PDF - http://www.pavpub.com/pavpub/journals/CSJ/thismonthssample.pdf
Cost effective interventions with offenders : Sometimes, less is more
John Pitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
[Sub Required]
Monday, October 30, 2006
The Independent Review of Crime Statistics / Community Safety Journal, Volume 5 Issue 4 October 2006
PDF - http://www.pavpub.com/pavpub/journals/CSJ/thismonthssample.pdf
Chris Fox ; Samantha Mackay ; Tim Hope
"This article summarises and discusses the main findings from a recently completed Independent Review of Crime Statistics. The Review focused upon the use of crime statistics and their fitness for purpose with particular attention paid to the needs of 'the public'. The main conclusion was that the ongoing development of crime statistics is hampered by a confusion of means (technical discussions about crime statistics that focus on their interpretation and reliability) and ends (conceptual discussions about the purposes and interests of different groups in using crime statistics). [This work was commissioned by the Statistics Commission and the published reporttogether with the Statistics Commission’s own report is available on their website (www.statscom.org.uk).]
Chris Fox ; Samantha Mackay ; Tim Hope
"This article summarises and discusses the main findings from a recently completed Independent Review of Crime Statistics. The Review focused upon the use of crime statistics and their fitness for purpose with particular attention paid to the needs of 'the public'. The main conclusion was that the ongoing development of crime statistics is hampered by a confusion of means (technical discussions about crime statistics that focus on their interpretation and reliability) and ends (conceptual discussions about the purposes and interests of different groups in using crime statistics). [This work was commissioned by the Statistics Commission and the published reporttogether with the Statistics Commission’s own report is available on their website (www.statscom.org.uk).]
Software to help state monitor sex offenders' online activities / The Advocate, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqm
Zach Lowe
"Computer software designed to alert probation officers if a convicted sex offender visits inappropriate Web sites, chat rooms or sends harassing e-mails will be implemented next year. "This is real-time technology," said Charles Onley, research associate for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Sex Offender Management. "This is not something you're seeing six months later."
Zach Lowe
"Computer software designed to alert probation officers if a convicted sex offender visits inappropriate Web sites, chat rooms or sends harassing e-mails will be implemented next year. "This is real-time technology," said Charles Onley, research associate for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Sex Offender Management. "This is not something you're seeing six months later."
[USA] STUDY: MEDIA RARELY NOTES WHEN ALCOHOL PLAYS ROLE IN VIOLENT CRIMES AND ACCIDENTS / Research News, 23 Oct 2006
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/medialc.htm
"The news media seriously underreport the role alcohol plays in violent crimes, injuries and traffic accidents, according to a new national study. While alcohol is believed to play a role in about one-third of homicides and fatal motor vehicle accidents, media reports linked alcohol to specific accidents or crimes significantly less frequently. [..] Results appear in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol."
"The news media seriously underreport the role alcohol plays in violent crimes, injuries and traffic accidents, according to a new national study. While alcohol is believed to play a role in about one-third of homicides and fatal motor vehicle accidents, media reports linked alcohol to specific accidents or crimes significantly less frequently. [..] Results appear in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol."
Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade - website / ONDCP
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/
"The Street Terms database contains over 2,300 street terms that refer to specific drug types or drug activity. The database is used by police officers, parents, treatment providers and others who require a better understanding of drug culture.
You can also download a printable version of Street Terms (PDF)."
"The Street Terms database contains over 2,300 street terms that refer to specific drug types or drug activity. The database is used by police officers, parents, treatment providers and others who require a better understanding of drug culture.
You can also download a printable version of Street Terms (PDF)."
Separation of detained mothers from breastfed babies to stop / The Guardian, 25 Oct 2006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,1931318,00.html
Matt Weaver
"Immigration officials are to be ordered to stop separating breastfeeding mothers from their babies in the drive to deport failed asylum seekers after the government was told that the practice flouts UN conventions."
Matt Weaver
"Immigration officials are to be ordered to stop separating breastfeeding mothers from their babies in the drive to deport failed asylum seekers after the government was told that the practice flouts UN conventions."
UK government responds to committee report / Security Document World, 26 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqk
"The UK government has responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s report on the Home Office’s ID cards scheme, which is part of a wider inquiry into the government’s treatment of scientific advice, risk and evidence. [..] A full copy of the government’s response is available from the IPS website."
"The UK government has responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s report on the Home Office’s ID cards scheme, which is part of a wider inquiry into the government’s treatment of scientific advice, risk and evidence. [..] A full copy of the government’s response is available from the IPS website."
[Australia] Police uniforms found for sale on website / News.com, 25 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqj
Tuck Thompson
"ANYONE wanting to disguise themselves as a police officer would have to look no further than an Australian Federal Police union website. For less than $40, anyone can buy jackets and hats emblazoned with the logo of the AFP, one of the main government agencies responsible for anti-terror operations. The site even offers international shipping."
Tuck Thompson
"ANYONE wanting to disguise themselves as a police officer would have to look no further than an Australian Federal Police union website. For less than $40, anyone can buy jackets and hats emblazoned with the logo of the AFP, one of the main government agencies responsible for anti-terror operations. The site even offers international shipping."
NYC Subway Cars Newest Addition to TSA's Explosives Detection / GovTech, 24 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqg
"Two New York City subway cars were recently moved to the TSA's National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program facility in San Antonio, Texas. The cars will be part of a new mass transit facility used to familiarize canine teams from across the nation with a typical mass transit station."
"Two New York City subway cars were recently moved to the TSA's National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program facility in San Antonio, Texas. The cars will be part of a new mass transit facility used to familiarize canine teams from across the nation with a typical mass transit station."
Probe into deportation firm / New Zealand Herald, 23 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqf
Maggie McNaughton
"Immigration Minister David Cunliffe has ordered a report on allegations that a South African company employed by the Government to deport African overstayers has used questionable travel documents. One News reported that the Government had been criticised by an Australian human rights group for paying thousands of dollars to Synman and Migliore, also known as SMI, and parent company P&I, which they say use questionable travel documents in order to return Africans home."
Maggie McNaughton
"Immigration Minister David Cunliffe has ordered a report on allegations that a South African company employed by the Government to deport African overstayers has used questionable travel documents. One News reported that the Government had been criticised by an Australian human rights group for paying thousands of dollars to Synman and Migliore, also known as SMI, and parent company P&I, which they say use questionable travel documents in order to return Africans home."
Crime gangs infiltrating financial services / Money Management, 27 Oct 2006
http://www.moneymanagement.com.au/articles/fc/0c0462fc.asp
John Wilkinson
"Organised crime gangs are putting ‘sleepers’ into financial services companies to extract client data that can be used for fraud. KPMG forensic partner Garry Gill said the move, where the gang will pay for the education of a person and help them secure a job in a financial services company, is becoming more common in the UK."
John Wilkinson
"Organised crime gangs are putting ‘sleepers’ into financial services companies to extract client data that can be used for fraud. KPMG forensic partner Garry Gill said the move, where the gang will pay for the education of a person and help them secure a job in a financial services company, is becoming more common in the UK."
Mass Vaccination Unnecessary In The Event Of A Large Bioterrorist US Smallpox Attack / Medical News Today, 18 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqd
"Mass vaccination would not be necessary in the event of a large-scale smallpox bioterrorist attack in the United States, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that appears online in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases."
"Mass vaccination would not be necessary in the event of a large-scale smallpox bioterrorist attack in the United States, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that appears online in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases."
The New Global Slave Trade / Foreign Affairs, November/December 2006
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/2006/6.html
Ethan B. Kapstein
"Most people think of slavery as a purely historical phenomenon. In fact, the practice thrives around the world today. The same factors that contribute to economic globalization have given rise to a booming international traffic in human beings, often with the connivance of national governments. Fighting this scourge successfully will take more than another UN treaty: Western nations must use their military might." [Sub required]
Ethan B. Kapstein
"Most people think of slavery as a purely historical phenomenon. In fact, the practice thrives around the world today. The same factors that contribute to economic globalization have given rise to a booming international traffic in human beings, often with the connivance of national governments. Fighting this scourge successfully will take more than another UN treaty: Western nations must use their military might." [Sub required]
UK immigration staff can ask Muslim women to remove veils / Work Permit, 27 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnqb
"The Home Office has confirmed immigration officers have the right to ask women wearing veils to remove them so that they can check their identity when they first arrive in the United Kingdom. Women would be asked to lift their veil in a private area if there were "sensitive or cultural reasons" why it could not be taken off if public, the UK Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said."
"The Home Office has confirmed immigration officers have the right to ask women wearing veils to remove them so that they can check their identity when they first arrive in the United Kingdom. Women would be asked to lift their veil in a private area if there were "sensitive or cultural reasons" why it could not be taken off if public, the UK Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said."
Glasgow to deal with new asylum bids / Evening times, October 2006
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5058597.html
"Asylum applications made in Scotland will now be dealt with by two specialist teams in Glasgow. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said he hopes the new city-based teams will mean decisions can be reached within six months. He said officials believe the changes will lead to less dawn raids on failed asylum seekers."
"Asylum applications made in Scotland will now be dealt with by two specialist teams in Glasgow. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said he hopes the new city-based teams will mean decisions can be reached within six months. He said officials believe the changes will lead to less dawn raids on failed asylum seekers."
Company's software can keep tabs on low-risk offenders online / Houston Chronicle, 21 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnpx
ANASTASIA USTINOVA
"In 32 years as a probation officer, Steve Swan has faced a growing caseload that brought with it a mountain of paperwork. Last year, Swan found money in the county's probation department budget to hire a consultant, Colin Mason, to help him break from the old-fashioned way of doing things. A program developed by Mason's company, Circle7Software, allows Swan to keep in touch with low-risk offenders online as he received reports and fees from them."
ANASTASIA USTINOVA
"In 32 years as a probation officer, Steve Swan has faced a growing caseload that brought with it a mountain of paperwork. Last year, Swan found money in the county's probation department budget to hire a consultant, Colin Mason, to help him break from the old-fashioned way of doing things. A program developed by Mason's company, Circle7Software, allows Swan to keep in touch with low-risk offenders online as he received reports and fees from them."
Police launch gun crime strategy / BBC, 26 Oct 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6086258.stm
"Criminal gangs often pass guns to one another. A new gun crime strategy in England and Wales has been launched by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Keith Bristow, chief constable of Warwickshire, revealed plans for a new database on guns used in crimes. It means detectives will be able to find out if a gun or ammunition was used in an earlier crime within 24 hours rather than waiting weeks. The National Ballistics Intelligence Programme will be run from centres in London, Birmingham and Manchester."
"Criminal gangs often pass guns to one another. A new gun crime strategy in England and Wales has been launched by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Keith Bristow, chief constable of Warwickshire, revealed plans for a new database on guns used in crimes. It means detectives will be able to find out if a gun or ammunition was used in an earlier crime within 24 hours rather than waiting weeks. The National Ballistics Intelligence Programme will be run from centres in London, Birmingham and Manchester."
EU migrants fuel UK growth debate / BBC, 25 Oct 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6083328.stm
Robert Plummer
"As in the US, where immigration has also become a hot political issue, experts seem to agree that the UK economy is bigger and faster-growing because of foreign-born workers. One study, by the accountancy firm Grant Thornton, concluded that as much as one percentage point of UK growth in 2005 and 2006 was contributed by migrants."
Robert Plummer
"As in the US, where immigration has also become a hot political issue, experts seem to agree that the UK economy is bigger and faster-growing because of foreign-born workers. One study, by the accountancy firm Grant Thornton, concluded that as much as one percentage point of UK growth in 2005 and 2006 was contributed by migrants."
Are we going right way to kick bother off buses / This is Bradford, 27 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnps
Jim Greenhalf
"Freedom of movement on public transport is a fundamental right of tax-paying citizens. The same applies to the movement of vehicles belonging to the emergency services. These freedoms have been under random attack by groups of lurking teenagers for a long time."
Jim Greenhalf
"Freedom of movement on public transport is a fundamental right of tax-paying citizens. The same applies to the movement of vehicles belonging to the emergency services. These freedoms have been under random attack by groups of lurking teenagers for a long time."
Experts criticise methadone study / Herald, 30 Oct 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/73233.html
MARTIN WILLIAMS
"Experts yesterday criticised a report that questions the use of methadone in drug abuse treatment and claims it helps fewer than 4% of heroin users kick their habit."
MARTIN WILLIAMS
"Experts yesterday criticised a report that questions the use of methadone in drug abuse treatment and claims it helps fewer than 4% of heroin users kick their habit."
[Canada] Brit-style policing gains momentum / Chilliwack Progress, 29 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnpj
Jeff Nagel
"The province is under pressure to let cities try innovative policing tactics like video surveillance cameras, mandatory drug testing and to spend much more money to combat underlying social causes of crime. Surrey council is at the vanguard of the movement and Mayor Dianne Watts, who led a delegation to Britain this summer to find out how a 35-plus per cent crime drop was achieved there, pushed the premier to embrace similar reforms."
Jeff Nagel
"The province is under pressure to let cities try innovative policing tactics like video surveillance cameras, mandatory drug testing and to spend much more money to combat underlying social causes of crime. Surrey council is at the vanguard of the movement and Mayor Dianne Watts, who led a delegation to Britain this summer to find out how a 35-plus per cent crime drop was achieved there, pushed the premier to embrace similar reforms."
Germany's BKA Uses RFID to Test Criminal-ID Software / RFID Journal, 30 Oct 2006
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2760/1/1/
Rhea Wessel
"Germany's Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), or Federal Criminal Investigation Office, is using RFID as part of a test of facial-recognition software. The trial began this month and will last until January. The project's purpose is to determine if facial-recognition software can be used to pick out known criminals from a crowd moving through a train station."
Rhea Wessel
"Germany's Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), or Federal Criminal Investigation Office, is using RFID as part of a test of facial-recognition software. The trial began this month and will last until January. The project's purpose is to determine if facial-recognition software can be used to pick out known criminals from a crowd moving through a train station."
[USA] The Eye of The Storm / US News, 29 Oct 2006
Kevin Whitelaw
"In a secret, high-tech spy hub near Washington, the war on terror is 24-7. Every weekday at 8 a.m., Kevin Brock hefts a thick white ring binder onto a sleek, oval conference table. Labeled "Read Book," the deceptively plain folder houses the "Threat Matrix," a top-secret compendium of the most troubling reports of possible terrorist activity, drawn from the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. It is thicker than usual on a recent Monday morning, packed with 66 separate items that came in over the weekend. Brock, the principal deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center, is about to brief some of the government's most senior officials on the latest threat information." [5 pages]
"In a secret, high-tech spy hub near Washington, the war on terror is 24-7. Every weekday at 8 a.m., Kevin Brock hefts a thick white ring binder onto a sleek, oval conference table. Labeled "Read Book," the deceptively plain folder houses the "Threat Matrix," a top-secret compendium of the most troubling reports of possible terrorist activity, drawn from the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. It is thicker than usual on a recent Monday morning, packed with 66 separate items that came in over the weekend. Brock, the principal deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center, is about to brief some of the government's most senior officials on the latest threat information." [5 pages]
Bexar County tent jail idea 'get tough' or gimmick? / HamiltonExpress-News, 30 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnpg
Tracy Idell
"A handful of Bexar County officials will visit Maricopa County, Ariz. to see how a controversial sheriff forces jail inmates to wear pink underwear, eat 15-cent meals, work on chain gangs and live in un-air-conditioned, Korean War-era tents that can heat up past 120 degrees in the summer. Commissioners Lyle Larson and Tommy Adkisson will meet with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-styled "Toughest Sheriff in America," to see if some of his get-tough measures — particularly the tent jails — could be successfully imported to Bexar County. Adkisson would like to reduce recidivism among the 20 percent of Bexar inmates he estimates cycle back into jail just for the three square meals, cable television and air conditioning. To further reduce comfort, he'd like to see a work program accompany the bare-bones accommodations."
Tracy Idell
"A handful of Bexar County officials will visit Maricopa County, Ariz. to see how a controversial sheriff forces jail inmates to wear pink underwear, eat 15-cent meals, work on chain gangs and live in un-air-conditioned, Korean War-era tents that can heat up past 120 degrees in the summer. Commissioners Lyle Larson and Tommy Adkisson will meet with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-styled "Toughest Sheriff in America," to see if some of his get-tough measures — particularly the tent jails — could be successfully imported to Bexar County. Adkisson would like to reduce recidivism among the 20 percent of Bexar inmates he estimates cycle back into jail just for the three square meals, cable television and air conditioning. To further reduce comfort, he'd like to see a work program accompany the bare-bones accommodations."
