Birmingham man plagued by mistaken police calls

A man from Birmingham is being plagued by police calling at his house in error, due to an address mix-up. 

Matthew Jillard, of Bordesley Green, said he had been visited by police more than 40 times in the past 18 months, often in the middle of the night.

He said police confused his house in Repton Road with a nearby address in Repton Grove.

West Midlands Police said it had taken measures to stop it happening again, but Mr Jillard said they had failed. 

The 38-year-old labourer said in Christmas week police had mistakenly called at his house five times, disturbing the friends and family he had staying with him, including one call at 0300 GMT and one at 0500 GMT.

'Sat-nav error' 

"I just don't know what to do. Nine out of 10 times they are really apologetic.

"When my girlfriend rang Police HQ at Lloyd House the gaffer there said he knew all about it because they had seminars about not getting it wrong. 

"We used to get post for the address in Repton Grove but that has stopped after we contacted them.

"We've put up signs, we've tried to get them to change their records. Some officers have said it is their sat-nav because they're not always that accurate.

"I really don't know what more we can do."

A police spokeswoman said: "West Midlands Police can confirm that officers have attended an incorrect address in Repton Road on several occasions.

"Officers have been in regular contact with the occupier to apologise for the mistakes. A number of measures have been put in place to stop this from happening again."

BBC news Birmingham 14 March 2011

CCTV shows FOUR cops holding down naked mum in cell

A MUM accused of assaulting cops was cleared yesterday after a court was shown CCTV footage of them attacking HER. 

 

 

Stephanie Rutter, 25, can be seen being pinned down by four officers after she was stripped naked in a police cell. 

The hairdresser had been arrested after a row with her boyfriend. When she arrived at the police station there was a bust-up and her clothes were cut off.  Stephanie was then said to have attacked a woman police sergeant, a woman PC and a male and female detention officer.

But the charges were dropped after her lawyer produced the CCTV at Runcorn Magistrates' Court, Cheshire. Stephanie, from Runcorn, was shown being elbowed in the jaw and pinned to the floor. 

The mum of one was then handcuffed and put in leg restraints. 

Stephanie said: "It was four on one - and they won. They left me in the cell with blood dripping down my face and covered in bruises. I thought my jaw was broken." 

She said she was "overjoyed" at being cleared, adding: "Justice has been done."

She is now taking action against the officers. 

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: "To date no complaint relating to excessive force or inappropriate conduct has been received by the individual concerned or from any of her representatives. 

"Ms Rutter was charged with three counts of assaulting Police. Upon her release from custody, Ms Rutter was given opportunity to make representations about any concerns she may have had relating to her treatment and welfare whilst in Custody." 

He added that the full custody video was now the subject of an internal review and the matter is being referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for assessment. 

The Sun Published: 30 Oct 2010

Wiltshire policeman faces sack for cell attack on woman

A police officer is facing the sack after he was caught on CCTV throwing a woman into a cell, badly injuring her.

The footage also shows Sgt Mark Andrews dragging Pamela Somerville through Melksham police station in Wiltshire.

Ms Somerville, 59, was arrested in July 2008 after being found asleep in her car. Her treatment left her with facial injuries and needing hospital care.

Andrews has been convicted of causing the woman actual bodily harm and is expected to be dismissed from his job.

Ms Somerville had been detained for failing to provide a sample for a breath test.

'Completely disgraceful'
 

She denies refusing to provide a sample and said the charges against her were later dropped.

She said: "I thought I was going to die, by people that you trust.

"You can't imagine it. They're the people that you trust, so who do you trust after that?

"You don't treat somebody - even if you've found them guilty of the worst possible thing you can possibly imagine - you don't put them in a situation where they have to be in hospital twice in one day, do you?"

The case was brought after one of Andrews' colleagues reported the matter to senior officers, who have apologised to Ms Somerville.

Wiltshire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Patrick Geenty said it was a "completely disgraceful incident".

"We are very concerned when anyone is injured in our custody and the court has decided that this injury was as a result of a criminal assault by Sgt Mark Andrews, a member of Wiltshire Police who was performing duty as a custody sergeant at the time," he said.

"We respect the decision of the court and the force has formally apologised to the injured lady for the assault she suffered while in our care.

"People have a right to expect that the police will always act by placing the safety and welfare of the public as their first priority. 

"This is particularly so when in police custody when irrespective of the reason for their detention, people should feel and be safe."

Andrews, who has been suspended on full pay since his conviction, is due to be sentenced for the assault at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. He is also to face a police misconduct hearing.

BBC home affairs correspondent Steve Brodie said he understood that the officer would be sacked.

BBC News 5 September 2010

The invisible police:

In worst forces, fewer than 10 per cent are actually fighting crime - 

Fewer than one in ten uniformed officers in some police forces are available to man the front line at any one time, a damning report reveals today.

