cornwall police watch

Cornwall Police Watch II

2010-08-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Please click on the link below:

http://cornwall-police-watch-ii.blogspot.com/

Tony Leamon released from bail!

2008-08-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

CPW have been celebrating following Tony Leamon’s release from bail on Wednesday 31st July 2008.

As readers will know, Tony was due to answer police bail for the fifth time at Camborne police station last Wednesday, almost 11 months since he was first arrested. However, on the Wednesday morning, police visited Tony at his home as on two previous occasions and informed him that his bail had been delayed yet again. However later on in the day, Tony was told that his bail would be dropped and no charges brought against him.

CPW would like to thank all those who supported Tony over the last 11 months, especially Mike Chappel, whose commitment and dedication to Tony’s cause has been an inspiration to us all, Tony’s supporters in the USA and the Celtic League. Tony has experienced at first hand the injustice of the UK’s Terrorism Act and the overly enthusiastic response by the police to act with insensitivity under the Act. Without his support base Tony may well have found himself in jail and been another forgotten victim of police state criminal justice abuse - just another statistic in police eagerness to meet targets and make arrests.

CPW are taking a well deserved holiday, but will be back in September 2008 to highlight Devon and Cornwall police injustice.

A Cornwall police badge?

2008-07-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

An interesting idea has been mooted on a Cornish forum for officers of the Devon and Cornwall police force to wear police badges that state ‘Cornwall’ on them.

However, there is no reason why the words Kernow should not be added too. As will be seen on the Celtic League pages (CPW recommend doing a search)a campaign has been running by the League asking police constabularies in the Celtic countries, what their linguistic and cultural commitment is to the respective Celtic countries they serve. As will seen from the League’s news items here, Chief Constable Stephen Otter has already been sent several letters by the League on his constabularies commitment to the Cornish language and culture.

Other replies by various chief police officers from the different constabularies in the Celtic countries, found on the site, have been largely positive, but no reply from Otter has been shown. Either he has ignored the League’s questions or his response was so dismissive and short that the League didn’t think it worthy of posting up on their site.

For those readers who are interested, Cornwall did have its own police badge until the Cornwall County Constabulary was discontinued in 1967. Many of Cornwall’s police officers who worked through the change, stubbornly and rightly continued to wear their Cornwall police badge with pride for many years after, even though another (Devon and Cornwall) badge had been issued.

Also of interest is the fact that Cornwall (with the exception of Breizh/Brittany) is unique of the Celtic countries in that it is serviced by a police force that is based outside its territorial boundaries.

Both the above issues should be remedied and it is hoped that the League (and others) will take it upon themselves to campaign for these particular issues of concern some time soon.

The Cornwall 24 forum provides some interesting material for those interested in Cornish issues and occasionally discusses issues related to police activity. CPW however, cannot find the link to the Cornwall police badge discussion and would appreciate it if a reader could provide one in the comments section.

Celtic League Branch meets, as Tony prepares to answer his bail for fifth time

2008-07-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League will meet today inWadebridge, East Cornwall to discuss, among other things, the situation of Tony Leamon, who is due, once again, to answer his bail at Camborne police station on Thursday 31st July.

It is expected that the branch will be organising a demonstration outside Camborne police station on the Tuesday. Those who are able to participate should watch this space for up to date information, in case Tony’s bail is delayed yet again, in which case the demonstration is likely to be cancelled.

This will be the Tony fifth time that Tony is due to answer his police bail and as on previous occasions, supporters are requested to write/phone to Devon and Cornwall police station to register their concerns (police.Enquiries@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk or 7 0044 84527744 from abroad or 084527744 from the UK Ask to be put through to Camborne police station for a non urgent call). Supporters are also requested to copy emails to Ginette Harris (gharris@c-dm.co.uk) of the West Briton newspaper in Cornwall.

Campaigners respond to newspaper articles

2008-07-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Campaigners on behalf of Tony Leamon have taken up the inaccurate portrayal of his case in two newspapers following his bail delay earlier this month. The first is from the ever reliable Celtic League who have been campaigning on Tony’s behalf from the outset. The League’s General Secretary made a complaint to the ‘Western Morning News’ newspaper, who made a series of errors in their article on 3rd July 2008, which was featured on this site. The second complaint is from a campaigner in the USA, who took issue with The Sun’s sensationalist and highly patronising news item about Tony, so commonly associated with that particular newspaper.

The Celtic League’s response can be found here and the US campaigner’s response can be found below. Well done both!

I am writing to you … regarding the article that appeared in the July 4 edition of the Sun about Tony Leamon.

While you are to be commended for featuring the article, I must say that your lack of confirmed facts leaves much to be desired.
I've a few questions concerning the article.

1. "The Cornish National Liberation Army, dubbed the Ooh-Arr A, wanted to back a member answering bail on a gun charge." It's my understanding that membership in the Cornish National Liberation Army is in itself a criminal offense.
If Mr. Leamon is a member of the CNLA (which he is most certainly not), why has he not been charged as a terrorist?

2. "The organisation boasted on websites that supporters from Mexico the US and Australia would support Tony Leamon, 58, at Camborne police station. But when he arrived the only follower was student Jezz Evans."
Having been involved with this thing since September of 2007, I can honestly say that I know of no supporters from "Mexico". I am also unaware of anyone from the US or Australia who planned to show up at the Camborne police station. It is also my understanding (and I heard this from Tony Leamon himself) that a policeman arrived at Tony's house at 11:30 AM the day his bail hearing was scheduled to tell Tony that it had been moved back to July 31.
So, when did Mr. Leamon "arrive"?
Was any research put into finding out why only one person showed up to offer support for Mr. Leamon?
Could that have been because Mr. Leamon took the time to contact people and tell them about the rescheduling of his bail hearing?
Where are the "websites" that your article mentions?
Are these websites maintained by the CNLA?

3. But the cops said they were "not aware of any calls relating to the inquiry."
"Cops" were quoted, but no one by name.
I was waiting to speak with a "cop" when I received word from Mr. Leamon that his bail hearing had been rescheduled.
Who were these "cops" and why wasn't my telephone call mentioned?
Did any research go into this "lack" of telephone calls.
I am aware of at least three people from New Mexico who attempted to get through to the Camborne police station.

4. I've been told that the so-called gun charge had to do with a World War vintage rifle that has a lead filled barrel and is incapable of firing. I've also been told that the photo of the gun was a full blown practical joke and that Mr. Leamon has provided the paperwork to prove that the gun is worthless as a weapon.
Mentioning a gun charge in an article about anyone could destroy a person's career prospects, this is obviously a petty point for yourself and your newspaper.
Mentioning a gun charge without pointing out all of the facts involved was very reckless and uncaring on your part as well as your editor's.
Was any research put into the gun charge?
Why weren't the facts about the gun mentioned in your article?

5. The Celtic League (which is not affiliated with the CNLA) urged people to send emails to the Devon/Cornwall police in support of Mr. Leamon. I know of at least twelve people in my town other than myself who sent emails expressing concern for the Draconian treatment the Mr. Leamon is receiving from the State.
Why was no mention made in your article of what is truly international support for Mr. Leamon?

6. Your article made a very serious, life impacting accusation by calling Mr. Leamon a member of the CNLA.
Was any time devoted to finding the true facts here?
Did you give any thought at all to what this could do to a person's life?
Was this article published for the good of the community as a whole or as a trite piece of filler for your newpaper?

7. Tony Leamon is a member of the Cornish Branch of the Celtic League and a committed pacifist. He has often asked his supporters to treat the police with kindness and dignity when they make contact.
Was any effort made to contact Tony to hear his side of things?
Was any effort made to contact the Celtic League, which is a well respected group, to get a better understanding of this case?

I will look forward to your reply.

Kindest regards,

Police language – in Cornish!

2008-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

If Kernow had its own police force and a linguistic requirement of its officers was to speak the Cornish language, below are some words/terms they maybe likely to use. In fact, if there are any police officers or Police community support officers reading this, why not put into practice some of this vocabulary today.

GWIR-VREUS (Justice)

gwir-vreus -- justice
breus -- judgement
sywyans -- result
pysadow -- appeal
daswel -- review
gevyans -- remission
edrek -- remorse
gwith -- custody
apposyans -- examination
gwaytyans -- expectation
ken -- law-suit
arv -- weapon
ladrynsi -- robbery (in general)
ladrans -- robbery (individual act)
ladrans arvek -- armed robbery
ladhva -- murder
kammfydhweyth -- confidence trick
dustuni -- testimony
assay -- attempt
nester -- proximity
privetter -- privacy
bolder -- presumption
bysmer -- contempt
omgemmeryans -- responsibility
daskorrans -- restitution
kammhynseth -- injustice
kowses -- conviction
mewgh -- bail

breusyas -- judge
justis -- magistrate
laghyas / laghyades -- lawyer m/f
prisner / prisnores -- prisoner m/f
galwesik / galwesiges -- professional m/f
gwithyas kres -- policeman
gwithyades kres -- policewoman
darsywyas -- prosecutor
difenner -- defendant
lader -- thief
denledhyas -- murderer
kammfydhwas -- confidence trickster
drogoberer -- criminal
drogoberer avleythys -- hardened criminal
kreslu -- police force
dustunier -- witness
noter -- notary
bayli -- bailiff
perghenn -- owner
tremenyas -- passer-by
mewghyer -- one who stands bail

herwydh an lagha, lafyl, laghel -- lawful
anlaghel -- illegal
digeredh -- excused
kablus po ankablus -- guilty or not guilty
varyes -- insane, deranged
kammhynsek -- unjust
diswar -- reckless

darsywya -- to prosecute
previ, gul prov -- to prove
kildenna -- to reverse
byghanhe -- to reduce
mos dres -- to exceed
gordhyllo -- to expel
gul dhe -- to cause to
gwarnya -- to caution
gul maystri orth -- to exercise control over
dilea -- to expunge
mewghya -- to stand bail
kammdremena -- transgress, trespass
kammvreusi – misjudge

How about some slang!

to bag – sagha
to pinch - pynchya
to rumble - grommya
to sequester – argeles
to snare – krogennya ?
to book – ragerghi
to catch – kachya
to haul in – tenna, halya
to seize – dalghenna, sesya

gorra yn gwith -- to place in custody (arrest?)

Campaign activity

2008-07-08T01:07:00.000-07:00

Check out the link below for an example of further campaign work. Mike Chappell, who wrote the letter in the link has been campaigning activley on behalf of Tony for many months, despite heavy criticism from some unionist quarters in Cornwall, for reasons unknown.

Unfortunately it seems that the more active one becomes in pushing the the Cornish cause forward, the more people will come out of the woodwork and try to damage your reputation and credibility. It has happened before and continues to occur today. Well done Mr Chappell for standing up for what you believe in - CPW wish there were more like you.

Keep the communications going.

Campaign news: Tony Leamon

What nonsense!

2008-07-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

It seems that journalists in Britain and the UK cannot seem to get their facts right at all. Yesterday, in the London based The Sun newspaper, another article appeared about Tony Leamon’s case, which must have been directly lifted and modified creatively from the Western Morning News (WMN) newspaper article that appeared the previous day.

The WMN article was distorted enough and shows that the reporting and research skills of so called journalists are miserably low, but the following Sun article beggar’s belief! Moreover it seems that neither newspaper asked for permission to use the photo of Tony Leamon in their rags.

Tony Leamon is:

41 years old (not 58)
Not a member of the CNLA
Didn’t answer his bail at Camborne police station on 2nd July

See link below:

Source: The Sun (Ohh-Arr you?)

Writer: j.coles@the-sun.co.uk

Newspaper in Cornwall gets story wrong!

2008-07-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

It is indeed a shame how the press in Cornwall have virtually ignored the Tony Leamon story and then when one news paper attempts to cover it, they get their facts wrong and portray the campaign in a negative, humorous way.

The following article ‘PROTESTER RALLIES TO SUPPORT NATIONALIST’, written by senior reporter for the Western Morning News, Lyn Barton is full of misconceptions and errors. Even though she has been among the first to cover the story to a limited extent in the mainstream press, she showed up her poor research skills to the detriment of the newspapers reputation. The article may prove a little humorous for WMN readers, who know nothing of Tony’s plight, but she has either failed to show or deliberately omitted the world support that Tony’s case is receiving.

Whether the delay of Tony’s bail by the police (and/or the Crown Prosecution Service), at the last minute, was a deliberate attempt to pull the carpet from under the feet of supporters or they had heard of the planned protest and decided avoid what could be bad publicity, we will never know.

The Tony Leamon support network is tight and almost everyone is kept informed of what is going on via the internet. Some people however are bound to not hear about the very latest developments, as in the case of Mr Evans.

CPW are disappointed by this obvious lack of reporting skills and hope they can correct the story at a future date. Good photo though.

Lyn Barton’s email address is:

lbarton@westernmorningnews.co.uk

Source: Western Morning News
Reporter: Lyn Barton

PROTESTER RALLIES TO SUPPORT NATIONALIST
LYN BARTON

11:00 - 03 July 2008

A solitary protester answered a rallying cry to demonstrate in support of a man questioned in connection with the activities of an extremist nationalist group in Cornwall.

Tony Leamon yesterday answered bail for the fourth time since he was arrested in September as part of an inquiry into the Cornish National Liberation Army, which had threatened to firebomb premises associated with Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver.

The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League had urged members to turn up at Camborne Police Station at 3pm, where the 58-year-old was due to answer bail.

However, in the event, Mr Leamon appeared to have arrived at the police station before lunch, and was released on unconditional until July 31.

At the appointed hour, only Jezz Evans, carrying the St Piran's Flag and wearing a T-shirt proclaiming that Cornwall was "next to England...like Wales" turned up.