The 'illegal immigrants' who inspire / This is Hertfordshire, 30 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnnx
Martina Smit
"The Roma teenager Ilona Marjanska now plays professional football for Leyton Orient Ladies
SOME have called them "bogus illegal immigrants". But one became a councillor, another a professional football player. A third gave up his career as a doctor to start a food business that now employs 30 people. And a fourth uses his wheelchair to fight for his nation.
Use the term "asylum seekers", and many would think of leeches who flock to Britain to suck the system dry. But a new exhibition at the Museum of London makes the voices of these often-misunderstood people heard. It tells the stories of their suffering and loss, but also of their quest to fit in and contribute to their new home."
Martina Smit
"The Roma teenager Ilona Marjanska now plays professional football for Leyton Orient Ladies
SOME have called them "bogus illegal immigrants". But one became a councillor, another a professional football player. A third gave up his career as a doctor to start a food business that now employs 30 people. And a fourth uses his wheelchair to fight for his nation.
Use the term "asylum seekers", and many would think of leeches who flock to Britain to suck the system dry. But a new exhibition at the Museum of London makes the voices of these often-misunderstood people heard. It tells the stories of their suffering and loss, but also of their quest to fit in and contribute to their new home."
Blues and booze on streets of Norfolk / EDP24, 30 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnnw
JULES STEVENS
"Intimidating hoody-wearing teenagers, some as young as 13, get drunk down alleyways, and young men brawl outside pubs in Norfolk's market towns on Friday and Saturday nights. After Norfolk police were rated among the worst for local policing in the country, JULES STEVENS went on patrol to find out if that was the answer to reclaiming the night-time streets."
JULES STEVENS
"Intimidating hoody-wearing teenagers, some as young as 13, get drunk down alleyways, and young men brawl outside pubs in Norfolk's market towns on Friday and Saturday nights. After Norfolk police were rated among the worst for local policing in the country, JULES STEVENS went on patrol to find out if that was the answer to reclaiming the night-time streets."
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Which Way Now? Eighth Annual Review 2005-2006 / Fraud Advisory Panel [2006]
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nnht
"Evaluating the Government’s Fraud Review."
"Evaluating the Government’s Fraud Review."
Friday, October 27, 2006
LESSONS learned after major disturbances hit a Wrexham community could help to spread calm across Paris, which has been hit by similar unrest / Evenin
http://digbig.com/4nneb
"There have been several disturbances in the French capital in recent months and earlier this month Eastern division’s chief superintendent Phill Thomson was invited to the National Police Training School in the Rouen area of France to talk to three French policing agencies at a seminar about initiatives he introduced following the 2003 Caia Park disturbances." [Public Order]
"There have been several disturbances in the French capital in recent months and earlier this month Eastern division’s chief superintendent Phill Thomson was invited to the National Police Training School in the Rouen area of France to talk to three French policing agencies at a seminar about initiatives he introduced following the 2003 Caia Park disturbances." [Public Order]
Challenge Incarceration Program Evaluation - 2006 / Minnesota Dept. of Corrections, October 2006
PDF - http://www.corr.state.mn.us/documents/CIPEvaluationReport10-06.pdf
"The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has completed an in-depth evaluation of its Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) boot camp and found that it has saved taxpayer dollars and reduced recidivism. The report looked at all CIP offenders since the program began in 1992, one of the longest periods for such an evaluation. It compared CIP participants with a control group with similar criminal factors."
"The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has completed an in-depth evaluation of its Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) boot camp and found that it has saved taxpayer dollars and reduced recidivism. The report looked at all CIP offenders since the program began in 1992, one of the longest periods for such an evaluation. It compared CIP participants with a control group with similar criminal factors."
Denying Terrorists Safe Haven in Pakistan / Heritage Foundation, 26 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nndx
Lisa Curtis
"The recent upsurge in Taliban attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan and continuing links of global terrorist networks to groups based in Pakistan are leading many in the United States to question Islamabad’s commitment to fighting the global war on terrorism. Washington should review Pakistani efforts to deny terrorists safe haven and its overall policy toward Pakistan, which is at the center of international anti-terrorism efforts. Pakistan has made invaluable contributions to combating al-Qaeda over the past five years by capturing scores of key leaders and helping to foil numerous deadly plots. However, Islamabad will need to adopt a more comprehensive policy against violent extremism to fully deny groups and individuals the use of Pakistani territory as a base for global jihad."
Lisa Curtis
"The recent upsurge in Taliban attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan and continuing links of global terrorist networks to groups based in Pakistan are leading many in the United States to question Islamabad’s commitment to fighting the global war on terrorism. Washington should review Pakistani efforts to deny terrorists safe haven and its overall policy toward Pakistan, which is at the center of international anti-terrorism efforts. Pakistan has made invaluable contributions to combating al-Qaeda over the past five years by capturing scores of key leaders and helping to foil numerous deadly plots. However, Islamabad will need to adopt a more comprehensive policy against violent extremism to fully deny groups and individuals the use of Pakistani territory as a base for global jihad."
France mirrors worldwide immigration problems / Expatica Belgium, 26 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nndw
"The wave of riots which swept across France a year ago has rocked the international image of the land of "liberty, equality and fraternity" and held a mirror up to integration problems elsewhere in the world, analysts say."
"The wave of riots which swept across France a year ago has rocked the international image of the land of "liberty, equality and fraternity" and held a mirror up to integration problems elsewhere in the world, analysts say."
Firms point to biometric future / BBC, 26 Oct 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6070576.stm
Dominic Bailey
"Some systems can pick out and identify faces from a crowdKeys, cards, passports and PINs could soon be a thing of the past as biometric technology makes our bodies the only passwords we need. Biometric systems - which identify a person by their unique physical or behavioural features - are rapidly being designed and applied to many aspects of our everyday lives."
Dominic Bailey
"Some systems can pick out and identify faces from a crowdKeys, cards, passports and PINs could soon be a thing of the past as biometric technology makes our bodies the only passwords we need. Biometric systems - which identify a person by their unique physical or behavioural features - are rapidly being designed and applied to many aspects of our everyday lives."
Google seeks better access to government information / GovExec, 25 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnct
Daniel Pulliam
"Officials from the leading Internet search engine are working to remove barriers that prevent their technology from reaching vast troves of information buried in government databases." [Inf & KM]
Daniel Pulliam
"Officials from the leading Internet search engine are working to remove barriers that prevent their technology from reaching vast troves of information buried in government databases." [Inf & KM]
The Use of RFID for Human Identification : A DRAFT REPORT from DHS Emerging Applications and Technology Subcommittee to the Full Data Privacy and
Integrity Advisory Committee, Version 1.0
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nnca
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nnca
UK Police portal profiles at 'Public Sector Online' / e-Gov Monitor, 27 Oct 2006
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/8299
"The national Police Portal project was the subject of a case study presentation at the 'Public Sector Online' event at Victoria Park Plaza, London. www.police.uk will be used as an example of how portals have become a popular method of collaborative working and the benefits of this approach. The UK Police Portal is the principle police-public interface for all 53 police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It consists of the www.police.uk web presence, online non-emergency crime reporting system and a public messaging system which makes use of inbound and outbound sms/mms and telephony capabilities. These include text-to-speech and email functionality, which are all provided via a secure connection over the Criminal Justice Extranet (CJX). It enables forces to offer the public a range of communication channels." [Brief]
"The national Police Portal project was the subject of a case study presentation at the 'Public Sector Online' event at Victoria Park Plaza, London. www.police.uk will be used as an example of how portals have become a popular method of collaborative working and the benefits of this approach. The UK Police Portal is the principle police-public interface for all 53 police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It consists of the www.police.uk web presence, online non-emergency crime reporting system and a public messaging system which makes use of inbound and outbound sms/mms and telephony capabilities. These include text-to-speech and email functionality, which are all provided via a secure connection over the Criminal Justice Extranet (CJX). It enables forces to offer the public a range of communication channels." [Brief]
Comment – Never-ending story / CIPFA, 27 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nnbc
Pat McFadden
"There are still too many examples of poor data-sharing between government and its agencies, argues the social exclusion minister. Vulnerable people should have to give their details to only one arm of government When we listen to some of the most vulnerable people in our society — such as homeless people, older people, those with disabilities, people who have just come out of institutions — they tell us that they are frustrated by having to tell the same story over and over again to different agencies and parts of government. "
Pat McFadden
"There are still too many examples of poor data-sharing between government and its agencies, argues the social exclusion minister. Vulnerable people should have to give their details to only one arm of government When we listen to some of the most vulnerable people in our society — such as homeless people, older people, those with disabilities, people who have just come out of institutions — they tell us that they are frustrated by having to tell the same story over and over again to different agencies and parts of government. "
Trustguide / DTI, October 2006
PDF - http://www.trustguide.org.uk/Trustguide%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf
"Trustguide takes a “citizen-centric” approach to understanding the beliefs and needs of users in relation to trust, security and privacy in ICT mediated activities. It has established a dialogue with the public through facilitated focus group discussions among selected groups across the UK. Topics covered in these groups include:• Trust versus risk• E-Commerce: Risk and Responsibility• Factors that impact on risk taking• Mitigated risk• ID cards: An aid to security?• Use of Biometric data• Privacy and health information• E-Government and Public Sector IT• Awareness and education• Use of public access terminals"
"Trustguide takes a “citizen-centric” approach to understanding the beliefs and needs of users in relation to trust, security and privacy in ICT mediated activities. It has established a dialogue with the public through facilitated focus group discussions among selected groups across the UK. Topics covered in these groups include:• Trust versus risk• E-Commerce: Risk and Responsibility• Factors that impact on risk taking• Mitigated risk• ID cards: An aid to security?• Use of Biometric data• Privacy and health information• E-Government and Public Sector IT• Awareness and education• Use of public access terminals"
Thursday, October 26, 2006
German Railway Tests Biometric Technology / CIO, 23 Oct 2006
http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=26000
"Terrorists attempting to smuggle bombs into trains could be stopped in their tracks by intelligent surveillance technology being tested by German railway company Deutsche Bahn.
"We’re a couple of weeks into a pilot project that is testing technology designed to automatically detect terrorists or other criminals entering trains and alert security personnel," Jens Puls, director of corporate security at Deutsche Bahn, said Monday at the Systems IT trade show in Munich."
"Terrorists attempting to smuggle bombs into trains could be stopped in their tracks by intelligent surveillance technology being tested by German railway company Deutsche Bahn.
"We’re a couple of weeks into a pilot project that is testing technology designed to automatically detect terrorists or other criminals entering trains and alert security personnel," Jens Puls, director of corporate security at Deutsche Bahn, said Monday at the Systems IT trade show in Munich."
It’s time immigration moved to Scotland / The Herald, 25 Oct 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/72861.html
Iain Macwhirter
"[..]Now, the Scottish Executive has, for some time, been trying to secure a Scottish "opt-out" from UK policy, allowing higher points for immigrants wanting to come to Scotland. There have been some minor concessions. Yesterday, the Home Office agreed that asylum applications should be processed in Scotland.But so far the Home Office has drawn the line at allowing any significant departure from UK immigration policy for fear that immigrants would enter the UK by Scotland and immediately move south. Well, that's what Scots do.[..]"
Iain Macwhirter
"[..]Now, the Scottish Executive has, for some time, been trying to secure a Scottish "opt-out" from UK policy, allowing higher points for immigrants wanting to come to Scotland. There have been some minor concessions. Yesterday, the Home Office agreed that asylum applications should be processed in Scotland.But so far the Home Office has drawn the line at allowing any significant departure from UK immigration policy for fear that immigrants would enter the UK by Scotland and immediately move south. Well, that's what Scots do.[..]"
101 put on hold - 'Inappropriate' calls delay wave two roll-out / The Register, 26 Oct 2006
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/26/101_on_hold/
"The Home Office is to delay the roll-out of the 101 non-emergency number due to complaints from police forces about its misuse. The decision was made at a meeting after police forces complained that two out of every three calls were deemed inappropriate. Hampshire Constabulary's deputy chief constable Ian Readhead told the Home Office at the meeting his authority had become nothing more than a provider of train timetables or tourist information service. It was also reported that many callers had a genuine emergency and needed a 999 service."
"The Home Office is to delay the roll-out of the 101 non-emergency number due to complaints from police forces about its misuse. The decision was made at a meeting after police forces complained that two out of every three calls were deemed inappropriate. Hampshire Constabulary's deputy chief constable Ian Readhead told the Home Office at the meeting his authority had become nothing more than a provider of train timetables or tourist information service. It was also reported that many callers had a genuine emergency and needed a 999 service."
US, EU sketch plans for global immigration database / The Register, 25 Oct 2006
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/25/global_immigration_db/
Mark Ballard
If your print ain't down, you ain't coming in. The US is to corral "like-minded" nations behind a global immigration database after proving with a trial link to British computers that such an ambitious, global plan is technically feasible. Allies of the US have joined it in talks to formulate an international policy framework that would allow the sharing of immigration databases, effectively creating a global border control. Their aim is to stop criminals and other undesirable migrants at a vast, biometric border that is likely to include, at the very least, the EU countries, Australia, and Canada."
Mark Ballard
If your print ain't down, you ain't coming in. The US is to corral "like-minded" nations behind a global immigration database after proving with a trial link to British computers that such an ambitious, global plan is technically feasible. Allies of the US have joined it in talks to formulate an international policy framework that would allow the sharing of immigration databases, effectively creating a global border control. Their aim is to stop criminals and other undesirable migrants at a vast, biometric border that is likely to include, at the very least, the EU countries, Australia, and Canada."
Monday, October 23, 2006
Free online studies with Open University / Yorkshire Post, 23 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nmag
"Internet users anywhere in the world will be able to study through the Open University free of charge from this week. The Open University will become the first UK higher education institution to make its study materials freely available online. Up to 900 hours of learning resources will be published as part of a £5.65m project to meet the challenges of the explosion in online information. The university's website, www.open.ac.uk/openlearn, will go live on Wednesday [25/10/2006]. It will mean study material from access level to post-graduate will be available to anyone in the world with an internet connection. The OpenLearn site covers most popular subjects including arts, history, business, science, health, computing, mathematics and modern languages."
"Internet users anywhere in the world will be able to study through the Open University free of charge from this week. The Open University will become the first UK higher education institution to make its study materials freely available online. Up to 900 hours of learning resources will be published as part of a £5.65m project to meet the challenges of the explosion in online information. The university's website, www.open.ac.uk/openlearn, will go live on Wednesday [25/10/2006]. It will mean study material from access level to post-graduate will be available to anyone in the world with an internet connection. The OpenLearn site covers most popular subjects including arts, history, business, science, health, computing, mathematics and modern languages."
ANALYSIS OF HOME OFFICE COSTS REPORT OF OCTOBER 2006 / LSE Identity Project, 20Oct 2006
PDF - http://www.csrc.lse.ac.uk/idcard/identityreport.pdf
Access page - http://www.csrc.lse.ac.uk/idcard/Published Monday, 23 October, 2006 - 11:15
"Researchers from LSE have released their analysis of the government’s first Section 37 report on the likely costs of the UK Identity Cards Scheme."
Access page - http://www.csrc.lse.ac.uk/idcard/Published Monday, 23 October, 2006 - 11:15
"Researchers from LSE have released their analysis of the government’s first Section 37 report on the likely costs of the UK Identity Cards Scheme."
[Australia]Deadly drug pipes sold in Sydney / Daily telegraph [Aus.] 23 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkxp
Steve Gee and Gemma Jones
"SYDNEY tobacconists are illegally selling pipes used to smoke the insidious drug ice, with one audacious enough to display them a block from Kings Cross police station. Three months after the State Government outlawed ice pipes, The Daily Telegraph found pipes clearly visible behind the counter at a Kings Cross store – just 400m from the police station. Despite the threat of two years in jail and a hefty fine for stocking drug paraphernalia, retailers across the city are selling ice pipes for as little as $10."
Steve Gee and Gemma Jones
"SYDNEY tobacconists are illegally selling pipes used to smoke the insidious drug ice, with one audacious enough to display them a block from Kings Cross police station. Three months after the State Government outlawed ice pipes, The Daily Telegraph found pipes clearly visible behind the counter at a Kings Cross store – just 400m from the police station. Despite the threat of two years in jail and a hefty fine for stocking drug paraphernalia, retailers across the city are selling ice pipes for as little as $10."
