group at London South Bank University. The research, which will be discussed at today's Diverse Britain: Social Practice and Social Policy conference, found that in a survey of 1112 parents of 'middle aged' children, the majority did not feel that parents need professional advice and guidance to help them bring up their children." [ASBO; Young People]
"Government plans to spend more money on advice that may not be welcomed by parents, who are more interested in concrete services than in parenting classes, according to research from the ESRC Families and Social Capital Research Group at London South Bank University. The research, which will be discussed at today's Diverse Britain: Social Practice and Social Policy conference, found that in a survey of 1112 parents of 'middle aged' children, the majority did not feel that parents need professional advice and guidance to help them bring up their children." [ASBO; Young People]
Monday, September 11, 2006
How 9-11 Changed the Evening News : PEJ Analysis / Jounralism.org, 11 Sep 2006
http://journalism.org/node/1839
"Looking back five years later, how did 9-11 change the news? If the network evening news is any proxy, the attacks of September 11th 2001 in Washington and New York and the wars that resulted have led to increased coverage of foreign policy and global conflict on the network evening news, but less coverage of domestic issues, according to data from ADT Research’s Tyndall Report, which monitors those newscasts. The mix of traditional hard news and feature of lifestyle coverage, meanwhile, has remained virtually the same on the evening newscasts.
Those are the findings drawn from examining the four years of network newscasts prior to 2001 (1997 to 2000) and the four years since (2002 through 2005) according to data generated for the Project for Excellence in Journalism by ADT Research, which publishes the Tyndall Report."
"Looking back five years later, how did 9-11 change the news? If the network evening news is any proxy, the attacks of September 11th 2001 in Washington and New York and the wars that resulted have led to increased coverage of foreign policy and global conflict on the network evening news, but less coverage of domestic issues, according to data from ADT Research’s Tyndall Report, which monitors those newscasts. The mix of traditional hard news and feature of lifestyle coverage, meanwhile, has remained virtually the same on the evening newscasts.
Those are the findings drawn from examining the four years of network newscasts prior to 2001 (1997 to 2000) and the four years since (2002 through 2005) according to data generated for the Project for Excellence in Journalism by ADT Research, which publishes the Tyndall Report."
The law of 'double jeopardy' / BBC, 11 Sep 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5333230.stm
Jon Silverman - Legal affairs analyst
"It was the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence which subjected the double jeopardy rule to scrutiny and recommended that prosecution after an acquittal should be allowed where "fresh and viable" evidence was presented. In the 2003 act, this term has been changed to "new and compelling" evidence. What does it mean in law? "
Jon Silverman - Legal affairs analyst
"It was the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence which subjected the double jeopardy rule to scrutiny and recommended that prosecution after an acquittal should be allowed where "fresh and viable" evidence was presented. In the 2003 act, this term has been changed to "new and compelling" evidence. What does it mean in law? "
William Dunlop pleads guilty in first double jeopardy case / Crown Prosecution Service, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/152_06.html
"The first man to face a retrial under the double jeopardy rule after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdonald, QC, has pleaded guilty today to the murder of Julie Hogg in 1989. The case against William Dunlop was referred to the DPP by the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cleveland, Martin Goldman, when the double jeopardy law - that a person once acquitted cannot be tried twice for the same offence - was changed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003."
"The first man to face a retrial under the double jeopardy rule after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdonald, QC, has pleaded guilty today to the murder of Julie Hogg in 1989. The case against William Dunlop was referred to the DPP by the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cleveland, Martin Goldman, when the double jeopardy law - that a person once acquitted cannot be tried twice for the same offence - was changed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003."
September 11's Economic Legacy / Business Week, 10 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mtqr
Chris Farrell
"We must fight terror, but we can't allow the politics of fear to erode the economic vibrancy that depends on the free flow of talent and trade. After September 11, the economy spiraled lower, and profits in a number of industries cratered, including airlines. The subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq also took a toll on business and consumer confidence, as well as the fiscal purse. Nevertheless, five years later the economy is in remarkable shape. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist assault, with dark clouds of dust enveloping New York City and the New York Stock Exchange shuttered until Sept. 17, who would have guessed that great prosperity would follow?"