Mr Evans, 24, and who is studying for a masters degree, said he was keen to show his support for Mr Leamon.

"I support people like Tony who I believe have been wrongly arrested for being terrorists when there is just no evidence to support it," he said.

He claimed Mr Leamon was being made a scapegoat for being a "vocal" and "passionate" supporter of the Cornish cause.

Mr Evans said many members of the Celtic League would not have been able to turn up due to work commitments, but would support their friend. "I am a student so my hours are flexible," he said. "All the rest of the Celtic League will probably have full-time work. They would definitely support him in spirit.

"I'm not disappointed to be the only person here today."

Mr Leamon, who lives in Falmouth, was one of four men arrested in September on suspicion of the illegal possession of a firearm as part of an investigation into the activities of the CNLA. The shadowy extremist group claimed to have come together in a bid to free Cornwall from Westminister's control and had threatened to firebomb restaurants connected to Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver as part of their campaign.

Two men, including the well-known Cornish musician Graham Hart, were released without any further action. A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman told the WMN a 58-year-old from Falmouth had been rebailed until July 31. A 53-year-old man from Camborne was due to answer bail at the same time as part of the same investigation, but failed to appear.

The spokesman said the police were still waiting a decision from the Crown Prosecution Service on the case.

Bernard Moffat, director of information for the Celtic League had called for members unable to come to Camborne Police Station to ring instead.

The police spokesman said the force received thousands of calls every day and that he was unaware of any particularly targeting the inquiry.

Tony Leamon’s bail delayed again!

2008-07-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Tony must surely be at the end of his tether. In an email to CPW, Tony Leamon said:

“I was to have answered my bail today at 3 pm. At 11am this morning I had DC 196 Hampson on my door at 11am delaying the interview until the 31st July.
I AM sitting here shaking like a jelly. Surely this delaying tactic is against the law!

My solicitor rang up yesterday to confirm the date-which they did. So I got everything prepared. Now I am delayed to the 3st July at 3 pm. This is the second time they have cancelled my hearing at the last moment. I am sure such delaying and shock inducing tactics are illegal somewhere, but clearly not in Cornwall.

It will be over 10 months since I was arrested, and I still haven’t been charged. Arrested, yes. But not charged. I have been interviewed for over 18 hours, have had my computer, mobile phones, paperwork, flags, and John Angarrk books seized, ad still no charge.

I asked DC Hampson why he couldn’t get things organised. He said it was “out of his hands”. I asked if that was so, could I be seen by the person in whose hands it was. Again, he said, it was out of his hands. The term monkey and organ grinder come to mind.

Speak to all later. Please keep emailing the West Briton, and ringing the police station.”

CPW condemn the treatment that Devon and Cornwall police is meting out to Tony, whose only crime is to campaign for what he believes in.

Good Luck Tony!

2008-07-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Today, Tony Leamon answers is police bail. In an email to supporters, Tony says:

“The battle starts tomorrow. For those who are braving the rain I will be at the police station for about 2:30. For those ringing in the number is 0845 2777444. State it is a non urgent call, and you wish to be put through to Camborne. When through be polite and courteous.

Why not email your feelings to the local news paper, the West Briton? If enough support is shown I am sure they will run a story. The address is gharris@c-dm.co.uk

As with all innocent people I will probably have a sleepless night tonight, but it will do my heart glad to see some friendly faces at the station tomorrow.

Here is your chance to show your support- take it and enjoy every moment! Let’s show the state they cannot push people with no money around.

If they bang me up, I’ll see you all in 1 to 3 years.”

CPW have been copied in on some of the letters being sent to the Devon and Cornwall Police force and journalists in Cornwall to remind them that the world is watching. Edited versions of some of these letters are below:

“As a Human Rights activist for many years I must say that the ten months of seemingly useless harassment that Cornishman Tony Leamon has received from the State appals me.”

“When a State reaches the point where it will repeatedly call an as yet "uncharged" citizen to attend bail hearings set at the whim of some faceless "officer of the state" only to spend hours upon hours asking the same questions that State is moving away from being a free land and into very dangerous territory.”

USA

“Dear Journalist

I am writing to you from my home in Cathair na Gaillimhe (Galway) in Eire otherwise known as the Republic of Ireland.

I won't be outside the Camborne Police Station in Cornwall on 2nd July but Mr Tony Leamon and his plight will be high in my thoughts and that of many others here. What is happening to him might as well be in the Ireland of 30 years ago.”

Now, it is not the English I despise as much as their rotten colonial system and that is why I spent a deal of my life fighting against that system. I am proud of what has been achieved and that out of 32 counties, 26 of them are free albeit not perfect. That imperfection however at least belongs to us and we shall do our best to put it right. We're working on the other occupied six counties and one day our country will be united.

“I have been following the Tony Leamon story from its outset. It does seem to me that the whole world knows about him except where he comes from - Cornwall - or Kernow as it should be called. When I was a young boy, I was made to read a book called '1984' by George Orwell and many of us looking in from the outside can see that is what is happening where you are, albeit 24 years later than Orwell envisaged. You are now being controlled in what you can say and write as journalists by the authorities and that is a very dangerous state of affairs indeed.”

“Sir

I am not prepared to reveal my identity as I was a serving police officer in the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary until the early 1990's when I retired after 30 years service.

I wish to draw your attention to the below references:

A. cornwall police watch blog

B. the news is now public Tony Leamon story

I came across these stories whilst researching police affairs of the past. I strongly suggest you read both website entries from start to finish.

I am ashamed of what the force has become if what is contained in these stories is true. The internet now is more widely read that the newspaper media of our days and it is no wonder that public confidence in the police is falling.”

“What on earth is going on in the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary? Have they forgotten what they are all about ? Where is the integrity the force was so proud of ? In fact, where is the pride ?”

“I am remaining anonymous because in today's environment of malice and nastiness, who knows what action might be taken against a police pensioner but I am the old fashioned sort who still talks to the public and I know your public relations are a complete disaster! Go back to training school and start again.”

CPW will look forward to hearing more – so keep writing and calling the police and newspapers to highlight Tony’s case.

Press release and short video diary of Tony Leamon

2008-06-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

The Celtic League have issued the following press release in support of Tony Leamon. As will be seen another video has been produced, where Tony speaks about his experience of being held on bail for almost 10 months.

Even though the video shows that Tony has kept a sense of humour, the strain he is under is also evident.

Press release below:

Celtic League campaigner and Kernow branch treasurer Tony Leamon, will be appearing for at Camborne police station this Wednesday (2nd July 2008) to answer his bail, almost 10 months after he was first arrested on 6th September 2007 on suspicion of terrorism.

To give support to other victims of the British state's over enthusiastic use of anti terrorist legislation, Mr Leamon has made a short video film of himself, for the Celtic League, to rely some of his feelings of having been on police bail for this extended period of time. As will be seen from the video footage, Mr Leamon is in good spirits and has kept his sense of humour throughout, despite a very low period earlier this year when the pressure of the ordeal drove him to make
a suicide attempt.

The Celtic League has been campaigning on Mr Leamon's behalf since his arrest and the arrest of other members of the Cornish cultural and political movement at the same time. Mr Leamon, along with all of the other people arrested, were perplexed as to why the police had picked on them as part of the police investigation into the Cornish National Liberation Army/Cornish Republican Army. Needless to say Mr Leamon and the other people arrested all maintained their innocence and denied ever having taken part in any criminal activity in the furtherance of their beliefs. With no or little evidence to go on, the police had to release the other arrestees from their bail and now it is only Mr Leamon who has been kept hanging on.

Mr Leamon has been due to answer his bail on 3 separate occasions (not including his arrest), but each time, after lengthy periods of questioning, his bail has only been extended further. Now Mr Leamon is hoping that Wednesday will be the forth and final time he will have to visit Camborne police station on this matter.

The Kernow Branch of the League are planning to hold a protest outside Camborne police station on the afternoon of the 2nd July and are requesting that all his supporters who are able to attend the protest to turn up at just before 1500. Those who are unable to attend the protest are encouraged to phone the Devon and Cornwall Police central number on 0044 (0) 8452 777444 (remember to include the 0 if phoning from the UK) and ask to be put through to Camborne police station, regarding Tony Leamon, not forgetting to state where you are calling from. Alternatively, emails can be sent to Police.Enquiries@... with the same message of support. Supporters are requested to enquire after Mr Leamon's welfare, who is registered disabled and has a debilitating disease.

If Mr Leamon is bailed once again, he may have to forfeit attendance at the Celtic League's AGM - due to be held in Dublin on August 16th 2008 - in accordance with his bail restrictions. If this is the case or if Mr Leamon is charged, the League may hold a protest outside the British Embassy in Dublin on the weekend of the AGM.

The Tony Leamon video link can be found below:

http://rhisiart.talebot.googlepages.com/tl2

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

29/06/08

The mud just doesn’t stick!

2008-06-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Another Devon and Cornwall policeman is let off following a rape trial.

PC Jamie Gilbert was accused of four charges of rape against a Callington women and was suspended in June 2007 (no doubt on full pay!). It has taken over a year for the case to come to court and still Gilbert’s suspension will continue until it is discovered if there will be any misconduct proceedings against him.

Gilbert claims that the rape claims were fictitious.

Last month another Devon and Cornwall policeman walked free from court after being caught speeding and then tried to cover it up using police equipment.

It seems that Devon and Cornwall police officers are virtually immune from prosecution. Moreover they get paid to stay at home while their crimes are investigated.

Race and Diversity - What is Otter’s position?

2008-06-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Celtic League has been writing again to Chief Constable Stephen Otter in his role as Association of Chief Police Officers spokesperson for the Race and Diversity Business Area.

The Celtic League copied Otter in on a letter addressed to Cornwall County Council Leader David Whalley about the racist graffiti on a Methodist Chapel in Carnon Downs. The police told the press that they were “appalled” by the damage, but what is Otter’s view?

As Race and Diversity officer, otter should have issued a public statement and be doing something to further good relations between members of the Cornish public? Maybe even a rare appearance in Cornwall at the site of the chapel where the graffiti and damage was caused.

The Celtic League is right to ask what is being done by those in charge.

Source: Celtic League News Item

Otter is one of “…the self-appointed knights of integrity” in the police (Ali Dizaei)

2008-06-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

What has Chief Constable Stephen Otter been doing in his new role as the spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers on the Race and Diversity business area, since he took up the position in April 2008?

An internet search, including a search on the ‘Policing Today’ website, the official journal of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), reveals that he hasn’t been up to much and if some of his past critics are anything to go by, it is likely that he will be doing very little at all.

One high profile critic of Mr Otter’s is chief superintendent, Ali Dizaei. Dizaei was embroiled in a case about institutional racism in the Cornwall, Wales and England police force between some years ago. Interestingly for CPW, one of the men in the force who Dizaei was critical of was his previous boss, the then Superintendent Stephen Otter.

Otter gave evidence against Dizaei at court in a case that people saw was a witch hunt to remove a high ranking, politically aware ethnic minority police officer from the force. Otter gave evidence against Dizaei, on charges that The Times newspaper says were “so mundane that they beggar belief”, in a move to rid the police force of Dizaei.

After Dizaei won his case, Otter was promoted Deputy Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset and then Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall police, while Dizaei is still waiting to be a Deputy Chief Constable.

Now Otter is in charge of the Race and Diversity portfolio for the ACPO despite his record. As it can be seen the Cornwall, Wales and England police force really do look after their own!

Not One of Us, by Ali Dizaei and Tim Phillips, is published by Serpent’s Tail on March 8 at £16.99; available from Times BooksFirst for £15.29: 0870 1608080;

Source: The Times newspaper

Why shouldn’t Magistrates criticise the police?

2008-06-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

This month UK Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, sacked a Magistrate for criticizing the police for not adequately protecting her daughter from being physically assaulted in her school.

Aside from the fact that the Magistrate is the only Romany Magistrate in Cornwall, Wales and England and that the news came “a week after it emerged that the family of 15-year-old Arsema Dawit had complained to the police that she was being harassed shortly before she was stabbed to death in a London council block”, why shouldn’t Magistrates be able to have an opinion?

Mr Straw said in a letter to the Magistrate in question that “your behaviour has led to your impartiality being brought into question”, but Magistrates are, after all, just members of the public and as such should be able to have a public opinion. The wikipedia reference on UK Magistrates says:

“No formal qualifications are required but magistrates need intelligence, common sense, integrity and the capacity to act fairly. Membership is widely spread throughout the area covered and drawn from all walks of life. Police officers, traffic wardens and members of the armed forces, as well as their close relatives will not be appointed, nor will those convicted of certain criminal offences including recent minor offences.”

The Magistrate, Shay Clipson, said:

“I was acting as a mother who had good reason to be both furious and to question the lack of competence and ethics that were being displayed. Not only was my child terrified for her safety, this campaign of terror was based on racism, mainly her Welsh accent, and possibly her Romany background, yet the police were not doing enough to support her.”

It certainly seems that Ms Clipson has all of those qualities of a Magistrate listed above, so why shouldn’t she be able to criticize the police Mr Straw?

Source: The Independent

News Agency picks up on Tony Leamon’s plight

2008-06-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

A Breton based news agency has picked up a story from the Celtic League about a video made to highlight Tony Leamon’s cause.

The website ‘Agence Bretagne Presse’ features news related to Brittany and the other Celtic countries and receives over 200 000 hits a month. The article ‘Video links highlight Cornish activists plight’ can be found here.