New street pastors will offer helping hand to young people (Weston-super-Mare) / Avon & Somerset Constabulary, 23 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkxm
"A new force is being recruited to take to the streets of Weston-super-Mare with the primary aim of working with young people.Street Pastors form part of a nationwide inter-denominational church response to urban problems, including binge drinking and anti social behaviour. The pastors wear a distinctive uniform and engage with young people and have already had considerable success with drops in crime, where the teams have been working in other parts of the country. The Weston-super-Mare project will be the first street pastor scheme to be launched in a police force in the South West."
"A new force is being recruited to take to the streets of Weston-super-Mare with the primary aim of working with young people.Street Pastors form part of a nationwide inter-denominational church response to urban problems, including binge drinking and anti social behaviour. The pastors wear a distinctive uniform and engage with young people and have already had considerable success with drops in crime, where the teams have been working in other parts of the country. The Weston-super-Mare project will be the first street pastor scheme to be launched in a police force in the South West."
Use of Long Range RFID's in Passports Bad News for Privacy, Says Smart Card Alliance / GovTech, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkxk
"Using the long read range radio frequency identification (RFID) technology the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and State Department are proposing for passport cards will do little to increase the security of the nation's borders, and opens up possibilities that U.S. citizens could be tracked, the Smart Card Alliance said. The Alliance contends that a more privacy sensitive and secure passport card solution using the same contactless smart card technology found in the new electronic passports (ePassports) can improve border security without causing delays at crossings."
"Using the long read range radio frequency identification (RFID) technology the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and State Department are proposing for passport cards will do little to increase the security of the nation's borders, and opens up possibilities that U.S. citizens could be tracked, the Smart Card Alliance said. The Alliance contends that a more privacy sensitive and secure passport card solution using the same contactless smart card technology found in the new electronic passports (ePassports) can improve border security without causing delays at crossings."
[USA] Agencies Make Progress in Locating Fugitive Felons / Gov Tech, 18 Oct 2006
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=101727
"Criminal justice agencies are successfully tracking down offenders with JusticeXchange, an up-to-date database of criminal justice information, according to a release. Police, sheriffs' deputies, and probation and parole officers have utilized the service to find individuals who may have been jailed in another jurisdiction."
"Criminal justice agencies are successfully tracking down offenders with JusticeXchange, an up-to-date database of criminal justice information, according to a release. Police, sheriffs' deputies, and probation and parole officers have utilized the service to find individuals who may have been jailed in another jurisdiction."
Choking terrorist funds needs global effort / Hindu, 23 Oct 2006
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/23/stories/2006102303271400.htm
Vinay Kumar
"Outfits have more than enough money to finance another 9/11: Gurule. Islamic charities and some States are sources. Over $200 million of funds frozen by U.S. With terrorism becoming a global problem, the international community faces a tough challenge to go after money that is used to finance terrorist cells across the world, said Professor Jimmy Gurule, a former United States Government official. Professor Gurule played a key role in evolving the anti-terrorism strategy of the U.S. in the post 9/11 scenario. "
Vinay Kumar
"Outfits have more than enough money to finance another 9/11: Gurule. Islamic charities and some States are sources. Over $200 million of funds frozen by U.S. With terrorism becoming a global problem, the international community faces a tough challenge to go after money that is used to finance terrorist cells across the world, said Professor Jimmy Gurule, a former United States Government official. Professor Gurule played a key role in evolving the anti-terrorism strategy of the U.S. in the post 9/11 scenario. "
New stats handbook shows the latest trends in UK drinks' industry / British Beer & Pub Association, October 2006
http://www.beerandpub.com/download.asp?id_Doc=2585
"Britain's alcohol consumption fell last year for the first time since 1998, according to a justpublished industry bible of alcohol-related statistics."
"Britain's alcohol consumption fell last year for the first time since 1998, according to a justpublished industry bible of alcohol-related statistics."
Lord Chief Justice Rules In Favour of Asylum Seekers Convicted of Passport Offences / Medical Foundation for the Care of the victims of Torture,
20 Oct 2006
http://www.torturecare.org.uk/news/latest_news/760
"Asylum seekers who have been convicted of arriving in the UK without a valid passport establishing their identity and nationality can appeal against their sentence following a ruling by the Lord Chief Justice. The ruling means that dozens of asylum seekers who have been convicted under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants,etc) 2004 have wrongly spent time in prison. Usual sentence for the offence has been between three and 12 months.
To have a defence under the act, asylum seekers had to prove that at no stage of the journey were they in possession of an immigration document. Given that some form of documentation would have been needed to cross borders on the way to the UK or board aircraft, for many this was an impossibility. [NCADC email version]
http://www.torturecare.org.uk/news/latest_news/760
"Asylum seekers who have been convicted of arriving in the UK without a valid passport establishing their identity and nationality can appeal against their sentence following a ruling by the Lord Chief Justice. The ruling means that dozens of asylum seekers who have been convicted under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants,etc) 2004 have wrongly spent time in prison. Usual sentence for the offence has been between three and 12 months.
To have a defence under the act, asylum seekers had to prove that at no stage of the journey were they in possession of an immigration document. Given that some form of documentation would have been needed to cross borders on the way to the UK or board aircraft, for many this was an impossibility. [NCADC email version]
NCVO sets up advisory group on terrorism and the voluntary sector / e-Gov Monitor, 23 Oct 2006
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/8198
"As government is increasingly talking about the need to tackle alleged connections between charities and terrorism, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has set up the first advisory group on terrorism and the voluntary sector. Leaders from across the voluntary sector have been brought together to ensure that the good name of charities is not tarnished, in an attempt to deal with the actions of a handful of organisations, and that all action taken by government is based on solid evidence....."
"As government is increasingly talking about the need to tackle alleged connections between charities and terrorism, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has set up the first advisory group on terrorism and the voluntary sector. Leaders from across the voluntary sector have been brought together to ensure that the good name of charities is not tarnished, in an attempt to deal with the actions of a handful of organisations, and that all action taken by government is based on solid evidence....."
Sunday, October 22, 2006
AUSTRAC Annual Report 2005-06 / Australian Transaction Reports & Analysis Centre, October 2006
http://www.austrac.gov.au/annualreport/
Primary output group 1
Deterring money laundering, serious crime and tax evasion
Developing the regulatory compliance inspection programImproving data integrity of financial transaction reportsFTR statistics for 2005-06 Providing a valued service to promote FTR Act obligations Supporting the AML reform programIdentifying and developing strategic data mining tools Future prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 2
Targeting money laundering, serious crime and tax evasion
Disseminating value added financial intelligence Enhancing financial intelligence through analysis and systems improvementCollaborating with partners to integrate and benefit from FTR informationFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 4
Contribution to international efforts directed at the suppression of money laundering, major crime and tax evasion
Contributing to a global network of FIUs and regulatorsInfluencing the international AML/CTF agendaBenefiting domestic activities through international workImproving the capacity of FIUs in the Asia Pacific regionFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 5
Privacy and security
Maintaining the protection of people, functions and resourcesMaintaining information securityEnsuring compliance with privacy legislation and web publishing guidelinesUpdating policy for Australian Government consistencyDeveloping security communication plansFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
PDF - http://www.austrac.gov.au/publications/annualreports/200506/pdf/index.html
Primary output group 1
Deterring money laundering, serious crime and tax evasion
Developing the regulatory compliance inspection programImproving data integrity of financial transaction reportsFTR statistics for 2005-06 Providing a valued service to promote FTR Act obligations Supporting the AML reform programIdentifying and developing strategic data mining tools Future prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 2
Targeting money laundering, serious crime and tax evasion
Disseminating value added financial intelligence Enhancing financial intelligence through analysis and systems improvementCollaborating with partners to integrate and benefit from FTR informationFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 4
Contribution to international efforts directed at the suppression of money laundering, major crime and tax evasion
Contributing to a global network of FIUs and regulatorsInfluencing the international AML/CTF agendaBenefiting domestic activities through international workImproving the capacity of FIUs in the Asia Pacific regionFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
Primary output group 5
Privacy and security
Maintaining the protection of people, functions and resourcesMaintaining information securityEnsuring compliance with privacy legislation and web publishing guidelinesUpdating policy for Australian Government consistencyDeveloping security communication plansFuture prioritiesPerformance summary
PDF - http://www.austrac.gov.au/publications/annualreports/200506/pdf/index.html
Undercover cops cut crime in half / Manchester Evening News, 21 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkrd
Nicola Dowling
"As part of an operation codenamed Thornback, more than 30 officers have taken to the streets of Rusholme, Whalley Range, Hulme, Oxford Road and Moss Side. The area is a magnet for muggers who pick on students, they see as soft targets."
Nicola Dowling
"As part of an operation codenamed Thornback, more than 30 officers have taken to the streets of Rusholme, Whalley Range, Hulme, Oxford Road and Moss Side. The area is a magnet for muggers who pick on students, they see as soft targets."
THE IMMIGRATION ASYLUM & NATIONALITY ACT 2006 - SUMMARY OF CHANGES / Is it Legal [Blog] 21 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkrc
Ian Mann
"The Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 is the fifth major piece of legislation in the field of asylum and immigration since 1993."
Ian Mann
"The Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 is the fifth major piece of legislation in the field of asylum and immigration since 1993."
Cops arrest 2,000 criminals in months / Halifax Today, 21 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkrb
Ben Holt
"A SPECIAL police unit has arrested more than 2,000 criminals across Calderdale in only eight months. The Volume Crime Unit was established in February this year to speed up investigations into crimes such as domestic violence, criminal damage and theft, which are the most common in Calderdale."
Ben Holt
"A SPECIAL police unit has arrested more than 2,000 criminals across Calderdale in only eight months. The Volume Crime Unit was established in February this year to speed up investigations into crimes such as domestic violence, criminal damage and theft, which are the most common in Calderdale."
Childhood is changing, but ‘paedophobia’ makes things worse / IPPR, 22 Oct 2006
http://www.ippr.org/pressreleases/?id=2388
"Britain is in danger of becoming a nation fearful of its young people, compounding the problems of troubled childhood-adult transitions, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) to be published next month. The research shows that British adults are less likely than those in other European countries to intervene to stop teenagers committing anti social behaviour. " [ Freedom’s Orphans: Raising Youth in a Changing World, will be published next month (Nov) ]
"Britain is in danger of becoming a nation fearful of its young people, compounding the problems of troubled childhood-adult transitions, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) to be published next month. The research shows that British adults are less likely than those in other European countries to intervene to stop teenagers committing anti social behaviour. " [ Freedom’s Orphans: Raising Youth in a Changing World, will be published next month (Nov) ]
[Australia] Prosecutor warns on 'tabloid justice' / Sunday Telegraph, [Aus.] 22 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkqk
"NSW's top prosecutor says politicians are increasingly basing law and order legislation on the opinions of "shock jocks" and sensational reporting of crime, ignoring more rational approaches to the problem. Politicians often responded to tabloid journalism with knee-jerk reaction, especially in the area of sentencing law, because they saw commentators as reflecting public opinion rather than sometimes trying to create it, he said."
"NSW's top prosecutor says politicians are increasingly basing law and order legislation on the opinions of "shock jocks" and sensational reporting of crime, ignoring more rational approaches to the problem. Politicians often responded to tabloid journalism with knee-jerk reaction, especially in the area of sentencing law, because they saw commentators as reflecting public opinion rather than sometimes trying to create it, he said."
UK - portion of Sector Based Scheme closed / WorkPermit, 17 Oct
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_10_17/uk/partial_closure_sbs.htm
"Part of the United Kingdoms SBS programe is closed immediately because all the available visas have been given. Other parts of the scheme are still open. This means that the number of people eligible to come under the SBS work permit scheme has been reduced even further." [Watch This Video]
"Part of the United Kingdoms SBS programe is closed immediately because all the available visas have been given. Other parts of the scheme are still open. This means that the number of people eligible to come under the SBS work permit scheme has been reduced even further." [Watch This Video]
[Australia] Lie detectors to be left out of the spy game / The Australian, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkqj
Simon Kearney
"AUSTRALIAN spy agencies have abandoned plans to introduce lie-detector tests after a three-year trial found them to be unreliable and likely to cause low morale among intelligence officers.
Lie-detector tests are routinely used by US agencies such as the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency to weed out traitors." [See ASIO Annual Report]
Simon Kearney
"AUSTRALIAN spy agencies have abandoned plans to introduce lie-detector tests after a three-year trial found them to be unreliable and likely to cause low morale among intelligence officers.
Lie-detector tests are routinely used by US agencies such as the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency to weed out traitors." [See ASIO Annual Report]
DNA database used to help solve thefts / USA Today, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-10-19-dna-analysis_x.htm
Richard Willing
"Marie Varriale, lab forensics supervisor, uses a machine that tests DNA evidence samples at the state crime lab in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin is one of 10 states where DNA matches in property-crime cases have exceeded the number of matches in violent crimes. The national database of criminals' DNA, designed by the FBI to help solve rapes and murders, increasingly is being used to identify suspects in unsolved burglaries and other property crimes, a USA TODAY review of state crime lab records shows."
See also: DNA Analysis for “Minor” Crimes: A Major Benefit for Law Enforcement
NIJ Journal No. 253 • January 2006
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/253/dna_analysis.html
Edwin Zedlewski and Mary B. Murphy
Richard Willing
"Marie Varriale, lab forensics supervisor, uses a machine that tests DNA evidence samples at the state crime lab in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin is one of 10 states where DNA matches in property-crime cases have exceeded the number of matches in violent crimes. The national database of criminals' DNA, designed by the FBI to help solve rapes and murders, increasingly is being used to identify suspects in unsolved burglaries and other property crimes, a USA TODAY review of state crime lab records shows."
See also: DNA Analysis for “Minor” Crimes: A Major Benefit for Law Enforcement
NIJ Journal No. 253 • January 2006
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/253/dna_analysis.html
Edwin Zedlewski and Mary B. Murphy
Prevalence of victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder and violent behaviour in the seriously mentally ill
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 40(11-12)
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/anp/40/11-12
Alexander Mc Farlane, Geoff Schrader, Clara Bookless, Derek Browne
"There is evidence that individuals with a mental illness are more likely to report a history of victimization and to be at an increased risk for future victimization. The aims of the current study are to determine lifetime rates of different types of victimization in a population of psychiatric inpatients and to examine the associations between a history of victimization and measures of adverse outcome and rates of posttraumatic stress disorder […]" [Sub Required]
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/anp/40/11-12
Alexander Mc Farlane, Geoff Schrader, Clara Bookless, Derek Browne
"There is evidence that individuals with a mental illness are more likely to report a history of victimization and to be at an increased risk for future victimization. The aims of the current study are to determine lifetime rates of different types of victimization in a population of psychiatric inpatients and to examine the associations between a history of victimization and measures of adverse outcome and rates of posttraumatic stress disorder […]" [Sub Required]
How police got their man / Northern Echo, 21 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkqe
"It was a crime which horrified the nation - a little girl enjoying bathtime with her brother one minute, the next snatched by a stranger. It was also a crime which was greeted with almost universal disbelief by those not directly associated with the investigation; those who hadn't spoken to the little girl's mother, or seen the bathroom of their downstairs flat in Willington Quay and just how close it was to the unlocked back door."
"It was a crime which horrified the nation - a little girl enjoying bathtime with her brother one minute, the next snatched by a stranger. It was also a crime which was greeted with almost universal disbelief by those not directly associated with the investigation; those who hadn't spoken to the little girl's mother, or seen the bathroom of their downstairs flat in Willington Quay and just how close it was to the unlocked back door."
Cracking missing person cases with cyberforensics / CIOL, 20 Oct 2006
http://www.ciol.com/content/search/showarticle1.asp?artid=89956
"The Bangalore police last year managed to solve 18 missing persons cases. All thanks to the nifty software at the cyberforensics lab attached to the Cybercrime police station in the city.According to Sanjay Vir Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Economic Offenses, Corp of Detectives (COD), Bangalore, the lab has a set of 12 softwares including a “read-notify” solution that can tell the location/city from when a person accesses his or her e-mail account. “Even if the missing person does not write an email and just clicks into the account, we can track it,” he explained."
"The Bangalore police last year managed to solve 18 missing persons cases. All thanks to the nifty software at the cyberforensics lab attached to the Cybercrime police station in the city.According to Sanjay Vir Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Economic Offenses, Corp of Detectives (COD), Bangalore, the lab has a set of 12 softwares including a “read-notify” solution that can tell the location/city from when a person accesses his or her e-mail account. “Even if the missing person does not write an email and just clicks into the account, we can track it,” he explained."