Chris Farrell
"We must fight terror, but we can't allow the politics of fear to erode the economic vibrancy that depends on the free flow of talent and trade. After September 11, the economy spiraled lower, and profits in a number of industries cratered, including airlines. The subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq also took a toll on business and consumer confidence, as well as the fiscal purse. Nevertheless, five years later the economy is in remarkable shape. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist assault, with dark clouds of dust enveloping New York City and the New York Stock Exchange shuttered until Sept. 17, who would have guessed that great prosperity would follow?"
The Fight Against Terrorism - Five Years After 9/11 / Annual European Foreign Policy Conference, 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4mtqm
Presentation by Gijs de Vries, EU Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator
Presentation by Gijs de Vries, EU Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator
THE MASTER PLAN / The New Yorker, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060911fa_fact3
LAWRENCE WRIGHT
"For the new theorists of jihad, Al Qaeda is just the beginning."
LAWRENCE WRIGHT
"For the new theorists of jihad, Al Qaeda is just the beginning."
Is CCTV effective for public area surveillance? / Security Park, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.securitypark.co.uk/article.asp?articleid=25785&CategoryID=1
"CCTV is often assumed to be an effective method of public area crime prevention - however research into the impact public area surveillance systems have on crime prevention, is raising question marks and becoming a hotly debated issue."
"CCTV is often assumed to be an effective method of public area crime prevention - however research into the impact public area surveillance systems have on crime prevention, is raising question marks and becoming a hotly debated issue."
Police earn praise for tackling taboo issues / Peterborough today, 11 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mtqh
"A TEAM of police officers who work tirelessly to promote community cohesion in Peterborough are gaining national recognition for their outstanding work. Ian Chennell travellled to London to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair to talk about the team’s innovative work on tackling the issue of forced marriage. Mr Blair invited Mr Chennell to 10 Downing Street to take part in a meeting with the Association of Chief Police Officers to discuss the sensitive issue. It follows the work of Mr Chennell in organising a play called Karma, which tackled the issue of forced and arranged marriages. A 300-strong audience, including police chiefs, community representatives and key figures from minority groups, watched the interactive drama unfold at the Mariott Hotel, in Lynch Wood. While the play and its characters were fictitious, the message was based on hard-hitting facts. Forced marriage is not in itself illegal, but other aspects that accompany it, such as kidnapping and physical violence, are crimes where the police can get involved."
"A TEAM of police officers who work tirelessly to promote community cohesion in Peterborough are gaining national recognition for their outstanding work. Ian Chennell travellled to London to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair to talk about the team’s innovative work on tackling the issue of forced marriage. Mr Blair invited Mr Chennell to 10 Downing Street to take part in a meeting with the Association of Chief Police Officers to discuss the sensitive issue. It follows the work of Mr Chennell in organising a play called Karma, which tackled the issue of forced and arranged marriages. A 300-strong audience, including police chiefs, community representatives and key figures from minority groups, watched the interactive drama unfold at the Mariott Hotel, in Lynch Wood. While the play and its characters were fictitious, the message was based on hard-hitting facts. Forced marriage is not in itself illegal, but other aspects that accompany it, such as kidnapping and physical violence, are crimes where the police can get involved."