Tony in high spirits, despite months of waiting

2008-06-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

In an email to suppoters, Tony Leamon, sets out below how he is faring, despite the massive pressure that he has been under all these months. As it can be seen, his spirits are high nevertheless and states that he is “almost looking forward” to his next bail hearing on July 2nd. His resilience in the face of injustice is an example for us all.

“My temperament is a lot better these day because I think the police are finally showing how weak their case is. I am almost looking forward to my next bail hearing on July 2nd.

Of course this is still affecting me and my family. My father, 94, is still terrified of the police at the door. In my entire life I do not remember the police having to knock on our front door in anger.

My mother, who is slowly recovering from her bi lateral mastectomy, is keeping a brave face on all this, as all mothers do.

One thing that has given us all strength is the support I have received from complete strangers. Everything from people who recognise me in the street, to emails from other continents. Every time I type my name into Google, and see all the hits, my heat soars. Not just for me, but for all of the little people who fall foul of the state.

I answer my bail on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 3pm. I'm going to Camborne Police Station again. I have spoken to the West Briton, our local paper, and they hope to have a reporter present. I ask that anyone who can make it stands outside the police station, with a Cornish flag, Do so politely, and with the dignity we all have. If you cannot make it, give them a ring, stating it is non urgent, and then state you are enquiring about the progress of Mr Leamon's case.

Please do not use any aggression, or intimidation with them. They are only doing their job.

I thank all my friends, from all over the world who are giving me their support.

Kernow Bys Vyken”

Humorous interlude

2008-06-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

"Police deny over reacting today when a a man was spotted with a Cornish flag and John Angarrack book."

CPW supporter

Indeed this is what some people in Cornwall think things are coming to!

"Ask a policeman on the street, there's so many there to meet"

2008-06-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

Can you remember George Harrison singing, "Ask a policeman on the street, there's so many there to meet," in the Beatle's song Blue Jay Way? Well that was a long time ago I suppose; nineteen sixty-seven. I wonder if George would be able to sing that line today? Nowadays, in Britain, you'd be hard pressed to find a policeman on the beat; so that particular lyric might prove anachronistic and somewhat redundant.

Policemen on the street are as rare as rocking horse manure. Walk through continental streets and towns and you will see all manner of police, be they local, municipal, state, federal. These various police departments have a presence, and whatever you may say they certainly provide public reassurance. And it is this essential reassurance that seems to be missing on British streets today.

The ever common remark now is, "When I want to find proper policemen on the street all I find these days are CSOs". Just what are CSOs? Sorry, well if you haven't been around for a while they might be something new to you. CSOs (or Community Support Officers to give them their more pithy designation) are Blair and Blunkett's brainchild for more police on the streets. But these CSOs are not quite police. They are more like security guards that are 'police-wannabes' but haven't quite got the crop of GSCEs required for entry.

Described in various parts of the press as 'boil-in-the-bag-coppers' or 'traffic wardens without clout' they court derision and do not have the necessary public respect that genuine police officers have. And, quite obviously, without that respect it just does not work! I feel quite sorry for them actually; they are in an invidious position. But hey, 'British Brown' and chums don't care because with CSOs at sixteen grand a year, it's like buy two coppers get one free; every little helps! While this administration wastes millions of pounds on quangos and lunatic think-tanks, they penny-pinch with our police and our sense of security. People want real police officers; they don't want pantomime characters marauding around instead of the genuine articles.

If you don't believe me, surely you might believe the Old Bill's Union. "The government's experiment with CSOs has clearly failed," stated a Police Federation spokesman continuing "The public want to see police officers, not imitations, on our streets." He revealed that a poll commissioned by the federation showed seven out of every ten people wanted CSOs replaced by real police. "The general feeling," he concluded, "is that constables starting on £21,000 a year are far better value than the £16,000 p.a. spent on the CSOs."

Committee chairman Julie Nesbit, added: "These findings clearly demonstrate that the public feel safer with police officers patrolling our streets and not civilian staff. [We] warned the Government when CSOs were introduced that trying to police on the cheap was short-sighted." With all the terrible news coming from Britain's streets on a now daily basis, that is hardly surprising is it?

Short film publicises Tony’s plight

2008-06-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

A short film has been made about Tony Leamon and uploaded to you Tube. It can be viewed here. Many thanks to those of you who helped out in the making of the film, especially to Mr Lidbury for his encouragement and suggestions!

CPW hope that this will be the first of several videos to highlight Mr Leamon’s cause. All contributions welcome.

Letters of support

2008-06-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

CPW has now been copied into a number of letters that thave been sent to Devon and Cornwall police constabulary about Tony’s case. Edited versions of some of the letters can be found below. A reply from Devon and Cornwall Police was also received to one of these letters, which was also forwarded to CPW and is set out below:

Devon and Cornwall Police letter response (from Police.Enquiries@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk):

“Good evening,

Thank you for your email. The investigation regarding Mr Leamon is still ongoing.

Regards”

Edited copies of letters sent to Devon and Cornwall Police and copied to CPW:

“I write regarding a friend of mine, a Tony Leamon of number ... who has been subject of the most awful harassment by the officers of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and their controllers...the Crown Prosecution Service and other Governmental Agencies.”

”This poor fellow has been on police bail for 10 months whilst the much vaunted but equally despised police in Cornwall try to rake together a bit of evidence to take him to court under some trumped up charge. It will probably be something really serious like spraying graffiti or waving a Cornish flag, maybe even getting drunk and being found in possession of a John Angarrack book...This police force which again does not rate that well in surveys is really scraping the barrel if they want to nail this chap for being a terrorist. The man would hurt or harm no one.”

”So far, no mention of Leamon or his case in the Cornish media...”

”Yes, they may make Tony Leamon a scapegoat, poor sick chap – that should look very good in your courts as he is supported by his elderly and unwell parents in his walk up to the dock.”

”And why ? - because the man had the bottle to stand up and say ' I am Cornish and not English '.”

”In Wales, he would be declared a National Hero!”

”...I would like to draw your attention to the following Internet site and say that although it is not mine, I agree with every comment made in it. It is increasingly apparent that the Police in Cornwall are anti just about everyone other than their political masters to whom they bow and scrape for crumbs from the State table in the form of their pay packets and valueless awards.

http://cornwall-police-watch.blogspot.com/ ”

”Money is not the issue here. True justice and freedom of thought and open opinion away from the control of an Orwellian state is!”

“Tony's case has drawn International attention. His list of supporters grows each day.
It would be prudent of the State to consider this with each decision it makes regarding Tony.”

“While I would be happy to help Tony Leamon relocate to an area where he would not be treated in such a manner, I do not believe it to be just and fair for anyone to have to flee their homes in order to live freely and without harrasment.”

Please use the comments above to write your own letters to the following addresses and add some for good measure!

Police.Enquiries@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

PolAuth@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

Media:

gharris@c-dm.co.uk
Cro
Crown Prosecution Service:
osecution Service:
Tracy Easton
Chief Crown Prosecutor
Hawkins House
Pynes Hill
Rydon Lane
Exeter
Devon EX2 5SS

and

Julian Herbert
Divisional Crown Prosecutor
2nd Floor
Lysnoweth
Infirmary Hill
Truro TR1 2XG

People’s perceptions of the police

2008-06-01T03:26:00.000-07:00

As pointed out in a previous blog posting, people’s perceptions of the police have changed considerably within a generation. This is because the role of the police in our society has changed and a distance has been created between them and the public they serve. Today this has manifested itself into a ‘them and us’ situation. In Cornwall, among Cornish people, this sense of alienation with the police is a growing phenomenon, as people increasingly realise that the police constabulary that serves them is a colonial force.

This rewrite of a Ladybird classic for children highlights, in a humorous way, some of the real public perceptions that are held about the police today. The Policeman

A person and not a cardboard cutout

2008-05-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

It is a shame that when Chief Constable Maria Wallis left Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary in 2006, she was not replaced by a Chief Constable more like Richard Brunstrom of North Wales Police. Brunstrom has shown time and again that he is not afraid to speak up about controversial issues on all sorts of topics and importantly for CPW, he has proven he is not a colonial mouth piece for central Government.

As will be seen from his recent blog entry, Brunstrom is proud to be working in Wales and on behalf of the Welsh people, even though he is not originally from Wales. He is more accountable than Otter and he even replies personally to correspondence from the general public. He has his own blog and a wikipedia entry and presents himself as a person rather than a cardboard cutout.

Were warrants issued lawfully?

2008-05-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

As it will be seen from this article, the police can also act unlawfully when it comes to administering search warrants.

This was the case as highlighted in the article where judges quashed a warrant, issued by the City Of London Magistrates' Court, for police to search the premises of Portsmouth Football Club boss Harry Redknapp, who were investigating alleged corruption in football. Apparently the warrant was invalidated because the copy shown to Mr Redknapp’s wife did not specify the address of her home.

For most people however, including those Cornish campaigners raided by Devon and Cornwall police in September 2007, what the procedure is for issuing and presenting a search warrant is unknown to them and are unlikely to know what to ask for if presented with one.

Lord Justice Latham, sitting with Mr Justice Underhill, said:

“The obtaining of a search warrant is never to be treated as a formality…It authorises the invasion of a person's home.”

The Solicitor, acting on behalf of the Radkapp’s, said:

“This was an outrageous abuse of power by the police who ignored the rule book and executed an unlawful search warrant at 6am…”

CPW asks, how many of the search warrants issued to Devon and Cornwall police to raid the homes of the Cornish activists arrested in September 2007 were issued lawfully? It maybe worth checking.

See this link for more information on search warrants.

Tony’s support base grows

2008-05-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

A ‘Tony Leamon Support Group’ has been set up to further the cause and press coverage of Tony Leamon. In a statement that they released yesterday, the Group has echoed the call of CPW for supporters to now get in touch with the media in Cornwall, who have so far only given minimal exposure to those Cornish activists arrested in September 2007.

Only Tony Leamon is now on bail of those initially arrested, but lets make sure the injustice that he has experienced at the hands of the English colonial police in Cornwall is not forgotten. One way that this can be done is to show the press how wide Tony’s support base is.

Statement by ‘Tony Leamon Support Group’, as reproduced on Now Public.com

Now for the press!

2008-05-24T02:45:00.000-07:00

With just over a month away until Tony has to answer his bail at Camborne Police Station, CPW and others now believe it is time for the press to be contacted directly about his case. Already some journalists have shown an interest in taking up Tony’s story and several brief interviews have taken place with him.

One journalist who has said that she would be keen to hear from Tony’s supporters is Ginette Harris (gharris@c-dm.co.uk), who is the West Briton Community Editor for the Falmouth and Penryn area. Emails to Ginette Harris should state the subject of the email (Support for Tony Leamon), where you live, why you are supporting him and perhaps some of the activities you have undertaken (e.g. emails, telephone calls, handing out leaflets etc.) to show your support. You may also like to post a comment here.

Don’t forget to copy all your correspondence to Police.Enquiries@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk marked for the attention of ‘Detective 196 HAMPSON of BODMIN CID’; Tony Leamon’s lawyer (Ms. G. Kinley, Vivian Thomas & Jervis Solicitors, PO Box 23, Falmouth TR11 3UF) and the Crown Prosecution Service:

Tracy Easton
Chief Crown Prosecutor
Hawkins House
Pynes Hill
Rydon Lane
Exeter
Devon EX2 5SS

and

Julian Herbert
Divisional Crown Prosecutor
2nd Floor
Lysnoweth
Infirmary Hill
Truro TR1 2XG

Further publicity for Tony in the US

2008-05-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Celtic League continue to campaign for and raise the profile of the injustice being suffered by Tony Leamon, this time in the USA.

The Cornish Branch have been drawing on their links with active members in the US to publicise Tony’s ordeal at a Celtic festival in New Mexico. At the Cornish stand in the 20th Annual Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games in New Mexico, USA last weekend, leaflets about Tony’s plight were distributed and visitors could add their names to a contact list to be kept up to date with new developments ragarding his case. With 8000 people attending the event, this is likely to widen Tony’s support base considerably.

Links:

KERNOW - LEAGUE BRANCH DEVELOP US LINKS

A credible police force?

2008-05-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

A Freedom of Information Act disclosure (14/05/08) has revealed the total number of officers disciplined by the Devon and Cornwall police force, broken down by the nature of the disciplinary offence and the punishment given for the last three calendar years (2005 – 2007).

As it will be seen a total of 55 police officers from the force have been disciplined in one way or another or investigations into their contuct have been carried out. However of these 55 officers, only 5 were required to resign and 2 were dismissed outright. More were fined in days of pay.

These are the officers that have been employed and paid for by the tax payer to serve and protect our Cornish communities. Is this the kind of police force we want? And why aren't these offences better publicised?

‘Resist and survive’ the cultural purges!

2008-05-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Cornish campaigners who were arrested last year by the Devon and Cornwall police all had their books by John Angarrack confiscated, for some unknown reason. Now Angarrack has launched yet another book and this time it attempts to make sense of the police and government cultural purges that took place during this period and set them in their proper context.

The rear cover text of 'Scat t'Larrups: Resist and Survive' reads:

“The year is 2007 and Government react to what appears to be a co-ordinated threat to national security. The Secretary of State sets normal affairs of Government aside to hold two days of crisis talks with her advisors and the future king is consulted. Dawn raids by dozens of armed police result in suspected terrorists being rounded up at gunpoint. Enemy flags, instruction manuals and documents in a foreign language are taken as evidence. High profile personalities are offered special protection and the press hint of a plot to blow up the QE2. The tension abates only after Government and judiciary conspire to intimidate the community into compliance.

A Tom Clancy thriller? No. The events described above really happened – in Cornwall. But what is the truth behind the sensationalism and why did Government take such extreme measures against Cornish people? John Angarrack’s follow-up book to Breaking the Chains and Our Future is History looks at what happened during this period and attempts to set events in their proper context.”