[Netherlands] Refugee children behind bars : Action, action everywhere - but not a change in sight / Radio Netherlands, 21 Oct 2006
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/documentaries/061021doc
Mindy Ran
"Currently in the Netherlands there are over 200 children of refused asylum seekers held in high-security detention with their parents. While both the number of children affected and the protests against this are rising, the government appears not to be listening."
Mindy Ran
"Currently in the Netherlands there are over 200 children of refused asylum seekers held in high-security detention with their parents. While both the number of children affected and the protests against this are rising, the government appears not to be listening."
An overview of the nature and extent of illicit drug use amongst the Traveller community /
PDF - http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/attached/3004-3193.pdf
"A new study aimed at assessing the nature and extent of drug use amongst the Travelling Community in Ireland shows that Travellers are a risk group for whom the impact of drug use and its consequent problems is now emerging."
"A new study aimed at assessing the nature and extent of drug use amongst the Travelling Community in Ireland shows that Travellers are a risk group for whom the impact of drug use and its consequent problems is now emerging."
[Iraq]HUNTING GAYS IN IRAQ: How the Death Squads Work / Direland, 22 Oct 2006
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2006/10/hunting_gays_in.html
"The Badr Corps’ murderous campaign is not limited to street executions—it includes Internet entrapment and intimidation backed by violence. Networks of neighborhood informers—SCIRI militants and sympathizers—track suspected gays and report them for targeting by the terror campaign."
"The Badr Corps’ murderous campaign is not limited to street executions—it includes Internet entrapment and intimidation backed by violence. Networks of neighborhood informers—SCIRI militants and sympathizers—track suspected gays and report them for targeting by the terror campaign."
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Impact of Implicit Stereotyping on Offender Profiling: Unexpected Results From an Observational Study of Shoplifting
Criminal Justice and Behavior 2006 33: 646-674
PDF - http://cjb.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/33/5/646
Dean A. Dabney, Laura Dugan, Volkan Topalli, and Richard C. Hollinger
PDF - http://cjb.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/33/5/646
Dean A. Dabney, Laura Dugan, Volkan Topalli, and Richard C. Hollinger
VIOLENCE BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC : Influences of Work-Related Stress, Job Satisfaction, Burnout, and Situational Factors
Criminal Justice and Behavior 2006 33: 613-645
PDF - http://cjb.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/33/5/613
PATRIK MANZONI ; MANUEL EISNER
PDF - http://cjb.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/33/5/613
PATRIK MANZONI ; MANUEL EISNER
Gangs not out of control / Hackney Gazette, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkma
"A SENIOR police officer has blasted reports that he described gang warfare in Hackney as spiralling out of control. Supt Leroy Logan denied that he had labelled Hackney as one of the most dangerous boroughs in London, rife with US-style postcode killings by rival mobs, after an internal report he wrote in May was leaked to a national newspaper last weekend. "There's nothing in my report which says anything of that nature," he said. "We're doing extremely well in keeping these things in perspective. "The report, which focuses on Hackney, says that the borough is "suffering from the highest rates of increase of gun and knife crime in London".
"A SENIOR police officer has blasted reports that he described gang warfare in Hackney as spiralling out of control. Supt Leroy Logan denied that he had labelled Hackney as one of the most dangerous boroughs in London, rife with US-style postcode killings by rival mobs, after an internal report he wrote in May was leaked to a national newspaper last weekend. "There's nothing in my report which says anything of that nature," he said. "We're doing extremely well in keeping these things in perspective. "The report, which focuses on Hackney, says that the borough is "suffering from the highest rates of increase of gun and knife crime in London".
Are you a middle-class criminal? / Financial Times, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkky
Richard Tomkins
"Working late at the office, you are loading some more paper into the printer when you suddenly remember you have run out of A4 at home. “Well,” you tell yourself, “I’m working overtime for nothing, so I’m owed.” Thus exonerated, you unlock the stationery cupboard and help yourself to a pack of 500 sheets – followed by a roll of Sellotape, three pens and a Pritt stick. This, of course, is an act of pure, unvarnished theft. If you were caught nicking the stuff from Ryman, the police would come and arrest you. But somehow, the middle classes have managed to persuade themselves that when they commit a crime for personal gain, it is not the same as when the criminal classes do. So they lie, cheat and steal with abandon." [Sub Required]
Richard Tomkins
"Working late at the office, you are loading some more paper into the printer when you suddenly remember you have run out of A4 at home. “Well,” you tell yourself, “I’m working overtime for nothing, so I’m owed.” Thus exonerated, you unlock the stationery cupboard and help yourself to a pack of 500 sheets – followed by a roll of Sellotape, three pens and a Pritt stick. This, of course, is an act of pure, unvarnished theft. If you were caught nicking the stuff from Ryman, the police would come and arrest you. But somehow, the middle classes have managed to persuade themselves that when they commit a crime for personal gain, it is not the same as when the criminal classes do. So they lie, cheat and steal with abandon." [Sub Required]
The case against vetting
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/earticle/1888/
Josie Appleton
" A new report reveals the damage done by the never-ending expansion of criminal records checks for anyone involved with children. Criminal records vetting was once for people in unusual positions, such as spies and judges; now millions of fathers and mothers need the all-clear before they can go on school trips, become school governors, or volunteer with the local boys’ football team. I have written a Manifesto Club report, The Case Against Vetting: How the Child Protection Industry is Poisoning Adult-Child Relations. The report documents just how far vetting has gone, and draws on testimonies from childcare experts, sports teachers and community workers, to show how the massive expansion of these bureaucratic procedures is eroding relationships of trust.
Josie Appleton
" A new report reveals the damage done by the never-ending expansion of criminal records checks for anyone involved with children. Criminal records vetting was once for people in unusual positions, such as spies and judges; now millions of fathers and mothers need the all-clear before they can go on school trips, become school governors, or volunteer with the local boys’ football team. I have written a Manifesto Club report, The Case Against Vetting: How the Child Protection Industry is Poisoning Adult-Child Relations. The report documents just how far vetting has gone, and draws on testimonies from childcare experts, sports teachers and community workers, to show how the massive expansion of these bureaucratic procedures is eroding relationships of trust.
New Agency promises to reach out to the 'world of policing' / Jane's Police Review, 18 Oct 2006
http://jpr.janes.com
"OFFICERS are due to get a say on the direction of policing via a number of practitioners' panels at the new National Policing Improvement Agency, its chairman has promised. Peter Holland, appointed last month by the Home Secretary, told Police Review the panels would help the Agency work better with officers than its predecessors did. [Sub required]
"OFFICERS are due to get a say on the direction of policing via a number of practitioners' panels at the new National Policing Improvement Agency, its chairman has promised. Peter Holland, appointed last month by the Home Secretary, told Police Review the panels would help the Agency work better with officers than its predecessors did. [Sub required]
[Belgium] Foreigners detained unnecessarily / Expatica News, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkt
"A quarter of all asylum seekers are being held in one of Belgium's six asylum centres (centres fermés) under poor conditions and unnecessarily according to a report based on eye-witness accounts. There are also a number of complaints listed about the use of violence during forced repatriations and currently detainees have little chance of proving their claims as currently there is no video surveillance during the process and no overall monitoring of the events following the arrival and detention of asylum seekers. In view of this, Refugee Work Flanders has called for all forced repatriations to be filmed."
The report is available in French at http://www.cire.irisnet.be/
"A quarter of all asylum seekers are being held in one of Belgium's six asylum centres (centres fermés) under poor conditions and unnecessarily according to a report based on eye-witness accounts. There are also a number of complaints listed about the use of violence during forced repatriations and currently detainees have little chance of proving their claims as currently there is no video surveillance during the process and no overall monitoring of the events following the arrival and detention of asylum seekers. In view of this, Refugee Work Flanders has called for all forced repatriations to be filmed."
The report is available in French at http://www.cire.irisnet.be/
Community Policing Tactics Win Global Recognition / GovTech, 17 Oct 2006
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/101714
"Police departments from the United States, Canada and India received the Webber Seavey award, an annual recognition of innovative police programs from around the world that is sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Motorola Inc. The 15th annual Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement this year spotlights programs that combated identity theft in the United States, drug smuggling/addiction in remote areas of Quebec and the organized sex trade in India. Each year, the award recognizes innovative policing programs that can serve as models for law enforcement agencies worldwide."
"Police departments from the United States, Canada and India received the Webber Seavey award, an annual recognition of innovative police programs from around the world that is sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Motorola Inc. The 15th annual Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement this year spotlights programs that combated identity theft in the United States, drug smuggling/addiction in remote areas of Quebec and the organized sex trade in India. Each year, the award recognizes innovative policing programs that can serve as models for law enforcement agencies worldwide."
[Australia] 'No end' to terror threat / News.com, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20607229-421,00.html
Patrick Walters
"THE nation's security outlook remains complex and dangerous, with ASIO warning there is no sign the range of threats to Australians is diminishing. The annual report from the country's chief spy agency says the terror group Jemaah Islamiah remains a serious threat to Australian interests and continues to foment violent jihad in parts of Indonesia. ASIO says it is now clear that Islamic extremists see Australian interests around the world and Australia itself as targets for terrorist attacks. In its review of the global terrorist threat, ASIO concluded that al-Qa'ida had a reduced ability to undertake terrorist operations, with its primary role now largely inspirational. "
ASIO Annual Report 2005-2006 - PDF - http://digbig.com/4nkks
Patrick Walters
"THE nation's security outlook remains complex and dangerous, with ASIO warning there is no sign the range of threats to Australians is diminishing. The annual report from the country's chief spy agency says the terror group Jemaah Islamiah remains a serious threat to Australian interests and continues to foment violent jihad in parts of Indonesia. ASIO says it is now clear that Islamic extremists see Australian interests around the world and Australia itself as targets for terrorist attacks. In its review of the global terrorist threat, ASIO concluded that al-Qa'ida had a reduced ability to undertake terrorist operations, with its primary role now largely inspirational. "
ASIO Annual Report 2005-2006 - PDF - http://digbig.com/4nkks
Interferons on a budget / Corrections connection, 18 Oct 2006
http://www.corrections.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=14335
Sarah Etter
"When the Centers for Disease Control released its guidelines for the prevention and treatment of Hepatitis C two years ago, the North Dakota Department of Correction and Rehabilitation faced a health problem that came with a hefty price tag. It is one expensive disease to treat. Most of the people who need Hep C treatment are usually alcoholics or drug users, and in prison, it’s a real problem because they are a much higher concentration of that population.” Roughly 6.3 percent of the agency’s population has been diagnosed with the virus, and it is responsible for treating all long-term offenders. But Hep C treatment can cost, on average, upwards of $21,165 annually per inmate. For ND’s 1,300 Hep C positive inmates that’s a hefty $275,145 yearly bill."
Sarah Etter
"When the Centers for Disease Control released its guidelines for the prevention and treatment of Hepatitis C two years ago, the North Dakota Department of Correction and Rehabilitation faced a health problem that came with a hefty price tag. It is one expensive disease to treat. Most of the people who need Hep C treatment are usually alcoholics or drug users, and in prison, it’s a real problem because they are a much higher concentration of that population.” Roughly 6.3 percent of the agency’s population has been diagnosed with the virus, and it is responsible for treating all long-term offenders. But Hep C treatment can cost, on average, upwards of $21,165 annually per inmate. For ND’s 1,300 Hep C positive inmates that’s a hefty $275,145 yearly bill."
Managing Migration Means Potential EU Complicity in Neighboring States’ Abuse of Migrants and Refugees / HRW, October 2006
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/eu1006/
PDF - http://hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/eu1006/eu1006web.pdf
Current lack of protection in states bordering the EU
The case of Ukraine
The case of Libya
PDF - http://hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/eu1006/eu1006web.pdf
Current lack of protection in states bordering the EU
The case of Ukraine
The case of Libya
Thousands of Zimbabweans deported to Malawi / andnetwork .com, 19 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkq
"At least 3 000 Zimbabweans are said to have been deported from the UK to Malawi during the past few months. Zimbabweans are said to be using Malawian travel documents to escape scrutiny by immigration officials in the United Kingdom and other Western countries. Muzuwa said the deportees had documents proving they were actually Zimbabweans travelling on Malawi papers, because they require no visas. But the British government did not verify their authenticity with the Zimbabwean government." [Passports]
"At least 3 000 Zimbabweans are said to have been deported from the UK to Malawi during the past few months. Zimbabweans are said to be using Malawian travel documents to escape scrutiny by immigration officials in the United Kingdom and other Western countries. Muzuwa said the deportees had documents proving they were actually Zimbabweans travelling on Malawi papers, because they require no visas. But the British government did not verify their authenticity with the Zimbabwean government." [Passports]
[Canada] Senator blasts inaction on air security / Toronto Star, 19 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkp
PETER EDWARDS
"Organized crime groups and potential terrorists continue to operate freely at Pearson International Airport because of federal government indifference, says a senator who heads a post-9/11 probe on national security. He said he's concerned by what he considers easy access to aircraft by potential terrorists and outlaw bikers such as Hells Angels, as well as Asian crime groups, traditional organized-crime groups or mobsters, Russian organized-crime groups and South American drug cartels."
PETER EDWARDS
"Organized crime groups and potential terrorists continue to operate freely at Pearson International Airport because of federal government indifference, says a senator who heads a post-9/11 probe on national security. He said he's concerned by what he considers easy access to aircraft by potential terrorists and outlaw bikers such as Hells Angels, as well as Asian crime groups, traditional organized-crime groups or mobsters, Russian organized-crime groups and South American drug cartels."
Netherlands grants asylum to gay Iranians / Pink News, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-2768.html
Marc Shoffman
"Gay Iranian asylum seekers in the Netherlands will not be sent back to their home country. Reacting to pressure from human rights groups, Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk has granted gays and lesbians from Iran special asylum rights. Asylum seekers fleeing because of fear of persecution because of their sexual orientation will now be granted full residence status. The about-turn comes after Human Rights Watch wrote to Dutch authorities calling on them not to return people to countries where they face torture, ill-treatment or death, a fate known to be awaiting LGBT people in Iran where Sharia law proscribes the death penalty for homosexuality."
Marc Shoffman
"Gay Iranian asylum seekers in the Netherlands will not be sent back to their home country. Reacting to pressure from human rights groups, Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk has granted gays and lesbians from Iran special asylum rights. Asylum seekers fleeing because of fear of persecution because of their sexual orientation will now be granted full residence status. The about-turn comes after Human Rights Watch wrote to Dutch authorities calling on them not to return people to countries where they face torture, ill-treatment or death, a fate known to be awaiting LGBT people in Iran where Sharia law proscribes the death penalty for homosexuality."
Pakistan to send back immigrants deported from Spain / EITB 24, 19 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkn
"Pakistan's embassy in Spain issued "emergency passports" to 42 illegal immigrants but informed immigration officials in Pakistan that it was unsure about their nationalities. A planeload of illegal immigrants landed in Pakistan from Spain but officials found that most of the passengers were from Indian Kashmir and planned to send them back to Spain. Pakistan's embassy in Spain issued "emergency passports" to 42 illegal immigrants but informed immigration officials in Pakistan that it was unsure about their nationalities. "To the surprise of our staff, there was only one Pakistani among them," said Tariq Pervez, head of the Federal Investigation Agency, which deals with immigration. He said most of the passengers were from Indian Kashmir. "We are interrogating them and will send the non-Pakistanis back to Spain," Pervez said." [Brief]
"Pakistan's embassy in Spain issued "emergency passports" to 42 illegal immigrants but informed immigration officials in Pakistan that it was unsure about their nationalities. A planeload of illegal immigrants landed in Pakistan from Spain but officials found that most of the passengers were from Indian Kashmir and planned to send them back to Spain. Pakistan's embassy in Spain issued "emergency passports" to 42 illegal immigrants but informed immigration officials in Pakistan that it was unsure about their nationalities. "To the surprise of our staff, there was only one Pakistani among them," said Tariq Pervez, head of the Federal Investigation Agency, which deals with immigration. He said most of the passengers were from Indian Kashmir. "We are interrogating them and will send the non-Pakistanis back to Spain," Pervez said." [Brief]
Fighting Terrorism by Sharing Data / Wall Street Journal, October 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkm
Robert Block
"Under intense criticism from local officials, the Department of Homeland Security will revamp its information-sharing programs and the way it works with police in the fight against terrorism. Among the changes expected to be announced are plans to speed up security clearances for local police; to provide faster, better threat ..." [Sub Required]
Robert Block
"Under intense criticism from local officials, the Department of Homeland Security will revamp its information-sharing programs and the way it works with police in the fight against terrorism. Among the changes expected to be announced are plans to speed up security clearances for local police; to provide faster, better threat ..." [Sub Required]
Infrequent Pot Use Often Goes Undetected On Hair Strand Tests / NORML, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7075
"Drug testing technology that detects the residual presence of cannabinoids and/or their metabolites in the hair typically fails to identify occasional marijuana users, according to trial data published online (ahead of print) by the journal Forensic Science International."