What If 9/11 Never Happened? A counterhistory. / New York Magazine, 21 Aug 2006
http://newyorkmetro.com/news/features/19147/index.html
John Heilemann
"An assortment of big thinkers and public figures address the question, What if 9/11 never happened? We’re well aware that the dangers of counterfactual speculation (If Bobby Kennedy had never been shot, then Nixon would never have been elected! So no Watergate! No Carter! No Reagan! Etc., etc., etc.) are almost as grave as those of unbridled futurism. But we also see the virtues of an approach that appeals both to left-brain analytics and right-brain imagination — and that, in the process, tends to uproot subterranean assumptions and challenge conventional wisdom." [19 pages]
John Heilemann
"An assortment of big thinkers and public figures address the question, What if 9/11 never happened? We’re well aware that the dangers of counterfactual speculation (If Bobby Kennedy had never been shot, then Nixon would never have been elected! So no Watergate! No Carter! No Reagan! Etc., etc., etc.) are almost as grave as those of unbridled futurism. But we also see the virtues of an approach that appeals both to left-brain analytics and right-brain imagination — and that, in the process, tends to uproot subterranean assumptions and challenge conventional wisdom." [19 pages]
Waging a cultural revolutionary war / OnLine Opinion, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4904
Irfan Yusuf
"Does the existence of multiple cultures affect national security? If so, to what extent? If integration is an ideal, how should it be implemented? Should governments implement culture? Will the complete integration of all minority groups ensure security risks are minimised? For the likes of Steyn and Stone, any multiculturalism involving nominally Muslim migrants necessarily represents a security risk. Their generally crude analysis seeks to identify common features allegedly forming an essential part of a monolithic Muslim culture."
Irfan Yusuf
"Does the existence of multiple cultures affect national security? If so, to what extent? If integration is an ideal, how should it be implemented? Should governments implement culture? Will the complete integration of all minority groups ensure security risks are minimised? For the likes of Steyn and Stone, any multiculturalism involving nominally Muslim migrants necessarily represents a security risk. Their generally crude analysis seeks to identify common features allegedly forming an essential part of a monolithic Muslim culture."
[Australia] 9-11: treason in the academic comfort zone? / OnLine Opinion, 11 Sep 2006
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4897
Mervyn Bendle
"Five years after the September 11 attacks on America and nearly four years after the Bali bombings, it is appropriate to make an assessment of the state of research into terrorism in Australia. This article looks at three areas of critical concern. Academic interest: it seems clear that academic research into terrorism in Australia is characterised by a level of disinterest that verges on the irresponsible or even deliberate avoidance. Research infrastructure: one bright spot is the emergence of several centres of research and policy development in Australia that can now more adequately support research into the various dimensions of terrorism. Ideological orientation: like so many of the humanities and social sciences, terrorism research has been badly infected by the simplistic “class, gender, race” theoretical template, which is being combined with related concepts to produce highly predictable research results that invariably conclude that it is the West and not terrorism that is at fault. As we shall see below this appears to be a version of the “Stockholm Syndrome” reaction to stress."
Mervyn Bendle
"Five years after the September 11 attacks on America and nearly four years after the Bali bombings, it is appropriate to make an assessment of the state of research into terrorism in Australia. This article looks at three areas of critical concern. Academic interest: it seems clear that academic research into terrorism in Australia is characterised by a level of disinterest that verges on the irresponsible or even deliberate avoidance. Research infrastructure: one bright spot is the emergence of several centres of research and policy development in Australia that can now more adequately support research into the various dimensions of terrorism. Ideological orientation: like so many of the humanities and social sciences, terrorism research has been badly infected by the simplistic “class, gender, race” theoretical template, which is being combined with related concepts to produce highly predictable research results that invariably conclude that it is the West and not terrorism that is at fault. As we shall see below this appears to be a version of the “Stockholm Syndrome” reaction to stress."
Terrorism and Muslim Women: Why Moderate Muslims Do not Stand Up To Radical Muslims / Global Politican, 11 Sep 2006
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2152&cid=2&sid=2
Ghazal Omid
"Recent articles about a Muslim woman doctor, who received death threats after speaking out on Al-Jazirah network against Muslim hardliners and terrorists, has been generating publicity for the right people and for a well justified cause that seldom gets enough attention, even though it would work to our advantage in the war against terrorism. The reality is: fighting terrorism is neither easy nor will it end overnight. Most certainly, Muslims should be called upon to help because the war against terrorism is not about ones faith; it affects all of us as part of the human family."
Ghazal Omid
"Recent articles about a Muslim woman doctor, who received death threats after speaking out on Al-Jazirah network against Muslim hardliners and terrorists, has been generating publicity for the right people and for a well justified cause that seldom gets enough attention, even though it would work to our advantage in the war against terrorism. The reality is: fighting terrorism is neither easy nor will it end overnight. Most certainly, Muslims should be called upon to help because the war against terrorism is not about ones faith; it affects all of us as part of the human family."