The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League has sent Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police Stephen Otter his own copy of ‘Our Future is History’ in an attempt to disuade him and his officers from pinching other peoples. Maybe the Branch will also be sending him Angarrack’s latest edition!

Links:

CORNWALL - 'RESIST AND SURVIVE' BOOK LAUNCH

John Angarrack Bookshop

News gets around

2008-05-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

A number of articles about Tony Leamon have been placed on a Vancouver based website “Now Public”, as support for his cause continues to grow. As will be seen some of these articles have been viewed several hundred times, showing that news about Tony’s treatment by the Devon and Cornwall police continues to spread.

Link:

Now Public

US Radio broadcast dedicated to Tony Leamon

2008-05-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Celtic League continues to draw attention to the plight of Celtic League activist and Kernow Branch Treasurer Tony Leamon. This time a US radio broadcast, dedicated to Tony, has been aired on Ktao FM radio station in New Mexico.

The programme ‘Celtic and Beyond’ is hosted by Ellie Blair and can be heard on the internet on www.ktao.com.

Link:

CORNISH BRANCH MEMBERS PLIGHT GETS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

Help the police do their jobs!

2008-05-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Direct and clear communication with the public is important if the police are to “be approachable to the communities they serve, to understand their needs and concerns”. Indeed this is the message sent out this week by mid Cornwall’s new police chief Police Supt Julie Whitmarsh.

Police Supt Julie Whitmarsh was speaking to the West Briton newspaper about her attitude towards effective policing. She told the West Briton newspaper that good communication is important to her and she sees it as an effective tool in helping to fight crime. CPW believe that supporters for the fair and just treatment of Cornish and Celtic campaigner Tony Leamon by Devon and Cornwall police therefore, should perhaps help Whitmarsh undertake her new role more effectively.

CPW would like to encourage supporters of Tony Leamon - who lives in mid Cornwall – to write to Whitmarsh and express their concerns and views about his treatment by her police force. Emails should be sent to Police.Enquiries@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk and marked for the attention of Police Supt Julie Whitmarsh.

In addition, why not put democracy in practise to its full extent by also writing (and copying correspondence to Whitmarsh) to the detective investigating Mr Leamon case? After all, as one correspondent to CPW states:

“The Criminal Procedures and Investigation Act (CPIA) which obliges the police and their Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to disclose to the defence solicitor every piece of material not used in the actual case. That means every one of your letters of support, every phone call which should be logged and passed on and so on. To breach this legislation will undermine the Prosecution case.”

The police officer investigating Mr Leamon is Detective 196 HAMPSON of BODMIN CID and can be contacted again by sending an email to the above address and marking it for his/her attention. The police must reveal every piece of information they acquire in their investigation, which will by 10 months by the time Mr Leamon answers his bail in July.

If you prefer to speak to someone in person, why not call the main switchboard of Devon and Cornwall police (from abroad: 0044 8452 777444 and from the UK: 08452 777444) and ask to be put through to Whitmarsh or Detective 196 HAMPSON at Bodmin CID.

Moreover, to ensure the police do their job properly all correspondence should also be copied to the Crown Prosecution Service and to Mr Leamon’s lawyer, the address of which are as follows:

Tony Leamon’s lawyer:
Ms. G. Kinley
Vivian Thomas & Jervis Solicitors,
PO Box 23,
Falmouth TR11 3UF

Crown Prosecution Service:
Tracy Easton
Chief Crown Prosecutor
Hawkins House
Pynes Hill
Rydon Lane
Exeter
Devon EX2 5SS

and

Julian Herbert
Divisional Crown Prosecutor
2nd Floor
Lysnoweth
Infirmary Hill
Truro TR1 2XG

Yet another action is to write (and copy correspondence) to the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority, who are the ‘management committee’ of the Devon and Cornwall police constabulary. They can be contacted at the address PolAuth@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk and mail should be addressed to the attention of Detective196 HAMPSON & Cornwall CPS.

Lets help Devon and Cornwall police do their jobs and lets open and maintain good communication links with their officers. After all, as Whitmarsh says:

"I want to see us dealing with people the same way we want to be treated ourselves. If people ring in I want them to get the response they need.

"We are here to serve mid-Cornwall. I'm here as a servant of the people and I need to make sure we are doing it right."

Devon and Cornwall PC avoids jail

2008-05-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

As predicted by CPW, a Devon and Cornwall police officer who was caught for speeding and then used police equipment to try to cover up the crime has not been sent to jail.

PC Holding blames his actions on stress relating to his time spend as a Royal Military Policeman in Iraq and officer with the Metropolitan Police's SO 19 unit. Holding lied once to avoid being caught, so why shouldn’t he lie again to avoid conviction. CPW think that if this had been a member of the general public, the magistrates would have thrown the book at him!

Instead of jail Holding must pay a fine and will be suspended from duty (probably on full pay) until the matter is taken to an ‘internal misconduct hearing’.

Holdings arrest comes just weeks after Devon and Cornwall police took part in ‘Operation Vortex’, which targeted dangerous motorists. In two weeks Devon and Cornwall police issued over 400 penalty tickets.

Meanwhile Tony Leamon is still being kept on bail for at least 10 months by Devon and Cornwall police for possession of Cornish history books, Cornish language learning material, Cornish flags and taking photos of English flags with his mobile phone.

Tony Leamon - still on bail!

2008-05-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

As readers will be aware, yesterday should have been the day that Celtic League activist Tony Leamon answered his bail at Camborne police station. The Celtic League ran this story on their news pages, thinking that Tony may at last be taken off bail for lack of any evidence against him. A demonstration outside Camborne police station had been planned by Branch activists and so had a campaign of coordinated activity to contact Camborne police station asking about Tony's welfare, by email and telephone, from across the world.

However, just before Tony left his house yesterday, two police officers called round and told him that his bail would be delayed until 2nd July 2008. Whether this was a calculated attempt by the police to avoid any negative publicity in the press for themselves or whether it was because they can find no evidence whatsoever to charge Tony with, we will probably never know. The CPW feeling is that the truth lies somewhere between the two scenarios.

What is clear though, after this bail date, is that Tony’s support is growing at an incredible rate. The longer Tony is on bail the more people around the world are becoming aware of the injustice that he is being subjected to by the Devon and Cornwall colonial police. Emails of support have been coming in to the CPW team and others from as far afield as USA, Canada, France, Spain, Australia and Malaysia, in addition to the support base in the celtic countries.

Yesterday, after the visit from the police, Tony contacted his solicitor to complain about the length of bail that he has now received and to see if something could be done about it. His solicitor told him that the police can keep him on bail for as long as necessary and that it is only the time spend at the police station, being interrogated that actually maters. By July Tony will have been on bail for 10 months and has been interrogated for 18 to 20 hours. After arrest the police can only keep you at the police station for a maximum of 24 hours before being charged. However, solicitor friend that Tony has also been in contact with told him that he had never heard of such an extended bail period before.

This weekend at the Annual Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, a flyer about Tony’s treatment will be distributed to visitors from the Cornwall stall and people will be able to add their name and contact details to a distribution list to be kept informed about further developments. Also a support fund has been set up for Tony to cover any legal costs.

Also see this link for further details.

Hypothesis and solutions

2008-05-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know that Devon and Cornwall police have their own news updates on their oficial website, relating to their activities and the crimes that are of concern to them. These can range from some quite serious offences to relatively minor ones.

These news items are uploaded on this site and can be found on the right hand side under the heading Police News – Cornwall. CPW have made a point of linking the news items that relate to Cornwall only and have done this for about two - three months. However, on visiting the Devon and Cornwall police news page here, you will see that the vast majority of news items relate to Devon and not Cornwall. In fact for April 2008 for example, of the 55 news items on the Devon and Cornwall police news page, only 20 have relevance for Cornwall. This also includes news items that are related to activities undertaken by Devon and Cornwall police and also where it is unknown what area the news item covers.

This does not apply just to the month of April, but this is the case for the vast majority of months, as can be seen by searching through the police news archives. This is yet another instance of how Cornwall is largely ignored Devon and Cornwall police and, as highlighted previously in CPW, this is also the case regarding the poor coverage that Cornwall gets in the Devon and Cornwall police newspaper, ‘Billboard’.

There are two possible answers for why this is the case. Either Devon and Cornwall police are not interested in Cornwall or there isn’t as much police activity or crime in Cornwall as there is in Devon.

Both possible answers require some explanation and these are the CPW hypotheses:

1. Devon and Cornwall police are not interested in Cornwall: this is the situation with all colonial police forces. As long as their interests are protected the rest can take care of itself. After all, why would Devon and Cornwall police want to organise any of their activities in Cornwall when they can do it in their country?
2. There isn’t as much police activity or crime in Cornwall as there is in Devon: that’s because Cornwall does not have the hell hole that is Plymouth and is Cornwall is more rural and evenly distributed in terms of population.

Both hypotheses require possible solutions and this is what CPW offers:

1. Devon and Cornwall police are not interested in Cornwall: create a Cornwall police constabulary. There is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case anyway.
2. There isn’t as much police activity or crime in Cornwall as there is in Devon: tax payers in Cornwall should therefore pay less. Why should Cornwall taxpayers have to subsidise the higher crime rate in Devon?

How much of a colonial force is Devon and Cornwall police?

2008-05-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

The Celtic League are continuing to keep the pressure up on Devon and Cornwall Police, with their campaign to discover how police constabularies in the Celtic countries are committed to the Celtic culture and language.

They have now written to police constabularies in the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales and have received some very positive responses. The League has now turned its attention to Cornwall and asks some interesting questions. As pointed out in this article:

“The force serving Cornwall is unique in terms of policing in the Celtic countries in that it has a operational area that transcends a National boundary. Sometimes referred to disparagingly as the "Devonwall Police" by some nationalists it remains to be seen if its trans-border structure effects its ability to identify with the Celtic component of the community it serves.”

We look forward once again to seeing what reply, if any, Chief Constable Stephen Otter gives.

Police harassment in Cornwall

2008-05-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Support for Tony Leamon continues to grow ahead of his bail hearing on 13th May 2008. Click on the following link for an article detailing Mr Leamon’s plight.

Police Harrassment in Cornwall

An infringement of the rights of young people?

2008-05-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

The topic of the anti youth Mosquito device had been hotly discussed in the press for several months now and its use has been heavily criticised by a number of organisations, groups and individuals with some calling for its complete ban. Its use has also received support from groups and individuals who fear anti social behaviour, including some Council’s in Cornwall and the Devon and Cornwall police.

According to a Devon and Cornwall police disclosure form there were 24 Mosquito devices in the Devon and Cornwall constabulary area in October 2007.

To date, the London Government and the EU say they have no plans to ban the device, but as the Celtic League point out, one court in Brittany has demanded that an English holiday home owner to remove the device from his property. With the Scottish Nationalist Party also calling for the ban of the Mosquito, perhaps there is a growing Celtic cultural attitude against the use of a device that infringes on the rights of young people. It would indeed be interesting to hear what Plaid Cymru have to say about the issue, although Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Assembly Member, suggests she could be against them.

Are the Police doing enough?

2008-05-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just how many people are there in Cornwall who are wanted by police? A Freedom of Information request by the Western Morning News last week revealed that Devon and Cornwall police have more than 300 outstanding warrents against people for some very serious offences like paedophilia, rape and violence. The force however have admited that they have been unable to trace the offenders.

What is particularly worrying are the 75 most serious Category A offenders who Devon and Cornwall Police have been unable to locate. The Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for St Ives said:

"It's very important that people are confidant that Category A offences are properly followed up and warrants are executed with the degree of urgency which the public expect of them.

"Many people would feel shocked if this information demonstrated that suspected offenders for such serious crimes aren't being apprehended as quickly as possible."

Source: this is cornwall

Keeping in touch

2008-04-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

It’s good to keep in touch with your local police officer and now you can if you live in Redruth South and the mining villages of Lanner, St Day and Carharrack.

Pc Claire Sheer is the new neighbourhood beat manager for the above areas and a Cornish woman at that! She can be contacted at: claire.sheer@devonandcornwallpolice.pnn.co.uk

Do you know who your neighbourhood police person is? Click here to find out and ask them some questions.

Source: thisiscornwall

Camborne is not just drugs and anti social behaviour!

2008-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

From the wording of this Devon and Cornwall Constabulary press release it would seem that Camborne is a den of iniquity. The majority of people from Camborne are honest and law abiding despite living in an area with some of the worst social deprivation in Europe.

This press release makes it sound like everyone in Camborne is either a drug dealer or anti social and does not do justice to the good people of the town. Shame on you Devon and Cornwall police!

More police on frontline duty, but more answers needed

2008-04-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

In February 2008 Chief Constable Stephen Otter promised that in exchange for an above inflation rise in the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary share of Council Tax, 200 police officers will be put back on the streets. Then he said that this may not be the case.

However now, after two months, Otter says that only 20 police officers will be returned to the streets. What is going on? Is Otter renegading on his promise?

Devon and Cornwall police say that these officers are returning to frontline duties because of management changes. Devon and Cornwall police say that this will consequently save the force £500 000 in pay and National Insurance costs, but will any of these savings filter down to the tax payer? CPW somehow think not.

On another point how many of these 20 frontline police officers will be in Cornwall?

Speeding cars

2008-04-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

Police in Cornwall want residents of a housing estate in Cornwall to help them catch speeding motorists.