"Drug testing technology that detects the residual presence of cannabinoids and/or their metabolites in the hair typically fails to identify occasional marijuana users, according to trial data published online (ahead of print) by the journal Forensic Science International."
[Netherlands] 1,400 Amsterdam Muslims 'are potential extremists' / Expatica, 18 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkkk
"Research has indicated that more than 1,400 young Muslims in Amsterdam, or 2 percent of the capital's Islamic population, are potential extremists. The University of Amsterdam academics identified the potential extremists as 16 to 18-year-olds of Moroccan and Turkish origin with a high school education. They would be socially isolated and display a deep distrust of the political system. The academics said the youths were susceptible to radicalisation because of their very orthodox beliefs combined with deep dissatisfaction with the debate over Islam in the Netherlands."
"Research has indicated that more than 1,400 young Muslims in Amsterdam, or 2 percent of the capital's Islamic population, are potential extremists. The University of Amsterdam academics identified the potential extremists as 16 to 18-year-olds of Moroccan and Turkish origin with a high school education. They would be socially isolated and display a deep distrust of the political system. The academics said the youths were susceptible to radicalisation because of their very orthodox beliefs combined with deep dissatisfaction with the debate over Islam in the Netherlands."
Sefton Centre for Restorative Practices: Heading for a RestorativeCommunity / Real Justice, October 2006
http://www.realjustice.org/library/beth06_finnismoran.html
Mark Finnis and Paul Moran,
" The center offers restorative conferences for victims and offenders andtheir communities of care -- in cases ranging from "deaths to the theft of a pencil and everything in between" -- as well as family groupconferences for incidents within families. Sefton schools have greatly benefited from restorative practices training and consulting providedby the center. Restorative approaches -- from informal interventions inplayground disputes to formal conferences in which affected partiesaddress transgressions -- have been implemented throughout Sefton schools, and are preparing children to deal with issues far beyond theclassroom."
PDF - http://fp.enter.net/restorativepractices/beth06_finnismoran.pdf
Mark Finnis and Paul Moran,
" The center offers restorative conferences for victims and offenders andtheir communities of care -- in cases ranging from "deaths to the theft of a pencil and everything in between" -- as well as family groupconferences for incidents within families. Sefton schools have greatly benefited from restorative practices training and consulting providedby the center. Restorative approaches -- from informal interventions inplayground disputes to formal conferences in which affected partiesaddress transgressions -- have been implemented throughout Sefton schools, and are preparing children to deal with issues far beyond theclassroom."
PDF - http://fp.enter.net/restorativepractices/beth06_finnismoran.pdf
Friday, October 20, 2006
DR Congo 'No Place for children' - but still the UK send them back / NCADC, 20 Oct 2006
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/index.htm
"DR Congo at the moment is one of the worst places in which to be born and to grow up" Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn). There are more than 250,000 homeless children in the DRC. [I would also like to raise the ongoing and acute humanitarian needs of millions of Congolese. Misery and deprivation remain a fact of life for too many Congolese. Hilary Benn 11th September 2006, on his return from a visit to DR Congo]
There was a debate in Parliament 'Street Children in DR Congo'on Wednesday the 18th October 2006. All the MPs who spoke, most of whom have visited DR Congo this year, gave a very depressing picture of life in DR Congo and offered no hope as to how to end the relentless cycle of civil strife, poverty, corruption, lack of health care, lack of state care, a hopeless infrastructure."
"DR Congo at the moment is one of the worst places in which to be born and to grow up" Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn). There are more than 250,000 homeless children in the DRC. [I would also like to raise the ongoing and acute humanitarian needs of millions of Congolese. Misery and deprivation remain a fact of life for too many Congolese. Hilary Benn 11th September 2006, on his return from a visit to DR Congo]
There was a debate in Parliament 'Street Children in DR Congo'on Wednesday the 18th October 2006. All the MPs who spoke, most of whom have visited DR Congo this year, gave a very depressing picture of life in DR Congo and offered no hope as to how to end the relentless cycle of civil strife, poverty, corruption, lack of health care, lack of state care, a hopeless infrastructure."
NUMBER OF IDENTITY FRAUD VICTIMS REACHES RECORD LEVEL / CIFAS, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.cifas.org.uk/press_20061016.asp
"The latest Identity Fraud figures were released today by CIFAS, The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, at the launch of this year’s National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. T hey show that, at the end of the third quarter of 2006, the number of identity fraud victims recorded by CIFAS Members had reached a record level."
"The latest Identity Fraud figures were released today by CIFAS, The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, at the launch of this year’s National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. T hey show that, at the end of the third quarter of 2006, the number of identity fraud victims recorded by CIFAS Members had reached a record level."
Organised crime fails to stop skiddies / Register, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkgn
Guy Kewney
"Disorganised web to blame. About a year ago, I attended a top-level roundtable meeting of malware experts, where we discussed organised crime on the internet, and came to the conclusion that, in one sense, it might be a good thing for users. That sense was trivial, of course, compared with the problems of extortion and "protection" rackets. But it looked real: it did seem as if there would be a small "up side" in that the big-time gangsters would find it irritating to be upstaged by script-kiddies, and might start taking them down."
Guy Kewney
"Disorganised web to blame. About a year ago, I attended a top-level roundtable meeting of malware experts, where we discussed organised crime on the internet, and came to the conclusion that, in one sense, it might be a good thing for users. That sense was trivial, of course, compared with the problems of extortion and "protection" rackets. But it looked real: it did seem as if there would be a small "up side" in that the big-time gangsters would find it irritating to be upstaged by script-kiddies, and might start taking them down."
Joan Ryan speech to Biometrics 2006 Conference / Information Politics Blog, 20 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkgk
"Ryan supports Liam Bryne, MP - the minister overseeing ID cards programme in the Home Office. Building a safe, just and tolerant society - We’ve spent a long time setting out the case for a biometric identity cards scheme. Debate on this started in 2002 and the reasons and goals for the proposed scheme were rigorously scrutinised as the legislation made its passage through parliament. I am not here today to make the case for a joined up, secure identity management scheme - that case has already been made. What I am here to talk about is how we intend to deliver it. We have to be clear how we are managing the risks around delivery of this scheme and how we can ensure that we do it in a way that is cost-effective, makes best use of resources and maintains public trust. Finally, while concentrating on delivery, we need to have an eye for the future - to understand the potential benefits of this scheme and how we as individuals might use it."
"Ryan supports Liam Bryne, MP - the minister overseeing ID cards programme in the Home Office. Building a safe, just and tolerant society - We’ve spent a long time setting out the case for a biometric identity cards scheme. Debate on this started in 2002 and the reasons and goals for the proposed scheme were rigorously scrutinised as the legislation made its passage through parliament. I am not here today to make the case for a joined up, secure identity management scheme - that case has already been made. What I am here to talk about is how we intend to deliver it. We have to be clear how we are managing the risks around delivery of this scheme and how we can ensure that we do it in a way that is cost-effective, makes best use of resources and maintains public trust. Finally, while concentrating on delivery, we need to have an eye for the future - to understand the potential benefits of this scheme and how we as individuals might use it."
Data protection law doesn't stop crimefighters / Silison, 20 Oct 2006
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39163407,00.htm
Steve Ranger
"Don't hide behind data privacy law, says watchdog. Companies can't use the Data Protection Act (DPA) as an excuse not to release personal information when it is needed in the fight against crime. The data privacy legislation doesn't prevent companies from giving out personal information in this situation, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)."
Steve Ranger
"Don't hide behind data privacy law, says watchdog. Companies can't use the Data Protection Act (DPA) as an excuse not to release personal information when it is needed in the fight against crime. The data privacy legislation doesn't prevent companies from giving out personal information in this situation, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)."
Risk, Responsibility and Regulation - Whose risk is it anyway? / Better Regulation Commission, October 2006
PDF - http://www.brc.gov.uk/downloads/pdf/risk_res_reg.pdf
"Asserts that "we have all... been complicit in a drive to purge risk from our lives and we have drifted towards a disproportionate attitude to the risks we should expect to take". However, "enough is enough - it is time to turn the tide"."
"Asserts that "we have all... been complicit in a drive to purge risk from our lives and we have drifted towards a disproportionate attitude to the risks we should expect to take". However, "enough is enough - it is time to turn the tide"."
Kangaroo youth justice / ARCH Blog, 19 Oct 2006
http://archrights.blogspot.com/2006/10/kangaroo-youth-justice.html
"Some more extraordinary ideas from the Home Office. The Youth Courts Committee of the Magistrates' Association is concerned about the proposals, which it argues could pressure innocent young people to admit guilt to avoid a court appearance, and place too much power in the hands of the police. The overt rationale is that contact with the criminal justice system has been shown to have a strongly negative effect on youth offending. For example, the Edinburgh University study: 'Youth Transitions and Crime' found that one of the most powerful predictors of whether a young person continued to commit offences beyond the age of 17 (rather than ceasing spontaneously) was whether they had entered the system."
"Some more extraordinary ideas from the Home Office. The Youth Courts Committee of the Magistrates' Association is concerned about the proposals, which it argues could pressure innocent young people to admit guilt to avoid a court appearance, and place too much power in the hands of the police. The overt rationale is that contact with the criminal justice system has been shown to have a strongly negative effect on youth offending. For example, the Edinburgh University study: 'Youth Transitions and Crime' found that one of the most powerful predictors of whether a young person continued to commit offences beyond the age of 17 (rather than ceasing spontaneously) was whether they had entered the system."
Classification and Deterrence - where's the evidence? / Transform Drugs Policy Forum Blog, 18 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkfr
"In the first of series of blog posts considering the Government's response to the The Science and Technology Select Committee's report 'Drug Classification; Making a Hash of it?' we consider what is arguably the most significant finding of the Select Committee and the most stunningly inadequate of the Government’s responses."
"In the first of series of blog posts considering the Government's response to the The Science and Technology Select Committee's report 'Drug Classification; Making a Hash of it?' we consider what is arguably the most significant finding of the Select Committee and the most stunningly inadequate of the Government’s responses."
Al Qaeda ‘building cells in Britain’ / Herald, 20 Oct 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/72591.html
IAN BRUCE
"A resurgent al Qaeda has made the UK its priority target and is building active service units among disaffected young British Muslims, according to senior intelligence officials. MI5 also fears the July 7 Tube and bus bombings were "just the beginning" of a rolling campaign aimed at inflicting mass civilian casualties and damaging the economy. The terror network has also taken a lead from the Provisional IRA, organising followers into self-contained cells to make infiltration by the security services almost impossible."
IAN BRUCE
"A resurgent al Qaeda has made the UK its priority target and is building active service units among disaffected young British Muslims, according to senior intelligence officials. MI5 also fears the July 7 Tube and bus bombings were "just the beginning" of a rolling campaign aimed at inflicting mass civilian casualties and damaging the economy. The terror network has also taken a lead from the Provisional IRA, organising followers into self-contained cells to make infiltration by the security services almost impossible."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Multicultural madness needs such antidotes / The Australian, 18 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nkbp
Janet Albrechtsen
"A twentysomething visitor from Britain brings us the message that there should be no special rules for Muslims. IN another sign of predictable cultural capitulation, a check-in employee with British Airways is banned from wearing a small Christian cross but Muslim and Sikh employees may wear turbans and the hijab. Little wonder, then, that Munira Mirza is so refreshing. This young woman, reared as a Muslim, says it's time to scrap multiculturalism and to stop defining people as members of a minority group. Specifically, it's time for our political leaders to stop engaging with Muslims as Muslims. They are citizens; no special rules apply."
Janet Albrechtsen
"A twentysomething visitor from Britain brings us the message that there should be no special rules for Muslims. IN another sign of predictable cultural capitulation, a check-in employee with British Airways is banned from wearing a small Christian cross but Muslim and Sikh employees may wear turbans and the hijab. Little wonder, then, that Munira Mirza is so refreshing. This young woman, reared as a Muslim, says it's time to scrap multiculturalism and to stop defining people as members of a minority group. Specifically, it's time for our political leaders to stop engaging with Muslims as Muslims. They are citizens; no special rules apply."
Jihadis Provide Internet Training for Female Mujahideen . Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 40 (October 17, 2006)
http://digbig.com/4nkbm
Abdul Hameed Bakier
"The use of female suicide bombers by Islamist militant groups in countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Afghanistan and Indian Kashmir has exceeded the traditional constraints that Salafi-Jihadi ideology imposes on women. Observers of jihadi cyber activities have noticed an increase in the number of websites dedicated to mujahidat (female mujahideen), linked either directly or ideologically to al-Qaeda. The physical and spiritual preparation of the mujahidat has recently spread to many jihadi websites."
Abdul Hameed Bakier
"The use of female suicide bombers by Islamist militant groups in countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Afghanistan and Indian Kashmir has exceeded the traditional constraints that Salafi-Jihadi ideology imposes on women. Observers of jihadi cyber activities have noticed an increase in the number of websites dedicated to mujahidat (female mujahideen), linked either directly or ideologically to al-Qaeda. The physical and spiritual preparation of the mujahidat has recently spread to many jihadi websites."
Legal highs: the new 'social tonics'? / New Statesman, 23 Oct 2006
http://www.newstatesman.com/200610230025
Stephen Armstrong
"Britain's drugs laws are in a mess, and into the confusion has stepped a new breed of drugs entrepreneurs who claim they have the answer: safe, substitute substances." [Sub required]
Stephen Armstrong
"Britain's drugs laws are in a mess, and into the confusion has stepped a new breed of drugs entrepreneurs who claim they have the answer: safe, substitute substances." [Sub required]
Cannabis: a drug more dangerous than heroin / Herald, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/72474.html
Melanie Reid
The dangers of cannabis use by young people have been evident for several years. Growing numbers of teenagers are encountering mental health problems and their distressed families, searching for answers, are discovering an unwelcome truth: that everywhere circumstantial links exist between heavy cannabis use and various forms of psychosis. Most painfully of all, these families are realising that there is no way back; that the damage is done.
Melanie Reid
The dangers of cannabis use by young people have been evident for several years. Growing numbers of teenagers are encountering mental health problems and their distressed families, searching for answers, are discovering an unwelcome truth: that everywhere circumstantial links exist between heavy cannabis use and various forms of psychosis. Most painfully of all, these families are realising that there is no way back; that the damage is done.
"How Orwellian can you get?" - RFID for air travellers / Silicon, 17 Oct 2006
http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39163311,00.htm
Natasha Lomas
"Best of Reader Comments: Plan is "a solution looking for a problem" - A plan to tag air travellers with RFID chips to improve airport security by monitoring passengers as they kill time after check-in in airport coffee shops and departure lounges has been slammed by silicon.com readers as "another ill thought out idea", "a solution looking for a problem" and even "dead in the water"."
Natasha Lomas
"Best of Reader Comments: Plan is "a solution looking for a problem" - A plan to tag air travellers with RFID chips to improve airport security by monitoring passengers as they kill time after check-in in airport coffee shops and departure lounges has been slammed by silicon.com readers as "another ill thought out idea", "a solution looking for a problem" and even "dead in the water"."
FutureForce: A Guide to Building the 21st Century Community Corrections Workforce / NCIC, 2006
PDF - http://nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/Library/021799.pdf
"This guide "explores current and future workforce challenges facing community corrections" (p. xiii). Chapters contained in this guide are: rationale -- why now?; organizational culture -- moving from a "workplace" to a place where people want to work; recruitment -- looking in the right places for the right people; retention -- keeping the right people in the right places; and strategies for success -- getting started. "
"This guide "explores current and future workforce challenges facing community corrections" (p. xiii). Chapters contained in this guide are: rationale -- why now?; organizational culture -- moving from a "workplace" to a place where people want to work; recruitment -- looking in the right places for the right people; retention -- keeping the right people in the right places; and strategies for success -- getting started. "
Terrorists targeting energy sector, says spy chief / Expatica Germany, 12 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4njyg
"Terrorists are setting their sights on the global energy infrastructure, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service (BND). Ernst Uhrlau told a Berlin seminar on energy and security there had been a marked increase in the number of terrorist attacks directed at energy targets in recent years. Groups like al-Qaeda, he said, had improved their capability and were concentrating on global energy supplies instead of local attacks of fuel depots or pipelines."