Profile of Islamic Terrorists / Global Politican, 11 Sep 2006
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2139&cid=2&sid=2
Aliheydar Rzayev, Ph.D.
"To destroy and cripple several dozen people, a sum as small as $150 may be enough. The price of the "martyr's belt" does not exceed 80 dollars.Americans believe that September 11 cost terrorists approximately $500,000. The economic damage of the attack was $135,000,000,000. These numbers exist with which to compare. The most destructive hurricane in the history of USA, Andrew in 1992, resulted in $21 billion worth of damages."
Aliheydar Rzayev, Ph.D.
"To destroy and cripple several dozen people, a sum as small as $150 may be enough. The price of the "martyr's belt" does not exceed 80 dollars.Americans believe that September 11 cost terrorists approximately $500,000. The economic damage of the attack was $135,000,000,000. These numbers exist with which to compare. The most destructive hurricane in the history of USA, Andrew in 1992, resulted in $21 billion worth of damages."
A Hydra-Headed Monster Called Terrorism / Global Politican, 11 Sep 2006
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2150&cid=11&sid=61
Professor Daniel M. Zucker
"We in the West don't seem to understand the nature of Islamist terrorism or terrorists. We fail to comprehend that such terrorists, despite differences in doctrinal, religious, or political outlook, are linked very closely by their common use of deliberate violence against non-combatants for political purposes. Like a hydra-headed monster, Islamist terrorism finds its adherents united in a shared hatred of the West and its Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian tradition of respect for the rights of the individual as well as the concept of democracy."
Professor Daniel M. Zucker
"We in the West don't seem to understand the nature of Islamist terrorism or terrorists. We fail to comprehend that such terrorists, despite differences in doctrinal, religious, or political outlook, are linked very closely by their common use of deliberate violence against non-combatants for political purposes. Like a hydra-headed monster, Islamist terrorism finds its adherents united in a shared hatred of the West and its Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian tradition of respect for the rights of the individual as well as the concept of democracy."
Dangerous Alliance: Terrorism and Organized Crime / Global Politican, 11 Sep 2006
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2144&cid=11&sid=64
Ron Chepesiuk
"Last October, Italian investigators confirmed a disturbing trend in the War on Terrorism: the growing link between terrorism and organized crime. The investigators revealed that al Quaeda was using the Naples-based Camorra mafia, with its extensive network and expertise in forging documents, to move its operatives through Europe to safe houses in such cities as Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid. According to DIGOS, Italy's political crime unit, the number of al Quaeda operatives passing through Naples may have exceeded a thousand. Il Mattino, Naple's major daily newspaper described the arrangement: Should any trouble arise at any time, the Camorra's alliances will send them (al Quaeda operatives) off on one of the many trains leaving the city's main station, or via speed-boat - the same vessels the Camorra uses to traffic cigarettes, drugs and other contraband."
Ron Chepesiuk
"Last October, Italian investigators confirmed a disturbing trend in the War on Terrorism: the growing link between terrorism and organized crime. The investigators revealed that al Quaeda was using the Naples-based Camorra mafia, with its extensive network and expertise in forging documents, to move its operatives through Europe to safe houses in such cities as Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid. According to DIGOS, Italy's political crime unit, the number of al Quaeda operatives passing through Naples may have exceeded a thousand. Il Mattino, Naple's major daily newspaper described the arrangement: Should any trouble arise at any time, the Camorra's alliances will send them (al Quaeda operatives) off on one of the many trains leaving the city's main station, or via speed-boat - the same vessels the Camorra uses to traffic cigarettes, drugs and other contraband."
Generation Y and Crime: A longitudinal study of contact with NSW criminal courts before the age of 21 / BOCSAR, 11 Sep 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4mtpf
"Nearly one in 10 persons born in NSW in 1984 acquired a criminal record before the age of 21. The Bureau’s study shows that recidivist offenders account for a disproportionately large proportion of all appearances in court. The nine per cent of the 1984 birth cohort who appeared in court five times or more accounted for 36 per cent of the all court appearances by the cohort. The 2.3 per cent who appeared in court 10 times or more accounted for 15 per cent of the cohort’s court appearances. The Director of the Bureau said that they highlighted the enormous potential savings in police and court time that could be gained from programs that reduce recidivism."