Claiming that the police don’t have the resources to patrol Trelander in Truro more frequently, they have asked residents to undertake their own survey to assess the times when speeding is a problem. Using that information as evidence, the police have promised to send a patrol car to the area at those times to catch the speeders out. The agreement was reached as part of a Partners and Community Together (PACT) initiative between the police and members of the local community.

Meanwhile a member of Devon and Cornwall police in Cornwall has been caught speeding on a public road by a speed camera and then trying to cover it up. PC Richard Holding - from the London Metropolitan police, but transferred to Cornwall - switched on his blue police lights as a rouse to pretend he was chasing a suspicious car and to cover the fact that he was speeding. Holding will be prosecuted next month and he has been told that there is a possibility that he could be sent to jail (although CPW think this very unlikely), but will be certainly asked to resigned or be sacked.

Holding will be added to the list of Devon and Cornwall police officers who have broken the law for speeding.

Flag stolen in Cornwall

2008-04-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

As Gordon Brown hoisted his flag of St George over 10 Downing Street yesterday and encouraged all government buildings to follow suit, one flag was being taken down in Cornwall.

A flag of St George was stolen from a meteorological station in Egue Gaberaic Way, Bude between 0900 and 1000 and Devon and Cornwall police have even issued a statement and appealed for witnesses to contact them. If this person is actually caught, s/he could be looking at a hefty fine and a thorough interrogation for his petty theft, if the stories are true about what Tony Leamon was told by police.

CPW are surprised that Brown didn’t follow the example from the private sector (as he is often keen to do), but then again, perhaps nobody told him that Cornwall is not England.

Special Police Constables versus PSCO’s

2008-04-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Special Police Constables give up their time to voluntarily police their local communities on a part time basis.

The Home Office website says:

“Special constables are part-time volunteer officers who have all the same powers as regular police officers.

Volunteering to be a Special gives you the chance to give something back to your community while learning new and useful life skills. You'll provide a vital link between regular police officers and the community at large and enjoy all the same powers. So, if you've got at least four hours a week to spare, why not give it a try?”

PSCO’s have limited police powers and depending on their role may be able to:

• detain someone until a constable arrives
• direct traffic and remove vehicles
• issue fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour

So Special Constables are purely voluntary and can only work part time, but have all the powers of a police officer. PSCO’s however, are none of these things.

It makes you wonder therefore why, over the last couple of years, there has been criticism that Police Community Support Officer’s (PSCO) have taken over the role of Special Constables in the community. Special Constables are not only more financially viable, but are also from the communities where they live and have more powers than PSCO’s.

Devon and Cornwall Police say that it is more difficult to recruit Special Constables. Supt Barry Frost said :

"They are as valued now as they always have been," he told BBC News.

"The whole make up of society has changed and it's very, very difficult to recruit people of the right ilk to become specials because most people have very busy, professional lives."

CPW don’t think it’s just that Barry, but believe that people have become more disillusioned with the police and want to get paid for meeting targets.

Links:

Specials Recruitment

Working in the Police

Police Specials

Specials Forum

Devon and Cornwall Police defend the right of children to carry guns

2008-04-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Devon and Cornwall police have been on the defensive this week following comments made by ‘Mothers Against Violence’ (MAV), who have pointed out that there is in fact no age restriction on the issuing of firearms licences.

MAV have rightly suggested that there should be an age restriction on who can carry firearms, but Supt Steve Swanni, from Devon and Cornwall Police defended the right of children to carry guns. Swanni told the BBC that if a child less than 16 years of age applies for a gun licence, a number of ‘stringent procedures’ are carried out including a criminal record check and a home visit. However, no mention was made of what the ‘procedure’ was for children between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age.

As MAV founder, Pasty McKie, said:

“Guns are fascinating to children, but they're dangerous too.”

“As adults, it's our job to set good examples and that includes meaning people are properly trained.”

CPW believe that the law needs to be changed and that Devon and Cornwall police are wrong to defend the issuing of guns to children.

See: Children Allowed Guns in Cornwall

One rule for them…

2008-04-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

A cursory glance through the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s Freedom of Information Act Disclosure notices will show that the police are not averse to breaking the very laws they are paid to enforce. These notices will also show that even when a police officer breaks the law, how very likely it is that s/he will get away with it in the end. They may be suspended on full pay for 12 months, but in all probability if they don’t resign, they will be reinstated as a Crown officer of the law.

What is surprising is that the adult public often behaves as though police officers today are the same kind of police officers they thought they knew as a child and this is especially true when it comes to the established press. There are no laughing policemen any more or any ‘PC Friend’ and the only thing police officers today have got in common with police officers of the past is that they still have the law on their side.

The article below is an example of this. The CPW team are not saying that all police officers break the law (indeed we know there are some good police officers still out there e.g. Chief Constable Richard Brunstom of the North Wales Police), but that police officers do break the law intentionally and this is a fact and should never come as a surprise. Today public should be as suspicious of police officers as they are of the public.

Source: www.thisiscornwall.co.uk
Link

In the article, Sgt Murray, leader of the neighbourhood policing team in Newquay, said that:

“...all officers have been briefed that the parking laws apply to them as well as the public and they should not be parking on double yellow lines except in emergency operational situations.”

The article goes on to say:

“After searching through incidents logged for that day, however, Sgt Murray said he could find no definitive reason for the patrol vehicle to be on the double yellow lines.”

The CPW suspicion is that there was no ‘emergency operational situation’ and the car was simply parked there, because it was convenient for the officers at the time.

DID THE POLICE BREAK OWN LAW?

16 April 2008

A SHARP-eyed member of the public has caught the thin blue line parked up on two yellow lines.

Bob Dutton, 66, was on his way to Chester Road market when he spotted the police car parked on St Anne's Road and snapped this picture. The street has been one area targeted by police in a crackdown on illegal parking which has seen hundreds of tickets handed out to motorists.

It is unlikely this patrol car would have been caught up in the parking blitz, however, as it sat for 10 minutes on the double yellows, apparently breaking the rules.

Mr Dutton said: "The police are always out in St Anne's Road ticketing cars, so I couldn't believe it when I saw the patrol car there right on the double yellow lines.

"I had my camera with me, so I took a picture before I went in to Chester Road market, but it was still there unattended 10 minutes later. There weren't any sirens blaring and it was very quiet, so it didn't look like there was anything going on.

"If anyone else was parked there they could get a ticket."

The picture was taken at about 12.30pm on Friday, April 4, and the yellow lines are in force all year round.

Sgt Bob Murray, leader of the neighbourhood policing team in Newquay, said the car was from the town's police station but he did not know why it had been parked there. Police cars are allowed to park on double yellow lines and anywhere else when they are on emergency call-outs or police operations.

After searching through incidents logged for that day, however, Sgt Murray said he could find no definitive reason for the patrol vehicle to be on the double yellow lines.

Sgt Murray said: "It's hard to comment on this without knowing exactly why it was there - it could have been for any number of operational reasons. However, all officers have been briefed that the parking laws apply to them as well as the public and they should not be parking on double yellow lines except in emergency operational situations."

Newquay mayor Pat Lambshead, said:"Unless a police car is on an emergency call it just shouldn't be parked in that way," he said. "To be parking for no apparent reason could set a bad example for everyone else. I suggest the police look into this. There's probably a reasonable explanation."

‘Passport to Padstow’ – some points to be considered

2008-04-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

An article in ‘The Sunday Times’ magazine on 14th April 2008 made a number of salient points about the attitude and arrests made by Devon and Cornwall police in 2007 of members of the Cornish cultural and political movement. The article ‘Passport to Padstow’, written by freelance journalist Richard Johnson, was probably the only positively balanced article produced by the London press about the Cornish nationalist political scene in the last couple of years.

Johnson was invited to Cornwall by Mike Chappell of the Celtic League last year after being contacted by the journalist who was interested in writing a piece about Cornwall after the CNLA/CRA hit the headlines early in 2007. Johnson promised that he was not looking for sensationalism, but said he wanted to try to show the situation for how it was.

The article generally makes for an interesting read and below I have extracted several short sentences and passages and made comments below each:

“Since the CNLA’s threats, they [Devon and Cornwall police] have pulled in a significant number of suspects for questioning. They have to be seen to take threats of terrorism seriously.”

The police may have thought that they should do something, but their treatment of their ‘suspects’ have left the lives of many of those arrested devastated.

“Hugh Rowe, a member of the Cornish Stannary parliament – the original governing body of Cornwall’s tin-mining community – was taken into custody on suspicion of the illegal possession of a firearm. All because the CNLA talked about having Fifteen Cornwall – Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Watergate Bay – “in their sights”. As a “stannator”, Rowe is regularly involved in “tackling English cultural aggression in Cornwall”, which can include removing English Heritage signs from tourist destinations. But that involves bolt-cutters. Not a sawn-off shotgun.

The police pulled apart his Camborne home and left with a balaclava (“which I use for fishing or when I’m out with the pigeons,” says Rowe), three flags of St Piran and a book on the commissioning of the twin towers in New York. “I got it in an antique shop in Camborne for £2.” Rowe was released without charge, but the case is still being investigated. He insists his phone is being tapped. “I think the raid was ordered by central government,” he says.”

All charges against Rowe were dropped and not surprisingly either, because he should never have been arrested in the first place. A balaclava? A book? Suspicion of owning a firearm course he didn’t own)? Hardly grounds to arrest someone.

“Dave Eddy, a labourer from Padstow, was taken into custody after allegedly making a threatening call to Fifteen Cornwall, demanding to know how many Cornish people worked there. Eddy told the Western Morning News that, while he is happy to be called a Cornish nationalist, he doesn’t condone violence. And he emphatically denied being a member of the CNLA.”

Again, why should a phone call, asking perfectly legitimate questions, make you a terrorist subject? I mean, the man even gave his name!

“Meibion Glyndwr – or “the sons of Glyndwr” – attacked over 200 properties in Wales, in protest against rural homes being sold as holiday cottages to incomers. But the authorities were too heavy- handed. Aran Jones, Cymuned’s chief executive, remembers the police hauling people out of bed in the early morning just because they’d worn T-shirts saying “Ta Ta Tai Haf” –“Goodbye, Holiday Home”. Meibion Glyndwr were left looking like the champions of the people.

It’s too early to say if the CNLA will come to be seen as the Cornish Meibion Glyndwr. “But the fact of the matter is,” says Jones, “that even if the CNLA is two people in a caravan, it is important that it’s taken seriously.” And, as Jones suggests, the Devon and Cornwall police would be well advised to proceed with caution. “If they are heavy-handed,” says Jones, “the way they were in Gwynedd, they will advance the cause of Cornish nationalism by about 20 years.”

The CNLA/CRA are hardly champions of the people, but I have heard a number of people say that they are the only group who are/were prepared to take direct action against the many causes of social injustice in Cornwall. Jones is right when he said that they should be taken seriously, not because they are a real terrorist threat (if indeed they ever really are/were), but because they highlighted issues in the mass media about Cornwall that have in the passed been largely ignored.

The Devon and Cornwall police did act in an heavy handed way, in response to the CNLA/CRA threat and as such it seems that they have learned very little from the mistakes made in Wales in the 1970’s. In behaving in this way, Devon and Cornwall police have indeed alienated many people in the Cornish political and cultural movement. At the same time the police have unfortunately reinforced the belief that there is little room for peaceful expressions of protest, in a Cornwall gripped by English anti terror legislation.

Police Finance: How does it work?

2008-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

As Jaqui Smith told the House of Commons in February 2008:

“The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations."

Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Department, was responding to a question by David Davies MP about how much was spent on policing per head of the population in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

This means that Devon and Cornwall Police Authority, in terms of population and budget receive more money than Essex Police and Avon and Somerset Police and a bit less than Kent Police.

It is the Police Authorities who have the legal responsibility to set the police budget. Central Government indicate the level of funding they will provide through grants. Any additional money required for the police service can only be raised through the local council tax. The Police Authority sets the level of the police element of the council tax each year. In the case of Devon and Cornwall Police Authority, the tax for 2008/2009, for a Band D property is £142.19 per household.

The budget incorporates two different types of expenditure; the revenue budget meets all day to day running costs including salaries whilst the capital budget meets the cost of land, building and major equipment.

The revenue budget for 2008/2009, is £268,084,994m and the capital budget is £18.3m.
Information on police authority budgets and resident population since 1997 are set out in the tables here.

Arrest and your rights

2008-04-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Police can now arrest you for any offence, however minor, if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that you have commited or are about to commit an offence, under the terms of the extended Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA).

Police powers of arrest are therefore wide and it is likely that at some point in your life either you or someone you know will be arrested. It is therefore imortant that all of us are aware of our rights and one easily readable document that puts the arrest process and your rights into clear perspective can be found here.

This website provides very useful information for anyone thinking about getting involved in demonstrations of any kind and the organisation respoinsible for it is a not for profit activists legal project collective. Information concerning workshops, how to set up your own legal support group and other general legal resources are provided.

Further information can be found here.

‘Gardening Leave’ with full pay!

2008-04-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

It has been revealed that tax payers are shelling out £8million a year to keep suspended police officers on full pay.

A series of Freedom of information Act disclosures of the UK’s 52 police forces has shown that the vast majority of police forces have suspended officers on full annual salaries after being put on long-term "gardening leave" for alleged disciplinary breaches. Only four police forces had no officers suspended.

When it is considered that the average time for suspension is 10 months (although in some cases it can be much longer) and the average police officers wage is £30 000 per annum, this is a lot of wasted money, that could be better spent elsewhere.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary had 10 officers suspended on full pay as of 1st January 2008 at a cost of many thousands of pounds to the Cornish tax payer. With 10 officers on full pay Devon and Cornwall Constabulary parried with Greater Manchester police force. In March 2004 one Devon and Cornwall police officer was suspended on full pay for almost two years and the investigation that subsequently took place into his suspension cost between £200,000 and £400,000.