There are also more officers on duty on a quiet Monday morning than at any other time of the week – and the fewest just after midnight on Friday when levels of drunken violence soar.

Antiquated shift patterns, court hearings and training requirements mean that in two forces only 9 per cent of officers can actually tackle crime, the police inspectorate found.

Bedfordshire, along with Devon and Cornwall, came bottom of a study into what proportion of officers in England and Wales are available to answer 999 calls or patrol the streets – the definition of front-line work.

The watchdog found many other forces fared little better, with an average of 12 per cent of officers available to catch crooks and keep people safe.

The findings come despite vast increases in police budgets over the past decade.

The figures include officers and Police Community Support Officers. In some forces PCSOs typically do not work after 8pm.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Denis O’Connor also highlighted how one in three members of the police workforce is not employed in a front-line role. These include staff working in personnel, maintenance and administration.

Sir Denis said visible police ‘pay the rent’ because they are what the public wants to see and boost  confidence in the service.

He called on forces to consider how many officers they assign to front-line roles and whether they are available when demand peaks.

Inspectorate officials set out to examine how chief constables were using the manpower available to them. They found huge differences among the numbers of police officers and PCSOs who are available for duty.

At the bottom end of the scale with Bedfordshire and Devon and Cornwall were Kent and Greater Manchester which also had fewer than 10 per cent of officers on the front line.
At the top, Merseyside made almost 17 per cent of uniformed staff available for the work that matters most to taxpayers.

Sir Denis said there was a limit to the proportion of police who could be available because of the need to cover duties around the clock. Forces need to employ up to six officers to effectively cover one post 24 hours a day for a week.

The watchdog was asked by ministers to define the ‘front line’ and examine what proportion of officers were ‘available’ to the public.

Sir Denis said debate continued to rage over what constituted ‘front-line’ policing, but added that it was those in everyday contact with people to keep them safe and enforce the law.
A survey of police and members of the public found most agree that those answering 999 calls and patrolling the streets are on the front line.

Sir Denis revealed that his staff faced resistance from some chief constables and that 21 forces out of 43 did not reply to a survey.

But the findings will be examined closely by ministers who believe police leaders can manage budget cuts without damaging front-line performance.

However, Sir Denis warned that back and middle-office functions were not ‘disposable assets’, because forces needed trainers, accountants and IT experts to operate effectively.

He added that there were few obvious candidates for cuts, even in back-office roles.

 Chris Greenwood - 30th March 2011

Police officers "sold stolen goods on ebay"

Three police officers are being investigated for allegedly selling stolen property on internet auction site eBay.

A statement from Merseyside Police said the officers had been arrested and suspended on suspicion of theft and misconduct in a public office.

It is understood the arrests followed a complaint after items taken during police raids ended up on the auction site.

The three men, aged 36, 37 and 43, were arrested at their home addresses.

Officers from the force's professional standards unit are carrying out an internal investigation.

A police spokeswoman said: "Merseyside Police can confirm that three serving police officers were arrested on Wednesday March 9 on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and theft.

"The men have since been bailed and suspended from duty pending further inquiries."

30 Mar 2011

Strathclyde Pc charged over pro-IRA chanting

A police officer has been accused of chanting pro-IRA slogans during a night out with his uncle.

Christopher Halaka, an officer with Strathclyde Police, was arrested in Perth after being reported by an off-duty officer from a neighbouring force.

Mr Halaka appeared at Perth Sheriff Court to face a charge of committing a sectarian breach of the peace on 27 December.

 

The alleged incident happened in Mill Street, Perth

The officer, who denies the charges, has not been suspended from duty.

If convicted, he could be sacked from his job at Strathclyde Police and even be given a prison sentence.

Mr Halaka, 31, is alleged to have been in Perth with his uncle Laurence Winters on a night out which lasted until the early hours the next day.

At about 0300 GMT, after a city centre nightclub closed, the pair are accused of being involved in a disturbance near the taxi rank in Mill Street.

Not guilty plea 

The alleged sectarian abuse was reported to Tayside Police by off duty Pc Ian Cameron.

Witnesses claimed that Mr Halaka, from Falkirk, and 43-year-old Mr Winters, from Perth, were chanting pro-IRA statements. They were also said to be singing Irish folk songs, including the Fields of Athenry.

They were arrested and taken to the the divisional police HQ in Perth.

Mr Halaka pled not guilty to a charge of breaching the peace in a racially aggravated manner on 28 December 2009.

He also denied conducting himself in a disorderly manner, shouting and swearing, and chanting a slogan containing sectarian phrases in Perth's Mill Street.

Mr Winters, a pest controller, was not in court but denied the same charges.

Both men are scheduled to go on trial in connection with the incident next month.

BBC News 18 March 2011