"Terrorists are setting their sights on the global energy infrastructure, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service (BND). Ernst Uhrlau told a Berlin seminar on energy and security there had been a marked increase in the number of terrorist attacks directed at energy targets in recent years. Groups like al-Qaeda, he said, had improved their capability and were concentrating on global energy supplies instead of local attacks of fuel depots or pipelines."
25 Terrifying Information Technology Horror Stories / CIO, October 2006
http://www.cio.com/specialreports/horror.html?source=nlt_cioleader
"Information technology bites back: CIO.com presents 25 tales of IT terror"
"Information technology bites back: CIO.com presents 25 tales of IT terror"
Bulgarian Citizenship Becomes More and More Attractive / FOCUS News Agency, 16 Oc 2006
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n97740
"According to the former Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Solomon Passy, who is current chairman of the Parliamentary commission of Foreign Policy, a total of 82,000 foreigners have applied for Bulgarian citizenship so far, the Macedonian daily Vreme reports. Despite the high interest for Bulgarian passports in Macedonia, the largest number of passports have been issued to people from Moldova, he said. As the Bulgarian citizenship is becoming more and more attractive, the Parliament of the country adopted to make the procedure even easier." [Brief]
"According to the former Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Solomon Passy, who is current chairman of the Parliamentary commission of Foreign Policy, a total of 82,000 foreigners have applied for Bulgarian citizenship so far, the Macedonian daily Vreme reports. Despite the high interest for Bulgarian passports in Macedonia, the largest number of passports have been issued to people from Moldova, he said. As the Bulgarian citizenship is becoming more and more attractive, the Parliament of the country adopted to make the procedure even easier." [Brief]
[France] Police predict new round of violence in suburbs / Expatica, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4njxr
"Almost a year after France's suburban riots, police warned Monday of a new spiral of violence in the country's high-immigration 'banlieues' — where they say they are increasingly the target of attacks with intent to maim, or worse. A crescendo of outraged alarm from police unions has been triggered by three serious clashes in tough estates near the capital, where officers were stoned and beaten by gangs of youths, as well as by figures showing a growing defiance towards the forces of law and order." [Public Order]
"Almost a year after France's suburban riots, police warned Monday of a new spiral of violence in the country's high-immigration 'banlieues' — where they say they are increasingly the target of attacks with intent to maim, or worse. A crescendo of outraged alarm from police unions has been triggered by three serious clashes in tough estates near the capital, where officers were stoned and beaten by gangs of youths, as well as by figures showing a growing defiance towards the forces of law and order." [Public Order]
[USA] Is The NYPD Mishandling Evidence? / New York Resident, 16 Oct 2006
http://70.47.124.114/node/284
Mike McPhate
"It’s not uncommon for police to lose evidence: The legal group the Innocence Project, which has helped to exonerate 184 prisoners, said it’s closed between 30 and 35 cases in New York state simply because crime scene evidence couldn’t be unearthed from storage. The release earlier this month of 45-year-old Fappiano, who was told his evidence was lost in 2002, brought renewed attention to the injustice that can be spawned by the NYPD’s aging evidence tracking system."
Mike McPhate
"It’s not uncommon for police to lose evidence: The legal group the Innocence Project, which has helped to exonerate 184 prisoners, said it’s closed between 30 and 35 cases in New York state simply because crime scene evidence couldn’t be unearthed from storage. The release earlier this month of 45-year-old Fappiano, who was told his evidence was lost in 2002, brought renewed attention to the injustice that can be spawned by the NYPD’s aging evidence tracking system."
Fears of 'Two-Speed Europe' Still Exist / WJLA, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1006/369311.html
"Underscores a rekindled debate over a "two-speed Europe": the yawning gap between major EU powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy - the continent's undisputed political and economic engines - and the poor, ex-communist newcomer nations of Eastern Europe. The EU took in eight former Soviet-bloc countries, plus Malta and Cyprus, in May 2004. Bulgaria and Romania will join on Jan. 1, widening the bloc to 27 nations and 480 million citizens. Yet despite gaining access to millions in lucrative EU subsidies and the potential of billions more in increased foreign investment, the new states have not been granted all the privileges of their hard-won membership."
"Underscores a rekindled debate over a "two-speed Europe": the yawning gap between major EU powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy - the continent's undisputed political and economic engines - and the poor, ex-communist newcomer nations of Eastern Europe. The EU took in eight former Soviet-bloc countries, plus Malta and Cyprus, in May 2004. Bulgaria and Romania will join on Jan. 1, widening the bloc to 27 nations and 480 million citizens. Yet despite gaining access to millions in lucrative EU subsidies and the potential of billions more in increased foreign investment, the new states have not been granted all the privileges of their hard-won membership."
US prophets of Europe’s doom are half wrong / Financial Times, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bae746ae-5d38-11db-9d15-0000779e2340.html
Gideon Rachman
"In Bruce Bawer’s While Europe Slept (Doubleday) – now into its eighth printing – the American reader is told that by ignoring the threat from radical Islam: “Europe is steadily committing suicide and perhaps all we can do is look on in horror.” Tony Blankley, author of The West’s Last Chance (Regnery), warns that: “The threat of the radical Islamists taking over Europe is every bit as great to the United States as was the threat of the Nazis taking over Europe in the 1940s.” In The Cube and the Cathedral (Basic), George Weigel, a Catholic conservative, claims that “western Europe is committing a form of demographic suicide”. In this he echoes Pat Buchanan, who argued in his best-selling The Death of the West (Thomas Dunne) that Europe’s population is set to fall to 30 per cent of its current level by 2100, meaning that “the cradle of western civilisation will have become its grave”. "
Gideon Rachman
"In Bruce Bawer’s While Europe Slept (Doubleday) – now into its eighth printing – the American reader is told that by ignoring the threat from radical Islam: “Europe is steadily committing suicide and perhaps all we can do is look on in horror.” Tony Blankley, author of The West’s Last Chance (Regnery), warns that: “The threat of the radical Islamists taking over Europe is every bit as great to the United States as was the threat of the Nazis taking over Europe in the 1940s.” In The Cube and the Cathedral (Basic), George Weigel, a Catholic conservative, claims that “western Europe is committing a form of demographic suicide”. In this he echoes Pat Buchanan, who argued in his best-selling The Death of the West (Thomas Dunne) that Europe’s population is set to fall to 30 per cent of its current level by 2100, meaning that “the cradle of western civilisation will have become its grave”. "
[Netherlands] Inquiry into 'shocking' rise in police crimes / Expatica, 12 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4njxj
" Some 122 police officers were sacked last year after committing criminal offences, an increase of 30 percent compared with 2004. The Council of Chief-Superintendents has reacted with shock to the figures and is demanding an inquiry. Most officers were sacked for committing violent crimes, such as using excessive force in arresting suspects." [Police News]
" Some 122 police officers were sacked last year after committing criminal offences, an increase of 30 percent compared with 2004. The Council of Chief-Superintendents has reacted with shock to the figures and is demanding an inquiry. Most officers were sacked for committing violent crimes, such as using excessive force in arresting suspects." [Police News]
MySpace Predator Caught by Code / Wired, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71948-0.html?tw=wn_index_5
Kevin Poulsen
"I wrote a 1,000-line Perl script that checked MySpace for registered sex offenders. Sifting through the results, manually confirmed over 700 offenders, including a serial child molester in New York actively trying to hook up with underage boys on the site, and who has now been arrested as a result. MySpace told Congress last June that it didn't have this capability." Wired News says they will publish Poulsen's code under an open-source license later this week. "
Kevin Poulsen
"I wrote a 1,000-line Perl script that checked MySpace for registered sex offenders. Sifting through the results, manually confirmed over 700 offenders, including a serial child molester in New York actively trying to hook up with underage boys on the site, and who has now been arrested as a result. MySpace told Congress last June that it didn't have this capability." Wired News says they will publish Poulsen's code under an open-source license later this week. "
New Research To Cut Animal Testing / Medical News Today, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4njxg
"Researchers at The University of Manchester have been awarded 130,000 pounds to develop new techniques to reduce the need for animals in drug testing. [..] The funding - awarded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) - will help the scientists establish new genotoxicity tests using cultured human liver cells. "
"Researchers at The University of Manchester have been awarded 130,000 pounds to develop new techniques to reduce the need for animals in drug testing. [..] The funding - awarded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) - will help the scientists establish new genotoxicity tests using cultured human liver cells. "
Giving Back: Introducing Community Service Learning / OJJDP, 2006
PDF - http://www.crf-usa.org/YouthCourt/Giving_Back_2006.pdf
"Provides skill-building strategies and materials to introduce juvenile offenders to fundamental concepts of community and community problems. The manual is a useful resource for youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies seeking to apply school-based learning methods to court-mandated community service."
"Provides skill-building strategies and materials to introduce juvenile offenders to fundamental concepts of community and community problems. The manual is a useful resource for youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies seeking to apply school-based learning methods to court-mandated community service."
Kurdistan unsafe but Home Office has restarted forced returns / Kurdish Media, 19 Oct 2006
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=13458
"Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq: Kurdistan unsafe but Home Office has restarted forced returns
The dangers of central and southern Iraq are well-known. Less well-known are conditions in Northern Iraq / South Kurdistan. But news from there shows that contrary to what Tony Blair would have us believe, Northern Iraq too is not free, safe and democratic. "
"Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq: Kurdistan unsafe but Home Office has restarted forced returns
The dangers of central and southern Iraq are well-known. Less well-known are conditions in Northern Iraq / South Kurdistan. But news from there shows that contrary to what Tony Blair would have us believe, Northern Iraq too is not free, safe and democratic. "
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The community got nothing out of me going to prison – in fact, they had to pay for it / Hunts Post 24, 18 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4njqx
ANGELA SINGER
"Is a stint behind bars beneficial? Last week saw a national debate on over-crowded prisons and tagging. The question is: Who are we sending to prison and should they be there? We spoke to a Huntingdonshire woman who left prison seven weeks ago after being jailed for fraud. RITA (not her real name) now wears a tag on her leg. She is out on licence after serving a quarter of her prison sentence and is under a curfew. She is not allowed out of her house between 7pm and 7am - even into the garden. A box in the house (like the box used for wireless connections for computers) will send a signal to a control room if she leaves the house during curfew. However, the crime she committed had no link to the time of day. Rita, 44, and a mother of three, stole £44,000 from her employers to try to pay off her credit cards." [Sentencing; Treatment of Offenders]
ANGELA SINGER
"Is a stint behind bars beneficial? Last week saw a national debate on over-crowded prisons and tagging. The question is: Who are we sending to prison and should they be there? We spoke to a Huntingdonshire woman who left prison seven weeks ago after being jailed for fraud. RITA (not her real name) now wears a tag on her leg. She is out on licence after serving a quarter of her prison sentence and is under a curfew. She is not allowed out of her house between 7pm and 7am - even into the garden. A box in the house (like the box used for wireless connections for computers) will send a signal to a control room if she leaves the house during curfew. However, the crime she committed had no link to the time of day. Rita, 44, and a mother of three, stole £44,000 from her employers to try to pay off her credit cards." [Sentencing; Treatment of Offenders]
Monday, October 16, 2006
Computer hacking one of worst cases seen / Norwich Evening News, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhtr
NAOMI CANTON
"Crafty hackers got into a city man's computer, changed his password and then tried to con people out of money on eBay by using his account. The firm in Norwich which is cleaning out the victim's computer has said the hacking case is one of the most serious it has ever encountered and Tiscali, the broadband provider, has confirmed it is carrying out an investigation."
NAOMI CANTON
"Crafty hackers got into a city man's computer, changed his password and then tried to con people out of money on eBay by using his account. The firm in Norwich which is cleaning out the victim's computer has said the hacking case is one of the most serious it has ever encountered and Tiscali, the broadband provider, has confirmed it is carrying out an investigation."
Try to resist the Islamofatigue / This Scepter'd Isle [Blog], 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhtc
"It is an attempt to take advantage of a trait among British people to do everything possible to avoid giving offence to someone. For too long it feels as if politeness has been mistaken for weakness and we have conceded too much in our efforts to be welcoming, understanding and tolerant. If people choose to live in a society then I believe that they should conform to some extent to that society's norms. That does not mean their rights to worship as they see fit, or live their lives by a particular code should be sacrificed. It does not mean people should be forced to adopt codes of conduct that may offend them. It just means that in living their lives as they choose they should not be imposing restrictions on other people in society. Tolerance is a two way street. We should be tolerant of Muslims as we have frequently been told, but conversely Muslims must also tolerate the rest of society and that is where I see the current impasse."
"It is an attempt to take advantage of a trait among British people to do everything possible to avoid giving offence to someone. For too long it feels as if politeness has been mistaken for weakness and we have conceded too much in our efforts to be welcoming, understanding and tolerant. If people choose to live in a society then I believe that they should conform to some extent to that society's norms. That does not mean their rights to worship as they see fit, or live their lives by a particular code should be sacrificed. It does not mean people should be forced to adopt codes of conduct that may offend them. It just means that in living their lives as they choose they should not be imposing restrictions on other people in society. Tolerance is a two way street. We should be tolerant of Muslims as we have frequently been told, but conversely Muslims must also tolerate the rest of society and that is where I see the current impasse."
Combating illegal immigration at centre of ID card plans / e-Gov Monitor, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/8084
"Key milestones for combating illegal immigration through the introduction of the National Identity Scheme were outlined by the Government. Speaking at an IPPR event, Home Office Minister Liam Byrne confirmed that ID cards will be implemented rapidly, starting with biometric cards for foreign nationals in 2008. These will prove eligibility to work and provide the vast majority of legitimate employers with a simple, secure means of checking entitlement to work."
"Key milestones for combating illegal immigration through the introduction of the National Identity Scheme were outlined by the Government. Speaking at an IPPR event, Home Office Minister Liam Byrne confirmed that ID cards will be implemented rapidly, starting with biometric cards for foreign nationals in 2008. These will prove eligibility to work and provide the vast majority of legitimate employers with a simple, secure means of checking entitlement to work."
Smuggled firearms '75% replicas' / BBC News, 16 Oct 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6054264.stm
Andrew Hosken
"Many smuggled weapons come from Eastern Europe or the US. Three-quarters of firearms used by UK criminals are converted replica and imitation guns, one of the country's most senior police experts has said."
Andrew Hosken
"Many smuggled weapons come from Eastern Europe or the US. Three-quarters of firearms used by UK criminals are converted replica and imitation guns, one of the country's most senior police experts has said."
[USA] Florida Attorney General Promotes Free Wireless AMBER Alerts Program / GovTech, 13 Oct 2006
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/101666
"Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist has announced that his office is helping bring free wireless AMBER Alerts to more Floridians, making it easier for citizens to assist in efforts to locate abducted children. The Florida Attorney General's Web site now features a direct link to sign up for the free wireless service, in a move designed to raise public awareness of the Wireless AMBER Alerts initiative and encourage Floridians to subscribe to the service. "Every minute a child is missing is a minute too long," said Crist. "We must take every action possible to help ensure that children are safely returned to their loved ones as quickly as possible. This program saves lives." [see http://www.childrescuealert.com/ for UK practice]
"Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist has announced that his office is helping bring free wireless AMBER Alerts to more Floridians, making it easier for citizens to assist in efforts to locate abducted children. The Florida Attorney General's Web site now features a direct link to sign up for the free wireless service, in a move designed to raise public awareness of the Wireless AMBER Alerts initiative and encourage Floridians to subscribe to the service. "Every minute a child is missing is a minute too long," said Crist. "We must take every action possible to help ensure that children are safely returned to their loved ones as quickly as possible. This program saves lives." [see http://www.childrescuealert.com/ for UK practice]
Islamic schools at heart of British debate on integration / International Herald Tribune, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/15/news/brits.php
Alan Cowell
"Segregation is now so extreme in some schools that there is not much further it can go," Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, told a parliamentary panel. "It doesn't help to prepare children in these schools for the real world." Neither, some believe, does it bridge the gap between a largely secular society and a profound commitment to a single faith."
Alan Cowell
"Segregation is now so extreme in some schools that there is not much further it can go," Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, told a parliamentary panel. "It doesn't help to prepare children in these schools for the real world." Neither, some believe, does it bridge the gap between a largely secular society and a profound commitment to a single faith."
Problem families 'could be saved from eviction / 24Dash, 16 Oct 2006
'http://www.24dash.com/socialhousing/11618.htm
Ian Morgan
"Problem families who cause misery in their communities could be saved from eviction by a programme of intensive support, figures showed. Research into the scheme showed that in 85% of cases it had reduced anti-social behaviour to a level where tenancies were no longer at risk.