It is little wonder that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are increasing their share of the Council tax way above the rate of inflation!

Getting serious on the roads

2008-04-05T23:47:00.000-07:00

Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary took part in a joint police campaign with other police forces last week to target road crime.

The campaign made use of fairly new technology called Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), which is able to determine if drivers hold a licence, insurance and tax for their vehicles. Devon and Cornwall police reported that the week long exercise was successful and put to good use the ANPR technology.

Supt Tim Swarbrick of Devon and Cornwall Police told BBC news that ANPR is “…probably one of the best bits of technology we've had for the past 20 or 30 years.”

Last month a quarterly newsletter was launched by the Police Federation called ‘Roads Ahead’ and will feature news about roads policing. The newsletter states:

“Our aim is to use this publication to open up informative channels of communication between all roads policing officers and associated bodies. We intend to focus on key issues that influence the delivery and professionalism of traffic officers around the country.”

The newsletter calls for “a national and consistent standard of competence qualification recognised” for police. Shouldn’t they be qualified to a consistent standard of competence anyway?

Police criminalise young people to meet their targets

2008-04-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

The police may have met their criminal detection rate target, which required them to boost the number of officially “sanctioned” detections from 1.02m offences in 2002 to 1.25m by 2007/8, but the charity Nacro argues that one reason for this is that the police are criminalizing young people.

A report published by the charity Nacro says that police are processing low level crime by young people through the criminal justice system that would have previously been dismissed with a telling off. However under pressure to meet their targets police have been dealing formally with minor and summary offences by young people, which could be dealt with in different ways.

Commenting on the report, Paul Cavadino, Chief Executive of Nacro, said:

“For some time we have suspected that the police have been targeting younger children and less serious crimes in order to reach their targets of ‘offences brought to justice’. Our analysis now shows that this is the case.

“Nacro is deeply concerned that while the Government pledges to reduce the number of children coming into the criminal justice system, in practice more and more children are being given formal sanctions that result in a criminal record. This can be counter-productive as children labelled as offenders can try to live up to that image.

“Often the most effective response in the early stages of minor offending is either an informal warning or to work with children in positive ways which do not give them a criminal record.”

The report ‘Some facts about children and young people who offend’ is available as a pdf from Nacro’s media office. Please call 020 7840 7216.

Cornwall’s own parking police

2008-04-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

Parking in Cornwall is to be ‘policed’ by Cornwall County Council from May 2008, as the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary ‘relinquish responsibility’ in this area.

A leaflet has been produced by Cornwall Council to explain how Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) powers will be implemented. CPW are happy to see Cornwall’s authorities taking more of an active enforcement role in our communities, even if it is only for parking offences for now.

Our only question is, what will happen to the profits Cornwall Council will make from the staggeringly high fines that will be imposed on drivers who fall foul of the parking rules? Maybe they could reinvest the money and reduce some of their astronomical car parking charges!

Further information can be found on the Cornwall County Council website, including a pdf leaflet here.

“Devolution of policing is important” George Bush

2008-04-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

In a St Patrick’s Day address with the Taoiseach/ Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, in the USA in March, the President of the United States, George Bush said:

“Taoiseach; as you said, the devolution of policing is important, and we support that.”

Policing is devolved in Scotland and will no doubt soon be devolved in the north of Ireland. There is little reason why, along with political devolution for Cornwall, devolution of the police and other services to Cornwall should not be specifically campaigned for.

The Cornwall Constabulary was amalgamated with constabularies in England on 1st April 1967 and since this time there are been amalgamation of services in almost every sphere. The reason for this is that the London Government wants to hammer out an artificial south west region of England and include Cornwall along with it. Rather than services being devolved therefore, the police, fire brigade, ambulance are being more centralized, with the loss of jobs for Cornwall and technical know how.

Bush (and the London Government) supports the devolution of policing to the north of Ireland, so why not to Cornwall?

‘Kernow should have its own police force!’

2008-03-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

As some of you will be aware, Cornwall is one of six Celtic nations and it is also the name of a city in eastern Ontario, Canada. The former has a population of just over half a million people, while the latter has a population of almost 46 000.

However, whereas Cornwall the nation (Kernow) has to share its police force with England in the shape of the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary, Cornwall city has its own police force called Cornwall Police. It seems ironic, but understandable that a city with a population not much bigger than the Camborne, Pool, Redruth urban regeneration area has its own police force, while Kernow suffers under a colonial force.

It is ironic in that Kernow is more than ten times bigger than Cornwall the city and understandable in that Kernow is a subjugated nation. I know we have said this before on this site, but I need to say it again: ‘Kernow should have its own police force!’

A timely and convenient outcome

2008-03-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

Complaints of homophobia among Devon and Cornwall Constabulary police officers have been dismissed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The complaints came from Cornish gay right activist, Malcolm Lidbury, but Ian Boyne, the IPCC Commissioner, states in relation to the allegations that:

“The IPCC investigated Mr Lidbury’s complaints and did not substantiate any of them after an exhaustive enquiry.”

The ‘executive summary’ of the investigations the IPCC carried out can be found here.

In response Mr Lidbury said that the investigation was a “whitewash” and that a number of mistakes and omissions were made by the IPCC in its investigation, including failing to state the fact that the allegations made were not separate cases, but interconnected. Some of the points Mr Lidbury has raised in response to the publication of the IPCC report are listed below:

# That the IPCC failed to investigate various complaints entirely regarding the conduct of DC Magnus Scott, which have NEVER been investigated. These include allegations of perjury, misinformation to a Court of law, colluding in the withholding statutory services from a vulnerable gay youth.

# That the IPCC failed to investigate the conduct of PC Alexander & an un-named colleague who abused & violated a gay youth and were rude/abusive to a pensioner witness.

# That the IPCC failed to investigate the conduct of three police officers who attended to a violent assault upon x2 gay/bi men and the homophobic manor in which these police officers dealt with the situation.

# That ALL of the above cases were interconnected with the original complaints made to the IPCC and the intimidation of witnesses by police.

# That the IPCC do admit to having ‘failed’ to interview fourteen witnesses whose names were provided to them.

# Since the complaints, Cornwall police officers have simply continued in their attitudes & practises against gay persons

There can be little doubt that Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable, Stephen Otter, is breathing a sigh of relief after the publication of the report, ahead of his appointment as Spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on matters relating to ‘sexual orientation’. It would not have been good for the ACPO’s image to have a large number of police officers from the constabulary of its spokesperson on ‘sexual orientation’, to be under investigation for homophobia!

The outcome of the IPCC investigations is not only timely for Mr Otter, but massively convenient.

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

2008-03-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

COMPLAINT AS LEAGUE MEMBERS BAIL EXTENDED AGAIN

Source: Celtic League
Author: Bernard Moffatt

The Celtic League Secretary General, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, has again registered concern with Devon and Cornwall Police over the treatment of Cornish nationalist and League member Tony Leamon.

Mr Leamon has had a further extension to bail conditions at a hearing today the second since his arrest in September of last year. The General Secretary has told Devon and Cornwall Police that the protracted nature of the proceedings against Mr Leamon is placing him under additional psychological stress at a time when he already suffers health problems (see below):

"Chief Inspector J Meakin
District Police Headquarters
Luxstowe
Liskeard PL14 3DX

26th March

Reference PSD/QU/48/07

Dear Chief Inspector J Meakin

Tony Leamon

I am writing further to my previous letter addressed to Ian Boyne of the IPCC, who has informed me that you are now in charge of the issues raised by myself on behalf of the Celtic League in my letter to Chief Constable Stephen Otter, dated 18th January 2008.

Tony Leamon, who a member of the Kernow/Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League, answered his bail at Camborne police station today, as requested by the police at his last bail hearing at the same station on 16th January 2008. Today was therefore his second bail hearing since his arrest on 6th September 2007.

He was informed today, after another interview with police, that he would be required to answer bail yet again on 13th May 2008. Mr Leamon has now been subject to over 20 hours of police questioning, but has not been charged or been released from his bail. As I mentioned in my previous letter to Mr Otter, Mr Leamon severely suffers with his health. I have been in regular contact with Mr Leamon since his arrest in September and have seen at first hand how these prolonged periods
of bail have affected his state of mind. Even though he remains in relatively good spirits, the psychological stress that he has been under as a result of these bail hearings has been intense.

I am therefore writing for the record that the Celtic League disapprove of such treatment of a member of our organisation and are concerned for the future wellbeing of Mr Leamon under these circumstances. We would therefore appreciate it if you could tell us for how long you expect bail to continue in this way and whether you believe Mr Leamon's treatment is absolutely necessary?

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot
General Secretary"

Relevant links to earlier items on Celtic News at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2280
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2450
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2451
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2478
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2537
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2541

(Please note - our apologies that the links section was omitted in error from the posting on this topic (CL News No. 2537) on Sunday March 23 2008)

Celtic League
J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

26/03/08

How many bails can one man receive?

2008-03-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today Tony Leamon answered police bail at Camborne police station, as reported in earlier postings on the CPW site.

Below are a series of emails that were forwarded on to the CPW team today, who have been feverishly keeping track of the latest developments for our readers.

As you will read, Mr Leamon has been bailed yet again by the police until 13th May 2008. Just how long can a man be bailed for?

“Below is an e-mail from one of the Kernow CL 'team' looking after our dear friend and comrade, Tony.

I believe Tony is a victim of the worst kind of police victimisation here. Seven months on and still police bail is renewed.

I trust his solicitor will pursue this matter as a formal complaint. he is now under a requirement to again go back to Camborne Police Station on 13th May, 2008 - in excess of 8 months after the initial arrest.

I do recall Penryn Glasney Day. We were all stood at the monument and then went on to take part in the procession, calling out solidarity with the firemen there and then on to a cream tea in the Temperance Hall which Tony actually filmed. I was dressed in my kilt at the time and eating splits and cream. I then drove a wide variety of people home including a member of the Stannary Parliament to St. Day.

I really think the police are taking this issue too far and why was this latest issue not put to Tony over the past seven months during the pressured interrogations he was subject of ?

Tony must continue to receive our fullest possible support and prayers/thoughts at this late stage.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

“I just spoke to Tony; apparently, the police are now "clutching at straws", as his solicitor put it; he must still answer bail again on 13th May, which apparently is procedurally fine...
They basically said that he took photos of St. George's flags at some campsite on north coast (?) and that very morning, apparently, there were 3 threatening phone calls made to the campsite. Tony told them that he was at the Glasney monument at the time that two of the calls were made, and with you driving in the car when the third one was made, and that you could vouch for that. He has no idea about these calls other than what they have said to him. Must admit, tis the first I've heard of this too. Also, none of the calls made came from any of Tony's numbers - as quizzed by solicitor - so they are basically assuming that, as he has pictures of flags at the camp, he must be guilty of also making those calls...!! Extraordinary...
He's fine and, in fact, very pleased as the worst is over and he's finally getting the message across that they are barking up the wrong tree.
I think the police are finally getting the message that Tony and the Celtic League are, vociferous perhaps, but peaceful in their ways.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I have this afternoon spoken to TL on the phone. He is in good spirits and I am happy to say, now with a firm of very well regarded lawyers. Tony was more than happy to answer again the police questions, he has now been subject of over 20 hours questioning and the lawyer representing him is surprised at the police interviews and conduct.

By way of a surprise, Tony has also received an offer of £3,000 to help him in any court case. This has come from a person who wishes not be named at this stage (IT IS NOT ME! although naturally, I will help financially) and was straight out of the blue.

The police seemed surprised at the ill ease felt by many Cornish people regarding the flag of England in Kernow and as you will know, I was in the process of lierally giving away our black and white flag of St Piran to all and asunder as well as writing to people asking them to fly our Celtic flag. It would seem that Tony was seen photographing an English flag in Kernow on Penryn Glasney Day and that an alleged threatening phone call was made to the people flying the flag whilst we were at Penryn. Needless to say, and this comes as no surprise, no such call is recorded against Tony's mobile or any other phone seized by the police and the call remains untraced by them. I do recall numerous internet postings regarding the English flags in question and the upset felt by many of those posting the messages so understand the reasons behind the photograph and had events not overtaken us all, would have arranged for a set of Celtic St Piran's flags to be sent to the person concerned.

Tony is happy for this information and that posted by me previously and by Iwan to be released generally. He has also been interviewed at length by the local press and this may be released after this horrible affair is over. As I have said, Tony was with me, and indeed many others, when these alleged calles were made and we were all in very public places at the time celebrating Glasney Day and thereafter, in Falmouth at a performance by Jack Bolitho's Celtic Band in the Prince of Wales Pub.”

END-------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Future is History?

2008-03-25T03:58:00.000-07:00

As stated in the Blog blurb, this site was set up following the arrest of a number of Cornish nationalists in Cornwall by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, including, but not only members of the Celtic League.

It has been the intention of this Blog to provide comment on the activities of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in Cornwall and to provide the public with information related to them. The reason for this is to give a better understanding and knowledge of the police service that operates in Cornwall.

It is the opinion of the CPW team that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are a colonial police force in Cornwall and that this will be the case until Cornwall gains its own independent force, unmolested by the English Home Office. The colonial nature of the force, where Cornwall and its islands are policed by an English Constabulary that is allied to an English monarchy, is at odds with Cornwall’s own laws and customs. Of the Celtic nations, only Cornwall and Brittany have a police force that is ‘shared’ with another territory that is not its own.