"Nearly one in 10 persons born in NSW in 1984 acquired a criminal record before the age of 21. The Bureau’s study shows that recidivist offenders account for a disproportionately large proportion of all appearances in court. The nine per cent of the 1984 birth cohort who appeared in court five times or more accounted for 36 per cent of the all court appearances by the cohort. The 2.3 per cent who appeared in court 10 times or more accounted for 15 per cent of the cohort’s court appearances. The Director of the Bureau said that they highlighted the enormous potential savings in police and court time that could be gained from programs that reduce recidivism."
Falling birthrates affect immigration levels globally / New Zealand Visa Bureau, 8 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mtnx
"As birthrates plummet across the developed world, politicians and demographers have been pondering whether immigration can provide the population boost needed by many countries to supplement shrinking labor forces and rebalance aging populations. From Spain and Canada to the Czech Republic and Singapore, countries are creating and amending immigration laws to attract certain foreigners in order to expand their populations. New immigrants not only add to population numbers but also tend to have more children, providing aging societies with a much-needed infusion of youth."
"As birthrates plummet across the developed world, politicians and demographers have been pondering whether immigration can provide the population boost needed by many countries to supplement shrinking labor forces and rebalance aging populations. From Spain and Canada to the Czech Republic and Singapore, countries are creating and amending immigration laws to attract certain foreigners in order to expand their populations. New immigrants not only add to population numbers but also tend to have more children, providing aging societies with a much-needed infusion of youth."
The most important civil liberty / Sunday Telegraph [Aus], 10 Sep 2006
http://digbig.com/4mtnt
Piers Akerman
"FIVE years ago tomorrow, two numbers - 9/11 - were seared into global consciousness as synonyms for blind hatred and horror when al-Qaeda launched its attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. A year later, 88 Australians were murdered by Jemaah Islamiyah, al-Qaeda's south-east Asian franchise. Many in the Western media are still slaves to bin Laden, however - dupes for the propaganda strategy he outlined in a letter to the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, that coalition forces uncovered in Afghanistan in 2002. In it, the terrorist chief said al-Qaeda intended to launch, "a media campaign ... to create a wedge between the American people and their government''. "
Piers Akerman
"FIVE years ago tomorrow, two numbers - 9/11 - were seared into global consciousness as synonyms for blind hatred and horror when al-Qaeda launched its attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. A year later, 88 Australians were murdered by Jemaah Islamiyah, al-Qaeda's south-east Asian franchise. Many in the Western media are still slaves to bin Laden, however - dupes for the propaganda strategy he outlined in a letter to the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, that coalition forces uncovered in Afghanistan in 2002. In it, the terrorist chief said al-Qaeda intended to launch, "a media campaign ... to create a wedge between the American people and their government''. "
Are we safer? / Miami Herald, 9 Sep 2006
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15480347.htm
GREG GORDON, MARISA TAYLOR AND RON HUTCHESON
"The United States has spent billions to improve security since 9/11. The challenge now borders on the impossible: anticipating the terrorists' next move. In the five years since terrorists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Americans have accepted inconvenience, sacrificed personal liberties and paid billions of dollars for a security clampdown that touches virtually every aspect of their lives. And we're still not completely safe. A close examination of the federal government's homeland security effort shows there have been major accomplishments since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. But it also reveals how vulnerable to a catastrophe the nation remains."
GREG GORDON, MARISA TAYLOR AND RON HUTCHESON
"The United States has spent billions to improve security since 9/11. The challenge now borders on the impossible: anticipating the terrorists' next move. In the five years since terrorists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Americans have accepted inconvenience, sacrificed personal liberties and paid billions of dollars for a security clampdown that touches virtually every aspect of their lives. And we're still not completely safe. A close examination of the federal government's homeland security effort shows there have been major accomplishments since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. But it also reveals how vulnerable to a catastrophe the nation remains."
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