Intervention in these cases cost a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of pounds that would need to be spent overall on evicting each family."
Ian Morgan
"Problem families who cause misery in their communities could be saved from eviction by a programme of intensive support, figures showed. Research into the scheme showed that in 85% of cases it had reduced anti-social behaviour to a level where tenancies were no longer at risk.
Intervention in these cases cost a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of pounds that would need to be spent overall on evicting each family."
Al Qaeda leader in secret CIA jail / Stuff NZ, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3829823a12,00.html
"A suspected al Qaeda leader, accused of being involved in September 11 and planning the 2004 Madrid train bombings, has been imprisoned in a secret US jail for the past year, Spain's El Pais newspaper reported. Mustafa Setmarian, 48, a Syrian with Spanish citizenship, was captured in Pakistan in October 2005 and is held in a prison operated by the US Central Intelligence Agency, Pakistani and European security service officials told El Pais. A spokesman for the US embassy in Spain declined to comment on the report. "
"A suspected al Qaeda leader, accused of being involved in September 11 and planning the 2004 Madrid train bombings, has been imprisoned in a secret US jail for the past year, Spain's El Pais newspaper reported. Mustafa Setmarian, 48, a Syrian with Spanish citizenship, was captured in Pakistan in October 2005 and is held in a prison operated by the US Central Intelligence Agency, Pakistani and European security service officials told El Pais. A spokesman for the US embassy in Spain declined to comment on the report. "
[Zimbabawe] Surviving The Peace / Zimbabwe Journalists, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=1152&cat=4
Stephen Kuuzabuwe
"THE attack on Kadoma residents by soldiers from the nearby Suri Suri defence forces base shows the rampart disregard for the law by the Defence forces. Only a few weeks ago it was the Zimbabwe Republic Police waging an orgy of violence on innocent unarmeddemonstrators.
In a country where the rule of law prevails, such an incident as the soldiers' attack would have been reported, thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought before the courts. Gone are the days when we looked up to the soldiers in uniform as our heroes, our liberators and defenders of our freedom. Overnight they have become symbols of oppression, torture, brutality and defenders of one of the most authoritarian regimes in the world." [Brief]
Stephen Kuuzabuwe
"THE attack on Kadoma residents by soldiers from the nearby Suri Suri defence forces base shows the rampart disregard for the law by the Defence forces. Only a few weeks ago it was the Zimbabwe Republic Police waging an orgy of violence on innocent unarmeddemonstrators.
In a country where the rule of law prevails, such an incident as the soldiers' attack would have been reported, thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought before the courts. Gone are the days when we looked up to the soldiers in uniform as our heroes, our liberators and defenders of our freedom. Overnight they have become symbols of oppression, torture, brutality and defenders of one of the most authoritarian regimes in the world." [Brief]
Cops scoot into future with new technology / Bostn |Herald, 15 Oct 2006
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=162360
Shaun Tolson
Sunday, October 15, 2006 - Updated: 11:01 AM EST
"At the 113th annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this weekend, one piece of new crime-fighting technology stood out as decidedly futuristic. The bulbous T3, developed by T3 Motion Inc. in Irvine, Calif., is a 240-pound electric vehicle that can be best described as the spawn of a tricycle and a Segway. “We like to refer to it as a tricycle on steroids,” said Gerry White, a retired Newport Beach police officer and national sales manager at T3 Motion. With an elevated platform, zero-degree turning radius, maximum speed of 25 mph and an operating cost of 10 cents a day, the T3 has turned a lot of heads during field tests in police departments on the West Coast. Apparently, it sure beats walking a beat. “We don’t see it replacing anything,” said Neil Brooker, president of the company. “We see it somewhere between a department’s mountain bike/foot patrol and motorcyle/car patrol.” [Brief]
Shaun Tolson
Sunday, October 15, 2006 - Updated: 11:01 AM EST
"At the 113th annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this weekend, one piece of new crime-fighting technology stood out as decidedly futuristic. The bulbous T3, developed by T3 Motion Inc. in Irvine, Calif., is a 240-pound electric vehicle that can be best described as the spawn of a tricycle and a Segway. “We like to refer to it as a tricycle on steroids,” said Gerry White, a retired Newport Beach police officer and national sales manager at T3 Motion. With an elevated platform, zero-degree turning radius, maximum speed of 25 mph and an operating cost of 10 cents a day, the T3 has turned a lot of heads during field tests in police departments on the West Coast. Apparently, it sure beats walking a beat. “We don’t see it replacing anything,” said Neil Brooker, president of the company. “We see it somewhere between a department’s mountain bike/foot patrol and motorcyle/car patrol.” [Brief]
Drug tests in jails stepped up after heroin use report / Herald, 16 Oct 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/72243.html
DOUGLAS FRASER
"Scottish prisons are reforming their drug-testing regime and stepping up security after a damning report on their own staff's concerns about heroin use behind bars. It shows staff think visiting regulations should be made tougher. Half of them thought testing for cannabis, which is detectable for a month after smoking it, is encouraging people to move on to heroin use which is harder to find in urine samples."
DOUGLAS FRASER
"Scottish prisons are reforming their drug-testing regime and stepping up security after a damning report on their own staff's concerns about heroin use behind bars. It shows staff think visiting regulations should be made tougher. Half of them thought testing for cannabis, which is detectable for a month after smoking it, is encouraging people to move on to heroin use which is harder to find in urine samples."
Parole tags could cause re-offence / The Australian, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhrh
Katherine Field
"MURDERERS and paedophiles freed from jail and forced to wear electronic tags for their rest of their lives may be more likely to re-offend, civil libertarians warn.The NSW government will introduce legislation into parliament this week allowing the Corrective Services commissioner to monitor life-long parolees by electronic and possibly satellite tagging."
Katherine Field
"MURDERERS and paedophiles freed from jail and forced to wear electronic tags for their rest of their lives may be more likely to re-offend, civil libertarians warn.The NSW government will introduce legislation into parliament this week allowing the Corrective Services commissioner to monitor life-long parolees by electronic and possibly satellite tagging."
New country, desperate feeling / Toronto Star, 16 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhrg
NICHOLAS KEUNG
"But social workers, health workers and community advocates say mental health is an often-overlooked aspect of the settlement process. Depression and stress tend to be dismissed as a "normal and passing" phase. There's so much stress and anxiety as a result of the resettlement process. Without proper intervention, it could trigger a downward spiral and turn into a crisis. Immigrants need to feel connected to the community and (believe) there's hope in life"
NICHOLAS KEUNG
"But social workers, health workers and community advocates say mental health is an often-overlooked aspect of the settlement process. Depression and stress tend to be dismissed as a "normal and passing" phase. There's so much stress and anxiety as a result of the resettlement process. Without proper intervention, it could trigger a downward spiral and turn into a crisis. Immigrants need to feel connected to the community and (believe) there's hope in life"
Human Rights Annual Report 2006 / FCO, October 2006
PDF - http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/hr_report2006.pdf
Individual chapters link [pdf] from http://digbig.com/4nhrc
Chapter 2: Major countries of concern
PDF - http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/02%20OVERVIEW.5.pdf
Individual chapters link [pdf] from http://digbig.com/4nhrc
Chapter 2: Major countries of concern
PDF - http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/02%20OVERVIEW.5.pdf
Trafficking in Women, Forced Labour and Domestic Work: in the context of the Middle East and Gulf Region / Anti-Slavery International 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nhqx
"Migrant female domestic workers around the world are often vulnerable to serious human rights abuses, because of such factors as their invisibility and the lack of protection and access to public services. The report investigates the experiences of migrant domestic workers in the region, the dynamics and workings of the migration process and how migration (if at all) contributes to trafficking; and looks at what are some of the key inter-connecting dynamics involved between slavery, trafficking, migration and forced labour. It focuses particularly on several selected sending, receiving and transit countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen)."
"Migrant female domestic workers around the world are often vulnerable to serious human rights abuses, because of such factors as their invisibility and the lack of protection and access to public services. The report investigates the experiences of migrant domestic workers in the region, the dynamics and workings of the migration process and how migration (if at all) contributes to trafficking; and looks at what are some of the key inter-connecting dynamics involved between slavery, trafficking, migration and forced labour. It focuses particularly on several selected sending, receiving and transit countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen)."
Trafficking for Forced Labour: UK country report / Anti-Slavery International, 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4nhqt
Klára Skrivánková
"The result of research carried out between 2005 and 2006 with the aim of finding out more about trafficking for forced labour in the United Kingdom. This was a qualitative rather than quantative project, which aimed to provide information about how migrants become trafficked and which industries in the UK are affected.
Also available an executive summary and policy recommendations." [PDF ]
Klára Skrivánková
"The result of research carried out between 2005 and 2006 with the aim of finding out more about trafficking for forced labour in the United Kingdom. This was a qualitative rather than quantative project, which aimed to provide information about how migrants become trafficked and which industries in the UK are affected.
Also available an executive summary and policy recommendations." [PDF ]
Multiculturalism and feminism: do they mix? / Online Opinion, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5009
Leslie Cannold
"Do multiculturalism and feminism mix? What about feminism and religious freedom?"
Leslie Cannold
"Do multiculturalism and feminism mix? What about feminism and religious freedom?"
Estimating London's new migrant population: Stage I - review of methodology / GLA, September 2006
PDF - http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/refugees/docs/nm-pop.pdf Professor Phil Rees ; Dr. Peter Boden
"This study examines options for estimating the number and characteristics of foreign-born residents in London who came to the UK in a given recent period."
"This study examines options for estimating the number and characteristics of foreign-born residents in London who came to the UK in a given recent period."
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The owl and the ostrich / Toronto Star, 15 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhpj
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
"Grano Speakers Series : the failings of European multiculturalism, the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism, and the steps needed to save the EU from economic disaster."
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
"Grano Speakers Series : the failings of European multiculturalism, the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism, and the steps needed to save the EU from economic disaster."
Haxdoor Trojan claims thousands of UK victims / ZdNet, 11 Oct 2006
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39284024,00.htm
Tom Espiner
" The Metropolitan Police have revealed that cybercriminals used a particularly malicious piece of malware called the Haxdoor Trojan to steal data from thousands of UK users."
Tom Espiner
" The Metropolitan Police have revealed that cybercriminals used a particularly malicious piece of malware called the Haxdoor Trojan to steal data from thousands of UK users."
Leader: RIP the IT department? - Time to embrace DIY tech / Silicon, 12 Oct 2006
http://management.silicon.com/itdirector/0,39024673,39163157,00.htm
"Anyone who is still in doubt about the impact of the iPod and Google generation on the future of the corporate IT department need only look at the example currently being set by oil giant BP.
BP is pioneering an innovative 'do-it-yourself' IT support scheme for some of its employees - giving them $1,000 to buy their own kit and take care of their own IT support. That scheme is being led by Jim Ginsburgh, VP of enterprise architecture at BP, who said the driver for it came when he noticed some people were having a better computing experience in the home than in the office."
"Anyone who is still in doubt about the impact of the iPod and Google generation on the future of the corporate IT department need only look at the example currently being set by oil giant BP.
BP is pioneering an innovative 'do-it-yourself' IT support scheme for some of its employees - giving them $1,000 to buy their own kit and take care of their own IT support. That scheme is being led by Jim Ginsburgh, VP of enterprise architecture at BP, who said the driver for it came when he noticed some people were having a better computing experience in the home than in the office."
Not just for teachers! Welcome to Google for Educators
http://www.google.com/educators/index.html
"To your left, you'll find a guide to 12 Google products, including basic information about each tool, examples of how educators are using them, and lesson ideas. You'll also find lesson plans and videos from our partners at Discovery Education focusing on two of our most popular teaching tools: Google Earth and Google SketchUp. We think of this site as a platform of teaching resources – for everything from blogging and collaborative writing to geographical search tools and 3D modeling software – and we want you to fill it in with your great ideas." [Top Tips]
"To your left, you'll find a guide to 12 Google products, including basic information about each tool, examples of how educators are using them, and lesson ideas. You'll also find lesson plans and videos from our partners at Discovery Education focusing on two of our most popular teaching tools: Google Earth and Google SketchUp. We think of this site as a platform of teaching resources – for everything from blogging and collaborative writing to geographical search tools and 3D modeling software – and we want you to fill it in with your great ideas." [Top Tips]
Embedded chips not getting under shoppers' skin - Mind where you stick that reader / Silicon, 10 Oct 2006
http://www.silicon.com/retailandleisure/0,3800011842,39163093,00.htm
Tim Ferguson
"Most people still think paying for their shopping with a chip embedded under their skin is a step too far. According to Institute of Grocery Distribution research only one in 10 teenagers would be interested, while one in 20 adults would also be open to the idea. There was significantly greater interest in other biometric payment methods - such as iris recognition and fingerprinting - with 20 per cent of teenagers and 17 per cent of adults saying they would like to use these." [Top Tips]
Tim Ferguson
"Most people still think paying for their shopping with a chip embedded under their skin is a step too far. According to Institute of Grocery Distribution research only one in 10 teenagers would be interested, while one in 20 adults would also be open to the idea. There was significantly greater interest in other biometric payment methods - such as iris recognition and fingerprinting - with 20 per cent of teenagers and 17 per cent of adults saying they would like to use these." [Top Tips]
Lazy staff driving up electricity bills - Can't be bothered to turn PCs off... / Silicon, 9 Oct 2006
http://www.silicon.com/0,39024729,39163061,00.htm
Richard Thurston
"Employees who leave their PCs on overnight are costing their companies £70 each per year, according to a report produced by the National Energy Foundation. The report found 18 per cent of UK-based office workers never turn off their PC when they go home and a further 13 per cent frequently leave their PC on after hours. The result of this neglect is spiralling electricity use for the businesses concerned and additional carbon dioxide emissions across the UK equivalent to the output of 120,000 4x4 cars." [Top tip]
Richard Thurston
"Employees who leave their PCs on overnight are costing their companies £70 each per year, according to a report produced by the National Energy Foundation. The report found 18 per cent of UK-based office workers never turn off their PC when they go home and a further 13 per cent frequently leave their PC on after hours. The result of this neglect is spiralling electricity use for the businesses concerned and additional carbon dioxide emissions across the UK equivalent to the output of 120,000 4x4 cars." [Top tip]
Airport to tag passengers - EU trials radio surveillance / Register, 12 Oct 2006
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/12/airport_rfid/
Mark Ballard
"Airport security chiefs and efficiency geeks will be able to keep close tabs on airport passengers by tagging them with a high powered radio chip developed at the University of Central London. People will be told to wear radio tags round their necks when they get to the airport. The tag would notify a computer system of their identity and whereabouts. The system would then track their activities in the airport using a network of high definition cameras."
Mark Ballard
"Airport security chiefs and efficiency geeks will be able to keep close tabs on airport passengers by tagging them with a high powered radio chip developed at the University of Central London. People will be told to wear radio tags round their necks when they get to the airport. The tag would notify a computer system of their identity and whereabouts. The system would then track their activities in the airport using a network of high definition cameras."
Police search for UK victims of US ID theft / Register, 11 Oct 2006
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/11/id_theft/
John Leyden
"But wary Brits think email warnings are hoax. UK police are attempting to reach thousands of Brits who have become victims of malware-powered ID theft scam. Ironically, Met Police attempts to notify potential victims by email are often being ignored, ZDNet reports. "We're appealing for anyone who's had an email from the Met officers who work in the Computer Crime Unit to get in touch. There's a security measure that people have to go through when they ring, but people are ignoring the emails because they think they're a hoax." [Top Tip]
John Leyden
"But wary Brits think email warnings are hoax. UK police are attempting to reach thousands of Brits who have become victims of malware-powered ID theft scam. Ironically, Met Police attempts to notify potential victims by email are often being ignored, ZDNet reports. "We're appealing for anyone who's had an email from the Met officers who work in the Computer Crime Unit to get in touch. There's a security measure that people have to go through when they ring, but people are ignoring the emails because they think they're a hoax." [Top Tip]
US and EU stitch up airline passenger data deal - And data protection law / Register, 10 Oct 2006
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/10/pnr_stitchup/
Page: 1 2 Next >
Mark Ballard
"European data protection authorities are choking on their baguettes after seeing the detail of the data-sharing agreement the EU signed with the US on Friday. The passenger name record (PNR) agreement was presented as a formality that had been passed by the respective administrations without so much as a hiccup. But it's proving hard to swallow. On the face of it, the agreement secured the legal basis for the US to collect personal information about anyone who flies there from Europe. The European Commission, which negotiated the agreement, wanted to ensure European airline passengers were treated fairly after their personal information was collected by US authorities conducting anti-terrorist investigations."