The arrest of the Cornish three – Hugh Rowe, Graham Heart, Tony Leamon and several others whose names have not been revealed in the press – and earlier Jack Bolitho in 2007, with their confiscation of Cornish literature and memorabilia, shows that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have little understanding and respect for the Cornish nation. This is not a recent phenomenon either, as can be seen with the arrest of the three Stannary Parliament members – Hugh Rowe, Dr Nigel Hicks and Rodney Nute– in 2000, along with a host of other less well publicised cases before and during these periods. Without its own independent police force Cornish people will no doubt be arrested again in the future, for believing in a different Cornwall that is autonomous and free to uphold its own laws, political customs and culture.

Tony Leamon is now the only one of the Cornish three arrested in September 2007 that is still on bail. He is due to answer bail at Camborne police station tomorrow. If Leamon is charged with anything, then CPW will report that another injustice has been committed in Cornwall by the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary. If he is released without charge, we hope that Mr Leamon can put these oppressive times behind him and that his experience will make him stronger and more determined to work for the history of Cornwall in the future.

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

2008-03-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

PLIGHT OF CORNISH NATIONALIST ATTRACTS GLOBAL SUPPORT

The Kernow Branch of the League continues to receive messages of support and cooperation from around the world for one of its members who is due to answer police bail on Wednesday (26th March 2008), over six and a half months from when he was first arrested.

Tony Leamon, who is the Branch Treasurer, was arrested last September following blanket arrests by the police as they searched for persons behind the Cornish National Liberation Army (CNLA), which later became known as the Cornish Republican Army (CRA). Mr Leamon is now the last person, of those arrested, to remain on bail and many of his possessions are still confiscated by the police authorities.

The General Secretary of the League has written to the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and other bodies to complain about the treatment of Mr Leamon and is awaiting their reply. Mr Leamon, who is registered disabled and has leukaemia, last appeared at Camborne police station to answer bail in January. He was interrogated without rest for approximately 10 hours and was only released too late for him to make the long journey home independently.

Last week, Mr Leamon was visited by the police at his home after he had written to his Member of Parliament to complain about his treatment, who in turn had written to the Chief Constable, Stephen Otter. The police told him that his bail was only to be expected while they carried out their investigations, but noted that on the day of the arrest Leamon's father, who he cares for, was left unsuitably cared for.

As a consequence of his unjust treatment, news of Mr Leamon's plight has travelled around the globe. Early in March a leaflet explaining his ordeal was distributed at an art show in New Mexico, USA exhibiting work that had been produced by Irish republican prisoners. The art show was attended by a number of US politicians. Another organisation in the US that fund raises on behalf of prisoners from the Celtic countries has sent donations to help pay for any legal costs that may be incurred, should Mr Leamon's case go to trial. Someone else has also set up an internet Blog in response to the arrest of Mr Leamon and other Cornish nationalists who were arrested in 2007, called Cornwall Police Watch and features daily comment on police related activities.

Mike Chappell, Kernow Branch Secretary and Assistant General Secretary, who has been campaigning hard on Mr Leamon's behalf said:

"He [Tony Leamon] now has a world wide following of people interested in his welfare at the hands of the police in Kernow and although the situation is barely known in Kernow, those outside from as far a field as Australia, India and the USA will be watching the actions of the Colonial Police in their dealing with him. Tony has also received substantial support from Kernow's Gay Community although he is straight. Many Gay people in Kernow feel that they have been ill treated by the police in the Duchy and there is much empathy between the two movements."

In protest last week, the Kernow Branch sent Mr Otter a copy of the book 'Our Future is History' by John Angarrack. The Cornish history book has been just one of the many Cornish related items (along with flags and Cornish language tapes) the police in Cornwall have confiscated from the people who have been arrested in Cornwall. The book was also on show at the art exhibition in New Mexico.

Messages of support for Leamon continue to be received from individuals and organisations in Australia, Brittany, Cornwall, India, Wales and London.

Whatever happened to 'The Laughing Policeman'?

2008-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, there used to be a policeman in the community in which I grew up, whom everyone new as PC Friend.

I remember he was really tall, much taller than my dad, - who was six foot - and about twice as wide. He had silvery hair, was always smiling and was good friends with my grandmother and in fact lived in her street. My grandmother indeed had known him when she was a young girl.

He once came to ‘have a talk’ with my cousin and me after we were caught playing with matches in the yard. I must have only been about 6 years old at the time and I distinctly remember feeling ashamed, not afraid, that PC Friend knew that I had done wrong.

My grandmother had an old record called The Laughing Policeman, which I used to play regularly. As I listened to it I always pictured PC Friend laughing and that it was him the man on the record was singing about.

Everyone from the village of course knew PC Friend and he was the only policeman I ever saw. When my Grandmother died he came to the funeral in his uniform.

This was not 50 years ago or more, as some of you may be thinking, but in the early 1980’s and was my first experience of a policeman. After his death and as I grew up, my perception of the police has changed considerably, probably in line with how the police have changed too. Who would believe that this experience of a policeman was less than thirty years ago?

This morning the song of ‘The Laughing Policeman’ came back to me for no apparent reason and consequently decided to look the song up on the internet. I was surprised to find that the song was written by a man called Charles Penrose Dunbar Cawse and although he was born in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, with a name like that he must surely have had Cornish ancestry.

Perhaps the author of The Laughing Policeman was inspired to write the song in much the same way as CPW have been inspired to keep a watch on police in Cornwall, albeit for different motives. My, how times have changed!

THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN

Charles Penrose

I know a fat old policeman
He's always on our street.
A fat and jolly red-faced man
He really is a treat.

He's too kind for a policeman
He's never known to frown.
And everybody says
He is the happiest man in town!.

He laughs upon point duty
He laughs upon his beat.
He laughs at everybody
When he's walking in the street.

He never can stop laughing
He says he's never tried.
But once he did arrest a man
And laughed until he cried!

Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

His jolly face is wrinkled
And then he shut his eyes.
He opened his great big mouth
It was a wonderous size!

He said "I must arrest you!"
He didn't know what for.
And then he started laughing
Until he cracked his fat old jaw.

Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

So if you chance to meet him
While walking 'round the town.
Shake him by his fat old hand
And give him half a crown.

His eyes will beam and sparkle
He'll gurgle with delight.
And then you'll start him laughing
With all his blessed might!

Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Justify the increases, Devon and Cornwall police told!

2008-03-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Devon and Cornwall police are once again facing accusations that their annual above inflation increases in their share of the council tax are not justified, following the release of new crime figures showing that crime in Devon and Cornwall have risen substantially over the last ten years.

The Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for St Ives, Andrew George, said:

“The police need to explain this information and what they are doing to address it. If they are taking an above-inflation increase on council tax then certainly they need to demonstrate that the local community is seeing some positive results.”

The figures show that there has been an increase in the crime rate of 12.6 per cent in a number of areas between 1998-9 and 2006-7. This compares with an increase of 6.2% in England.

Devon and Cornwall police have not been available to comment on the figures, but Liberal Democrat Cornwall County Councillor, Jeremy Rowe, said:

“I can't criticise the police - they are doing a very good job under difficult circumstances. The money from Government is never enough, but you have to deal with what you get. That's why the police council tax precept has risen by 7.9 per cent this year.”

Being a Devon and Cornwall Police Authority member he would say that wouldn’t he!

The full story, including link, can be found below:

Source: www.thisiscornwall.co.uk
Author: Louise Vennells
Date : 22 March 2008

RURAL CRIME SOARS

Crime in Devon and Cornwall has risen by double the national average while Labour has been in power, figures out today reveal. Westcountry MPs have called on police to explain the figures and said it was "time to see consistent results" after year-on-year rises in council tax, which helps to pay for police services. Only last month an increase of 7.9 per cent was announced.

The Conservatives, who have released the ten-year crime figures, say the information they obtained through Parliamentary questions shows rural areas particularly have lost out, with higher increases in every criminal activity, except drugs offences, throughout the country.

The party compared figures for 1998-99 with those for 2006-07 in a number of categories. Overall, the total crime figure for Devon and Cornwall had risen by 12.6 per cent - compared with just 6.2 per cent nationally.

Conservative MP Hugo Swire, who represents East Devon, said: "The fact is that every year the police put up their council tax precept with the promise of however many more front-line officers. But these figures show that the statistics have gone the wrong way.

"We need to see some concerted results from Devon and Cornwall Police, rather than promises of things to come every time they raise the tax."

But Mr Swire said he believed Stephen Otter, who took over as Chief Constable towards the end of 2006, was "first class", and had made effective changes.

"They are saying the right things, but people in the most rural areas still aren't seeing enough evidence of police being out and about in their communities."

Andrew George, Lib-Dem MP for St Ives, said yesterday: "The police need to explain this information and what they are doing to address it. If they are taking an above-inflation increase on council tax then certainly they need to demonstrate that the local community is seeing some positive results."

Over the decade, the biggest rise was in acts of criminal damage, which soared by 86.1 per cent - way over the national figure of 34.7 per cent. Incidents of violent crime rose by 112.9 per cent, compared to 108.1 per cent nationally.

The force fared better when it came to tackling robbery. There was still a significant increase of 40.5 per cent, but it was lower than the 51.7 per cent nationally. However, in rural areas across the country the figure was very close to the national rate.

Over the same period, Devon and Cornwall saw a reduction in burglaries of 30 per cent - but it fell short of the national decrease of 34.7 per cent.

The only area in which the two counties have won a significant victory is in tackling drugs - a crime which tends to be the scourge of urban areas. Incidents fell by 0.2 per cent compared with a national increase of 42.9 per cent.

Nobody from Devon and Cornwall Police was available for comment yesterday, but in January Mr Otter praised staff for their hard work in starting to turn the crime figures around.

"I think problems in the two years before my arrival had caused them to be distracted, morale had dropped and people's heads were down. People were focused on internal issues rather than providing an excellent service to the public," he said.

"What I was able to do was get them focusing outwards. We explained what we wanted to prioritise and focus on. We were clear about the service we wanted to provide to the public."

Mr Otter has recognised the need for more police out tackling crime. As part of the latest budget, he has released 200 officers on to front-line duties.

The very latest figures, from last year, show that his approach is already having an impact - crime over the force area fell by eight per cent and detection rates were on the rise.

Brian Greenslade, leader of Devon County Council and a member of the Police Authority, yesterday warned people to be wary of the figures released by the Conservatives. The Lib-Dem councillor said the Westcountry was one of the safest places to live and to visit.

"We have recently been able to unveil some very promising downward trends on crime," he said. "Over the past six or seven years, we have been able to invest very strongly in additional police officers. In Devon and Cornwall, the number of officers and Police Community Support Officers has risen by about 1,000 since the turn of the century.

Fellow Police Authority member Jeremy Rowe, who sits on Cornwall County Council, said: "I can't criticise the police - they are doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.The money from Government is never enough, but you have to deal with what you get. That's why the police council tax precept has risen by 7.9 per cent this year."

I say tomato, you say tomahto!

2008-03-20T23:47:00.000-07:00

According to the Home Office website the area’s population covered by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is approximately 1.6 million.

However, the population of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, according to the 2001 census, is 501267 and the population of Devon is 704493. By my calculation this is 1 205 760. Now I know that the populations in Cornwall and Devon are increasing rapidly and that the Census results are now some years old, but a discrepancy of over 300 000 people seems a little odd.

This raises several pertinent questions:

• Who is right, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) or the Home Office?
• Wouldn’t the HO have obtained their statistics from the ONS?
• Is Devon and Cornwall Constabulary increasing their population area artificially so that they can receive increased funding?
• Is the Home Office contracting Devon and Cornwall police officers out to other forces?

Perhaps the answer lies in demographics, but the Cornish people are entitled to some clear answers!

Police homophobia continues to plague Cornwall’s gay community

2008-03-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

Allegations and complaints of homophobia among officers in the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary continue to emerge thanks to the hard work and research of Cornish gay rights activist and campaigner Malcolm Lidbury.

Mr Lidbury has now brought the publics attention on his Blog, to two more incidents where officers from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have been accused of discrimination against members of Cornwall’s gay community.

The first incident involved officers from Launceston Police Station stopping a car being driven by a gay couple from Plymouth. A case of mistaken identity allegedly ensued where the officers believed that they found a registered sex offender. When later realising their mistake, the officers said that the gay couple had been ‘lucky’ and that they would not be prosecuted.

The couple made a complaint to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary HQ in Devon, who were informed that the officers concerned would be spoken to.

The other incident took place in Falmouth and was reported on a gay website, but further details are not made available by Mr Lidbury. On his Blog Mr Lidbury calls on members of Cornwall’s gay community to speak out against prejudice and discrimination experienced against them by officers from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in Cornwall.

CPW supports Mr Lidbury’s call, especially in view of the fact that next month Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall, Stephen Otter, will be made the Spokesperson for the Association of Chief police Officers on Race and Diversity to include matters of ‘sexual orientation’.

Despite the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People’s charity, Intercom Trust, apparent assurances that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have made “massive advances since 1997”, there are still some obvious short comings among rank and file officers working in Cornwall when it comes to issues involving sexual equality.

CPW think that a Cornish equivalent of ‘Intercom Trust’ should be started in order to really assess some of the difficulties that people from Cornwall’s gay community have to face here.

“Embed the Constabulary within the community” says police chief

2008-03-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

This week, Devon and Cornwall Police Authority announced the appointment of 3 new Assistant Chief Constables (ACC) for the force.

Two of the ACC’s are women and two of them have been ‘imported’ from police constabularies elsewhere. Their appointments come in the wake of recent comments made about the importance of recruiting police officers locally by the Deputy Chief Constable of the Isle of Man Constabulary, Gary Roberts, in a letter to the Celtic League.

