Tag: crime

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BBC Scotland’s avoidance of English County Lines gang terror complaint – their odd response and my follow-up complaint

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On July 23rd, I wrote to BBC Complaints: County Lines gangs, based in large English cities have been responsible for a spreading plague of extreme violence, more accessible and cheaper illegal drug supplies, child abuse, prostitution, people trafficking and the exploitation (cuckooing) of vulnerable adults in small-town UK, into places previously less affected by crime. Recent data reveal a surge in knife crime in rural and small-town areas in England and a recent surge in violent crime in similar areas in Scotland. Police Scotland estimates more than 50 County Lines gang activities in Scotland using children to carry the drugs … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s avoidance of English County Lines gang terror complaint – their odd response and my follow-up complaint

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Latest research – Crime down 53% since first SNP Government began but police numbers slightly up on last Labour Government!

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By Professor John Robertson From the Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report : July 2024 edition, today: Crime has fallen by 53% since 2008-09. Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that around 1 in 10 adults were victims of crime in 2021-22 (10.0%) compared to 1 in 5 in 2008-09 (20.4%). The estimated number of crimes fell by 53% over the same period, and by 18% since 2017-18.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-july-2024-edition/pages/3/#page-top IMPORTANT – This is not based on police reporting which is known to understate the actual level of crime but on The Scottish Crime and Justice … Continue reading Latest research – Crime down 53% since first SNP Government began but police numbers slightly up on last Labour Government!

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County Lines drug gangs from cities in England fuel major surge in violent crime in Scotland’s smaller towns

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In the Express yesterday, we read: Knife crime epidemic rising faster in market towns after spread of county lines drug gangs. Knife crime is rising more rapidly in rural counties and market towns than in cities, a study has found. Although most of the police forces in the top 10 included large inner city areas, the study found offences were soaring at an alarming rate outside of urban regions. According to Police Scotland, there are more than 50 County Lines drug and child-abusing groups active in Scotland, first identified in 2019, commonly in smaller towns where there is no existing … Continue reading County Lines drug gangs from cities in England fuel major surge in violent crime in Scotland’s smaller towns

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Police Chiefs launch three-year plan to disrupt violent English drug gangs operating in England, Scotland & Wales, to a media silence

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The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) brings together and is funded by police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the armed services and some British Overseas Territories. Yesterday, the NPCC announced: The NPCC alongside the NCLCC have today (9 July) launched the Disrupting County Lines Policing Strategy. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) County Lines and Gangs alongside the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) have today (9 July) launched the Disrupting County Lines Policing Strategy 2024 to 2027. The strategy aims to: Building on the success since the launch of the Home Office County Lines programme in 2019, … Continue reading Police Chiefs launch three-year plan to disrupt violent English drug gangs operating in England, Scotland & Wales, to a media silence

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Massive fall in reconvictions per offender

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From the Scottish Government today, the recidivism rates: In England and Wales, in 2022, the figure was 25.5% For interest, in the USA, the recidivism rate after 3 years is 66% and after ten, 82%. Sources: https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-scotland-2020-21-offender-cohort/pages/2/ https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-january-to-march-2022/proven-reoffending-statistics-january-to-march-2022#:~:text=The%20overall%20proven%20reoffending%20rate,proven%20reoffending%20rate%20of%2025.1%25. https://www.success.com/recidivism-rates/#:~:text=More%20than%201.2%20million%20people,the%20Bureau%20of%20Justice%20Statistics. Continue reading Massive fall in reconvictions per offender

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England’s gangland bosses breaking Scotland’s prison system

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Neil Mackay in the Herald today has: Scotland’s gangland bosses break the nation’s ‘failed’ prison system. Jails are bursting at the seams, staff are exhausted, and as police arrest more and more organised crime members, Scotland’s prisons are in turmoil. Our Writer at Large reports IT sounds like life for prison officers at the height of Ulster’s Troubles: intimidation, threats to kill, assassination plots, fire-bombings, and looking over your shoulder when you clock off and walk through the jail gates. Given that overall crime is down by 40% since the SNP came to power in 2007, organised crime based on drugs, prostitution, … Continue reading England’s gangland bosses breaking Scotland’s prison system

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Lib Dem-assisted Conservative Council risks child exploitation for the Union

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Aberdeenshire Council is run by a Conservative & Unionist/Lib Dem coalition. Former Berkshire Constituency agent for the Maidenhead Conservatives, Gillian Owen is the council leader whom was responsible for the education committee letting a school photographer take selective photographs to exclude children with complex needs. See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/03/29/if-it-wasnt-the-aberdeenshire-school-it-was-the-tory-council-that-instructed-or-allowed-the-photographers-to-offer-parents-selective-class-photos/ Today, I see in the Dorset Echo: A safeguarding evening will be held in a primary school in Weymouth where parents will be informed how to keep children safe from modern dangers. Chickerell Primary Academy will be holding a free discussion evening from 6pm to 7.30pm at Willowbed Hall. The Escapeline charity, which … Continue reading Lib Dem-assisted Conservative Council risks child exploitation for the Union

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Crime slightly up in 2023/2024 but still falling in trend down 51% from the days of Thatcherism still scarring England

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By Professor John Robertson From the Scottish Government today: Crime figures based only on police reporting do understate the actual level of crime and so we need to find out what people will report to independent researchers about their own experience of crime in their communities. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) is based on 5 600 face-to-face interviews. This is a very large sample, scientifically constructed to represent all social groups. Compared with opinion polls with samples of around 1 000, this method is gold-standard for validity and reliability. It found an estimated 494,000 crimes in 2021/22 [Down … Continue reading Crime slightly up in 2023/2024 but still falling in trend down 51% from the days of Thatcherism still scarring England

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Bradford drugs gang ‘recruited an 11 year-old to deal’ in Ayrshire town

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The Metro today is reporting a survey of all UK police forces to find out how many under 16’s have been recruited to deal drugs by the County Lines gangs operating out of large cities in England and, in several cases, in small Scottish towns. They also asked about the age of the youngest child being exploited in this way and identified three 10 year-olds and numerous 11 year-olds – Primary School pupils. 1 Police Scotland did not respond to the Metro survey, but from social media comments by locals in Auchinleck and Cumnock (East Ayrshire) last November, it was … Continue reading Bradford drugs gang ‘recruited an 11 year-old to deal’ in Ayrshire town

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The Bradford gang that tried to spread misery into Auchinleck?

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I have a google alert for ‘county lines.’ Every day I get links to media reports on that, across England and Wales. I haven’t had one by a Scottish media outlet. BBC Scotland have not mentioned them since 2021, and only once then. From Yorkshire Live today: Bradford gang spread misery and class As in huge county lines operation. A Bradford county lines gang who spread drugs and misery throughout a town and city in East Yorkshire has been jailed. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bradford-gang-spread-misery-class-161742927.html ‘Bradford’ reminded me of the November 2023 ‘riots’ in Auchinleck and Cumnock (East Ayrshire) and the local reports ignored by the media: and: … Continue reading The Bradford gang that tried to spread misery into Auchinleck?