Page: 1 2 Next >
Mark Ballard
"European data protection authorities are choking on their baguettes after seeing the detail of the data-sharing agreement the EU signed with the US on Friday. The passenger name record (PNR) agreement was presented as a formality that had been passed by the respective administrations without so much as a hiccup. But it's proving hard to swallow. On the face of it, the agreement secured the legal basis for the US to collect personal information about anyone who flies there from Europe. The European Commission, which negotiated the agreement, wanted to ensure European airline passengers were treated fairly after their personal information was collected by US authorities conducting anti-terrorist investigations."
Is Le Pen Right: Immigrants and the Fallacy of Labour Scarcity / Global Politican, 10 Oct 2006
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
"Jean-Marie Le Pen - France's dark horse presidential contender - is clearly emotional about the issue of immigration and, according to him, its correlates, crime and unemployment. His logic is dodgy at best and his paranoid xenophobia ill-disguised. But Le Pen and his ilk - from Carinthia to Copenhagen - succeeded to force upon European mainstream discourse topics considered hitherto taboos. For decades, the European far right has been asking all the right questions and proffering all the far answers."
"Jean-Marie Le Pen - France's dark horse presidential contender - is clearly emotional about the issue of immigration and, according to him, its correlates, crime and unemployment. His logic is dodgy at best and his paranoid xenophobia ill-disguised. But Le Pen and his ilk - from Carinthia to Copenhagen - succeeded to force upon European mainstream discourse topics considered hitherto taboos. For decades, the European far right has been asking all the right questions and proffering all the far answers."
Migration and Brain Drain / Global Politician, 9 Oct 2006
http://www.globalpolitician.com/articleshow.asp?ID=2210&cid=12
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
"Human trafficking and people smuggling are multi-billion dollar industries. At least 50% of the 150 million immigrants the world over are illegal aliens. There are 80 million migrant workers found in virtually every country. T hey flee war, urban terrorism, crippling poverty, corruption, authoritarianism, nepotism, cronyism, and unemployment. Their main destinations are the EU and the USA - but many end up in lesser countries in Asia or Africa."
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
"Human trafficking and people smuggling are multi-billion dollar industries. At least 50% of the 150 million immigrants the world over are illegal aliens. There are 80 million migrant workers found in virtually every country. T hey flee war, urban terrorism, crippling poverty, corruption, authoritarianism, nepotism, cronyism, and unemployment. Their main destinations are the EU and the USA - but many end up in lesser countries in Asia or Africa."
Was Exiled Radical Islamic Cleric Linked to London Bombings? / Global Politican, 6 Oct 2006
http://www.globalpolitician.com/articleshow.asp?ID=2209&cid=3
Jeremy Reynalds
"New information is emerging about exiled radical Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Mohammad and his possible involvement with the deadly London bombings. On recordings made of an Islamic discussion group (held nightly on Paltalk.com), answering a question about whether he was linked to the bombings, Bakri for the first time admitted going to Leeds, where two of the London bombers originated. He also confirmed that the bombers attended talks given by himself, jailed Islamic cleric Abu Hamza, Abu Qatada and Abdullah el-Faisal. However, following his disclosure and presumably aware that he was being monitored, Bakri said just because he traveled to the area was not an admission that he organized the bombings."
Jeremy Reynalds
"New information is emerging about exiled radical Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Mohammad and his possible involvement with the deadly London bombings. On recordings made of an Islamic discussion group (held nightly on Paltalk.com), answering a question about whether he was linked to the bombings, Bakri for the first time admitted going to Leeds, where two of the London bombers originated. He also confirmed that the bombers attended talks given by himself, jailed Islamic cleric Abu Hamza, Abu Qatada and Abdullah el-Faisal. However, following his disclosure and presumably aware that he was being monitored, Bakri said just because he traveled to the area was not an admission that he organized the bombings."
Hackers flog toolkits to 'newbie crims' / The Contractor, 12 Oct 2006
http://www.contractoruk.com/news/002895.html
"Professional malicious code writers are cashing in on wannabe cyber criminals who have little computer expertise but an insatiable desire for financial gain. Easy-to-use toolkits designed for the individual with no hacking experience have become ubiquitous on the Web, to the extent that they now power 15 % of ‘live’ malicious websites. These toolkits are growing in popularity, and “often” are for sale to the non-sophisticated user who may have read about the latest operating system vulnerability, Websense said. Announcing results from its report on the first half of 2006, the security outfit said the number of traditional hackers ‘who hack for fun’ are in decline, amid an upsurge in money-motivated crooks."
"Professional malicious code writers are cashing in on wannabe cyber criminals who have little computer expertise but an insatiable desire for financial gain. Easy-to-use toolkits designed for the individual with no hacking experience have become ubiquitous on the Web, to the extent that they now power 15 % of ‘live’ malicious websites. These toolkits are growing in popularity, and “often” are for sale to the non-sophisticated user who may have read about the latest operating system vulnerability, Websense said. Announcing results from its report on the first half of 2006, the security outfit said the number of traditional hackers ‘who hack for fun’ are in decline, amid an upsurge in money-motivated crooks."
Bring us your huddled masses / The Economist, 11 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhns
"Western Europe, like other rich places, attracts huge numbers of migrants but fails to manage them. A new migration agency might help to smooth such flows."
"Western Europe, like other rich places, attracts huge numbers of migrants but fails to manage them. A new migration agency might help to smooth such flows."
[USA] The Enemy Within / Frontline, 11 Oct 2006
http://www.pbs.org/frontline/rss/redir/wgbh/pages/frontline/enemywithin/
"Five years after the attacks on 9/11 and the massive, multibillion-dollar reorganization of government agencies which followed, FRONTLINE and New York Times reporter Lowell Bergman investigates the domestic counterterrorism effort and asks whether we are any better prepared to prevent another catastrophic attack. Relying on interviews with high-level sources in the U. S. government, Bergman looks into the major cases brought inside the United States and reveals troubling flaws in what has been the largest reorganization of the government in half a century. The documentary focuses on who is the real enemy within the United States and whether we are prepared to defeat him."
Available for viewing online. http://www.pbs.org/frontline/rss/redir/wgbh/pages/frontline/enemywithin/view/
"Five years after the attacks on 9/11 and the massive, multibillion-dollar reorganization of government agencies which followed, FRONTLINE and New York Times reporter Lowell Bergman investigates the domestic counterterrorism effort and asks whether we are any better prepared to prevent another catastrophic attack. Relying on interviews with high-level sources in the U. S. government, Bergman looks into the major cases brought inside the United States and reveals troubling flaws in what has been the largest reorganization of the government in half a century. The documentary focuses on who is the real enemy within the United States and whether we are prepared to defeat him."
Available for viewing online. http://www.pbs.org/frontline/rss/redir/wgbh/pages/frontline/enemywithin/view/
Tribes in Europe and the Disappearance of Trust / Brussels Journal, 12 Oct, 2006
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1492
"2006 will go down in European history as the year when Muslims as a group became a dominant factor in elections. The demographics indicated this long ago, but it still came as a surprise to many multiculturalists that Muslims tend to vote primarily along ethnic lines: Muslims vote for Muslim candidates, even if the political parties give the latter almost unelectable places on the list of candidates. As a consequence the Muslim candidates got elected to the detriment of indigenous politicians. Party leaders, who used to be able to get those candidates elected which the leadership favoured, have been taken by surprise by Turks voting only for Turks and Moroccans voting exclusively for Moroccans. The parties that put Muslim candidates forward are being “cannibalized” from the inside. They risk being taken over by radical Muslims." [Gov & Pol; Integration...; Society]
"2006 will go down in European history as the year when Muslims as a group became a dominant factor in elections. The demographics indicated this long ago, but it still came as a surprise to many multiculturalists that Muslims tend to vote primarily along ethnic lines: Muslims vote for Muslim candidates, even if the political parties give the latter almost unelectable places on the list of candidates. As a consequence the Muslim candidates got elected to the detriment of indigenous politicians. Party leaders, who used to be able to get those candidates elected which the leadership favoured, have been taken by surprise by Turks voting only for Turks and Moroccans voting exclusively for Moroccans. The parties that put Muslim candidates forward are being “cannibalized” from the inside. They risk being taken over by radical Muslims." [Gov & Pol; Integration...; Society]
The Discriminatory Asylum Vouchers / IndyMedia, 14 Oct 2006
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/353502.html
IMC Birmingham
"Over 5,000 'failed asylum seekers' in the UK receive £35-a-week vouchers instead of cash for their NASS support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, despite concerted efforts by the Home Office to open routes of enforced and 'voluntary' return to get rid of them. The so-called "hard-case support" claimants are stigmatised, demeaned and discriminated against on a daily basis. Yet, the House of Commons have recently debated extending the use of vouchers for more asylum seekers, 4 years after the original Asylum Voucher Scheme was abolished following huge public pressure [1 2] and a lot of criticism."
IMC Birmingham
"Over 5,000 'failed asylum seekers' in the UK receive £35-a-week vouchers instead of cash for their NASS support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, despite concerted efforts by the Home Office to open routes of enforced and 'voluntary' return to get rid of them. The so-called "hard-case support" claimants are stigmatised, demeaned and discriminated against on a daily basis. Yet, the House of Commons have recently debated extending the use of vouchers for more asylum seekers, 4 years after the original Asylum Voucher Scheme was abolished following huge public pressure [1 2] and a lot of criticism."
If the Police have to consult "community representatives" before launching anti-terror raids the public will be at greater risk from terror attacks -
argues Jon Davies / Social Affairs Unit Blog, 13 Oct 2006
http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001173.php
Jon Davies
"It has been proposed that before the police launch an anti-terror raid they should have to consult a panel of four "community representatives". If this were to happen the public would be at greater risk from terror attacks."
http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001173.php
Jon Davies
"It has been proposed that before the police launch an anti-terror raid they should have to consult a panel of four "community representatives". If this were to happen the public would be at greater risk from terror attacks."
[Australia] One man crime wave / Gotcha Blog, 12 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhnn
Gary Hughes
"Who said drugs aren’t linked to crime? Here is what one heroin addict stole during 55 burglaries carried out in just three months to fund his drug problem: 24 laptop and desktop computers, more than 13 watches, 25 cameras, 5 mobile phones, 4 televisions, 5 stereos, 3 DVD players, 2 video recorders, 3 computer game consoles, 2 cars, dozens of items of jewellery, thousands of dollars in cash, credit cards, passports, CDs, computer games, DVDs, clothes, bedding, a skateboard and a chainsaw. All that added to $483,988 in cash and goods – an average $5318 a day during his 91-day one man crime spree. And at the end of it all the burglar, who was on parole after serviving a jail sentence for earlier theft and burglary charges, stole a pistol off a detective trying to arrest him, led police or a chase through crowded city streets, hijacked a taxi and fired a shot in a crowded road."
Gary Hughes
"Who said drugs aren’t linked to crime? Here is what one heroin addict stole during 55 burglaries carried out in just three months to fund his drug problem: 24 laptop and desktop computers, more than 13 watches, 25 cameras, 5 mobile phones, 4 televisions, 5 stereos, 3 DVD players, 2 video recorders, 3 computer game consoles, 2 cars, dozens of items of jewellery, thousands of dollars in cash, credit cards, passports, CDs, computer games, DVDs, clothes, bedding, a skateboard and a chainsaw. All that added to $483,988 in cash and goods – an average $5318 a day during his 91-day one man crime spree. And at the end of it all the burglar, who was on parole after serviving a jail sentence for earlier theft and burglary charges, stole a pistol off a detective trying to arrest him, led police or a chase through crowded city streets, hijacked a taxi and fired a shot in a crowded road."
[Australia] Urgent report on scourge of ice / The Australian, 9 Oct 2006
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20547232-2702,00.html
Simon Kearney
"AUSTRALIA'S peak illicit drugs body has ordered an urgent report on crystal methamphetamine, or ice, after admitting it had underestimated the "huge problem" with use of the drug until two weeks ago. The report by the commonwealth's Australian National Council on Drugs will outline national policy options for the federal Government to tackle the drug."
Simon Kearney
"AUSTRALIA'S peak illicit drugs body has ordered an urgent report on crystal methamphetamine, or ice, after admitting it had underestimated the "huge problem" with use of the drug until two weeks ago. The report by the commonwealth's Australian National Council on Drugs will outline national policy options for the federal Government to tackle the drug."
[Australia] 'Voluntary' national service plan / Sunday Herald Sun, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20582297-2,00.html
"SCHOOL leavers will be offered a year of voluntary national service in the armed forces as part of a new $1 billion recruitment plan. The Howard Government has rejected conscription, opting instead for "voluntary" national service. [..] It would imbue them with values of integrity, commitment, teamwork and problem solving. At the same time they'd be exposed to a range of technologies."
"SCHOOL leavers will be offered a year of voluntary national service in the armed forces as part of a new $1 billion recruitment plan. The Howard Government has rejected conscription, opting instead for "voluntary" national service. [..] It would imbue them with values of integrity, commitment, teamwork and problem solving. At the same time they'd be exposed to a range of technologies."
[Australia] Tracking plan for worst crims / News.com.au, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20581913-421,00.html
"Under the laws, criminals could be obliged to report to a parole officer, reside at an approved address and could be subject to drug and alcohol testing and psychological counselling.
NSW's life parolees are currently supervised for only three years, at which point the Department of Corrective Services must apply for an extension. The new laws will require them to permanently report to authorities or wear a tracking device on a wrist or ankle."
"Under the laws, criminals could be obliged to report to a parole officer, reside at an approved address and could be subject to drug and alcohol testing and psychological counselling.
NSW's life parolees are currently supervised for only three years, at which point the Department of Corrective Services must apply for an extension. The new laws will require them to permanently report to authorities or wear a tracking device on a wrist or ankle."
'Ice' drug trial bid to help users kick habit / Sydney Morning Herald, 15 Oct 2006
http://digbig.com/4nhnc
Louise Hal
"ADDICTS of the dangerous party drug "ice" are taking part in a world-first trial in Sydney that could help users kick their destructive habit. Researchers are testing whether a drug normally used to treat the excessive sleep disorder narcolepsy can wean addicts off the illegal methamphetamine described as a "scourge on Australian society"."
Louise Hal
"ADDICTS of the dangerous party drug "ice" are taking part in a world-first trial in Sydney that could help users kick their destructive habit. Researchers are testing whether a drug normally used to treat the excessive sleep disorder narcolepsy can wean addicts off the illegal methamphetamine described as a "scourge on Australian society"."
Explosive report reveals true extent of prison drug abuse epidemic / Sunday Herald, 15 Oct 2006
http://www.sundayherald.com/58500
Liam McDougall
A new 265-page report has revealed the grim extent of drug abuse within the Scottish prison system. The result of two years of work by a research team led by Dr David Shewan at Glasgow Caledonian University, it garnered views directly from prison inmates and addiction staff about the scale of the drugs epidemic and how it should be tackled. This week the explosive findings from the study – commissioned by the Scottish Prison Service to inform its policy and considered the most in-depth study of its kind – are made public for the first time by the Sunday Herald."
Liam McDougall
A new 265-page report has revealed the grim extent of drug abuse within the Scottish prison system. The result of two years of work by a research team led by Dr David Shewan at Glasgow Caledonian University, it garnered views directly from prison inmates and addiction staff about the scale of the drugs epidemic and how it should be tackled. This week the explosive findings from the study – commissioned by the Scottish Prison Service to inform its policy and considered the most in-depth study of its kind – are made public for the first time by the Sunday Herald."
Russian Mob and Human Trafficking / TCV, 13 Oct 2006
http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=6047
Jim Kouri
"From Himalayan villages to Eastern European cities, people -- especially women and girls -- are attracted by the prospect of a well-paid job as a domestic servant, waitress or factory worker. Human traffickers recruit victims through fake advertisements, mail-order bride catalogues and casual acquaintances."
Jim Kouri
"From Himalayan villages to Eastern European cities, people -- especially women and girls -- are attracted by the prospect of a well-paid job as a domestic servant, waitress or factory worker. Human traffickers recruit victims through fake advertisements, mail-order bride catalogues and casual acquaintances."
Changing the future of policing / Wimbledon Guardian, 14 Oct 2006
http://tinyurl.com/ymf6rp
Sarah Bell
"A revolution which will change the way the borough is policed has been announced, with plans to create a service fit for the 21st century."
Sarah Bell
"A revolution which will change the way the borough is policed has been announced, with plans to create a service fit for the 21st century."
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