Mr Roberts argues in his letter:

“In the past considerable numbers of officers have been imported from the United Kingdom. This approach, whilst understandable, does not help to embed the Constabulary within the community. Furthermore, a staff development strategy should help ensure that all ranks within the Constabulary are occupied by locally developed officers within a reasonably short period of time.”

CPW agrees whole heartedly with Mr Roberts who also says that all recruitment to the Constabulary will be from the island over the next five years. If the Isle of Man Constabulary can do this, there is no reason why Devon and Cornwall Constabulary cannot either. As can be seen from the comments related to the below news item, members of the public seem to agree with us too.

THREE ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLES NAMED 18 March 2008

Source: www.thisiscornwall.co.uk
Author: Unknown

Devon and Cornwall Police Authority has appointed three new assistant chief constables.

The new permanent team has been created to help the force make improvements to its service over the next five years.

The new assistant chief constables are Sharon Taylor, who has been an acting ACC in Devon and Cornwall for the past year, Debbie Simpson, currently serving with the Bedfordshire Police, and Paul Netherton, who is currently serving with the Hampshire Constabulary.

All three will join the force over the next few months.

Chief Constable Stephen Otter said: "I welcome these new members to the Chief Officer Group.

"This new permanent senior team gives the force a stable leadership team to take the force forward, and to help us to deliver the improvements we need to make over the next five years in order to achieve our goal of becoming a top performing force.

"The three appointments, coupled with the temporary return of ACC Richard Stowe will give us the extra senior capacity we need whilst we enter a period of significant change and development."

COMMENTS (as of 19/03/08)

Devon and Cornwall is renowned for importing Senior ranks from other forces, but only since the retirement of Sir John Evans. Indeed, Maria Wallis is quoted as saying on one occasion " Locally grown (ie Devon and Cornwall) does make the grade for me..."MORRIS, PLYMOUTH

I agree with Mike Chappell. Why is it whenever you watch the endless TV traffic cop programmes they all speak with accents local to the area and they seem to know their `patch' well. In contrast,does anyone know a Cornish Policeman on the beat in the county? Do the head honcho's at Middlemoor care about this subject -probably not! The last time a Policeman spoke to me it was obvious he had no idea of the culture and way of life here in Cornwall. As well as having a black police officers association for Devon & Cornwall-what about a Cornish Officers association? After all, they would surely be an `ethnic'minority in D&C police wouldn't they?ANONYMOUS, BODMIN

I am sure that the money spent on these 'imports' will bring a more efficient and 'in touch' police service to Kernow. After all, why waste money on bobbies on thje beat when you can invest it in 3 or is it 4 Assistant Chief Constables. 'Chiefs and Indians' comes to mind !Michael Chappell, Kernow - Goonhavern

Hooray! Devon & Cornwall will have two women Assistant Chief Constables to help put things back on track. DEBBIE & SHARON - "beautiful British names" (to quote Al Murray) Let's have a TRACEY in there too. That ex-comprehensive school trio would be formidable.Rick, Trowbridge

Dragnet Policing

2008-03-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006 especially are two pieces of draconian legislation that have resulted in upset, wrongful convictions and death for a large number of innocent people. Both national e.g. Irish and Cornish and ethnic minorities e.g. Muslims have been indiscriminately targeted, as well as others from minority groups, including civil rights campaigners.

Here is yet another story of where an innocent man has been hounded by the police on suspicion of being a terrorist, reinforcing the view that the UK police must have the best record in Europe for dragnet policing when it comes to counter terrorism.

Identify children as potential offenders says police chief

2008-03-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

The new spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Gary Pugh, has said that he wants primary school pupils to be registered on the police DNA database, so that their details can be kept in case they offend later on in their lives.

Mr Pugh, who is also director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard, said that he wants a debate to begin about identifying children as potential offenders in an attempt to tackle crime before it took place, to find out who are “possibly going to be the biggest threat to society.” Mr Pugh’s science fiction reality has been condemned by the civil rights group Liberty and also the National Primary Headteachers' Association.

With a staggering 4.5 million genetic samples on their current UK database, and with their splendid record of misplacing confidential information/files, the police are by far the single biggest threat to society we have. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), in a recent report, has also argued that children between the ages of 5 and 12 years should be identified as potential criminals and should be supported with therapy and specially adapted programmes, like Sure Start Plus.

The police DNA database, which is already the biggest in Europe, currently contains DNA information from 10 to 18 year olds, because police are able to take samples from anyone arrested who is over the age of ten. The DNA information is retained by the police regardless of whether the child is later charged, convicted or found innocent. By this time next year it is estimated that the number of children between 10 and 18 years on the database will be 1.5 million.

When Devon and Cornwall Constabulary were asked recently how many children, between the ages of 10 and 18 years of age, have had their DNA samples entered onto the database they did not seem to understand the question and requested further clarity from the inquirer.

Are the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary deliberately trying to avoid the question or are they just playing dumb in the hope that the questioner goes away?

Children allowed guns in Cornwall

2008-03-15T02:21:00.000-07:00

Readers may be shocked to find out, from the Celtic League article below that the Devon and Cornwall Police have legally issued 8 firearms licences to children in Cornwall.

This comes at a time when injuries caused by firearms have increased, which is not surprising really when it is considered that under current legislation, children under 15 years of age can hold a shotgun licence!

Cornwall Police Watch appreciate that some of these licences may go to children who work on farms, but the law doesn’t specify anything about being entitled to a licence ‘only if it can be shown it is needed for work related purposes’.

I wonder how many children have been injured by firearms in Cornwall?

CPW believe, along with the Celtic League, for children to be allowed to run around Cornwall with guns, which they have been given licences for by the Devon and Cornwall Police, shows the time is ripe for a change in the Firearms Act 1968.

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

SCOTTISH JUSTICE SECRETARY CALLS FOR GUN LAW SUMMIT

The Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has called for a summit to review firearms laws, but the initiative has been rejected by the English Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Currently England has control of regulations on the use of firearms, but following an increase in firearm casualties in Scotland there have been calls to change the law. Mr MacAskill wants to gather police, gun control campaigners and shooting interest groups for a summit on firearms misuse, but Smith believes the time isn't right.

Current legislation allows children under 15 years to hold a shotgun licence. A Freedom of Information Act request revealed in Cornwall that in the last five years Devon and Cornwall have issues 8 firearms licenses to children under the ages of 16 years of age. It would seem that when guns can still be legally issued to under 16 year olds, firearm laws need updating.

However, in Scotland a two year old boy was killed three years ago by an air rifle, sending shock ways throughout the country and the latest figures from Scotland reveal that in the last year casualties of firearms increased by 25% with one in three of them being children.

The 1968 Firearms Act is now a little out to date and should be reviewed after the overhaul of The Manual of Guidance on the Police Use of Firearms, which took place at the beginning of the millennium. After all, why shouldn't public laws on firearms be updated in keeping with police regulations?

The Celtic League have written to Jacqui Smith asking her to consider updating the law.

"Dear Minister Jacqui Smith

Firearms Act 1968

We were concerned to read recently that you rejected calls for the Firearms Act 1968 to be reviewed and for an invite to attend a joint summit with Scotland, where the issues could be debated, was declined.

As you will be aware controls on the use of firearms are under Westminster's control with the other Celtic countries needing to wait for the English legal system to update its legislation regarding these laws. However, it does not seem fair that when one of the devolved administrations of these islands – in this case Scotland – calls for a debate on firearm controls in the form of a joint summit, your department unhesitatingly reject the offer.

In our opinion the Firearms Act 1968 is outdated and it is time for the legislation to be reviewed. In particular the current legislation allows children under the age of 16 years to hold a firearm licence, which beggars belief. In Scotland alone last year, casualties of firearms increased by 25%, with one in three of them being children.

If Westminster is not ready to devolve powers relating to firearms controls to the Celtic countries, then at least be willing to engage in a debate on the issues so that a mutual understanding and a furthering
of democracy can ensue.

We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely"

(Article compiled for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

Celtic League
J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

14/03/08

Watch those expense accounts Mr Otter!

2008-03-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

The 2007 expense accounts for the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Stephen Otter, can be found here.

The highest cost, it will be seen, is rail travel between Devon and London.

Judging from his expenses, Mr Otter travelled and stayed in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s on two, possibly three, occasions. On one of his trips to Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly, Mr Otter paid a whopping £145.00 for accommodation for one night. Where on earth did he stay?

Another point to highlight also involves Mr Otter’s trip to Cornwall, which involved a short haul flight. With Devon and Cornwall police stating in their ‘Interim Capital Strategy’ for 2008 – 2020 that they are committed “to reducing [their carbon footprint”, short haul flights should be avoided at all costs.

With the exception of these items though, there is nothing particulary contraversial in the Chief Constables expense account, although this is open to debate. With a substantial increase in the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s share of Council Tax and with environmental campaigners, like Rising Tide UK, protesting against the increase of short haul flights from Cornwall airports, Mr Otter should take into more serious consideration how he spends public money.

‘Why I Pray for a Cornishman’

2008-03-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend in New Mexico, US a prisoner of war art show will be featuring works by Irish prisoners held in jails in Republic of Ireland and the UK. CPW have been informed that the following ‘Why I Pray for a Cornishman’ will be handed out in the form of a leaflet to all those present on the opening day.

Although not interred in a prison Mr Leamon has been subject to a different kind of incarceration by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, consisting of a staggering seven months bail without knowing if at the end of the period he will be charged. Charged with what, is anybody’s guess it seems. Mr Leamon is now the only person who was arrested in September 2007 who is still on bail and has many of his possessions retained by the police.

CPW wish Mr Leamon every success later this month.

Why I Pray for a Cornishman

On Wednesday 26th March, 2008, Tony Leamon, a 44 year old Cornishman from Falmouth will go to Camborne Police Station in Cornwall to answer his bail. Like so many others before him and certainly after him, he will walk through the secure doors of the Custody Centre, be searched and documented in. Thereafter, who knows ?

Nothing unusual in any of that except the fact that Tony Leamon is an innocent man.
His story goes back an agonising seven months or so to September 6th. 2007, when heavily armed police officers called at his door during the early hours of the morning. Tony was arrested on suspicion of being a Cornish 'terrorist' and his house searched and his John Angarrack and other books, computer, Cornish Language material, telephone and Saint Piran's flag seized. No firearms or explosives were found but that did not stop the police task force arresting him and taking him into custody.

Tony Leamon was and still is a Cornish cultural and political activist. He is an unwell man who battles with chronic fatigue syndrome, otherwise known as 'M.E.' and who has a form of cancer of the blood. He cares for his very elderly father, a decorated war veteran and his mother, who herself has had a double mastectomy due to cancer.

After many, many hours of pressured interrogation, Tony was released on police bail with an instruction to return to Camborne Police Station during early December. He sought the assistance of a solicitor who was appointed to help him via the legal aid system but the help he actually received was nominal and not at all defensive of his rights. This is common enough in a cash strapped legal aid system.

Tony walked from Camborne Police Station a very upset man. This Celtic, Cornish giant of a figure knew in his heart of hearts that he had done nothing wrong nor could he. He is a committed pacifist and has no previous criminal convictions. As with many others before and since, his only crime was to be Cornish.

Eventually, the news about Tony spread and messages of support started to trickle in, not only from Cornwall but from further afield, indeed from as far away as the United States and Australia. Not only from Celtic Cornish activists but from members of the gay community in Cornwall who recognised from their own experiences that the police were often politically motivated and driven to achieve results. Tony himself is straight but he saw great similarities between what he was suffering and what members of various pressure groups, individuals and organisations across Cornwall had been subjected to. One person even started their own internet site in protest at what is widely perceived as police victimisation. ( http://cornwall-police-watch.blogspot.com/ ) The police in Cornwall are controlled from Exeter, across our age old border and into England, and there is a growing rift between them and the community in our Duchy they police, so much so that they are commonly referred to now as the 'Colonial Police.'

Tony answered his bail in December and this time a small group of supporters gathered outside Camborne Police Station to offer their support. Their constant enquiries about Tony were turned away and they were photographed and car numbers noted down by the police and, one would suspect, the special branch. Again, this is common enough in modern Cornwall where many Cornish campaigners have had telephones tapped, e-mails intercepted and knocks on the doors. After ten hours of pressured interrogation, Tony was again released on bail, exhausted and drained. He was instructed to again return to Camborne Police Station on the 26th. March, 2008.

Since December, quantities of his possessions have been returned to him but not all. The pressure of this quite extraordinary period of bail has had on this man's life have been telling, to say the very least. Following an attempt to take his own life, and pressure from friends, he eventually sought out the help of his doctor and was prescribed counselling and medication. His Member of Westminster Parliament, Julia Goldsworthy, has written to the Chief Constable up in Devon asking certain questions.

Others arrested for being so-called Cornish 'terrorists' down the past few years have all been released without any charge being brought thus no Court appearance. People arrested at the same time as Tony Leamon have been discharged from their bail.

I know Tony well enough to say that this big and dignified, fun filled man has no bad bone in his body. He is guilty of nothing and I shall campaign with all my heart and soul even if he is charged and appears before a court of law. I shall campaign even if he is convicted because, as with so many others, I know that he has done nothing wrong. I have wept for this generous and kind man, and being a Christian, I have prayed for him every day.

An article which appeared in the Western Daily Press on the 28th. November, 2007 asked when will 'someone put the Cornish in their place'? Mockingly referring to the Cornish as 'pasty eaters' and insulting the unique language and culture of the Cornish people, it openly criticised those, who like Tony Leamon, stand up for what they believe in. Messages of complaint sent to the editor of this newspaper have gone unanswered to nobody's surprise. I enclose a copy of the article under and I am glad to reply to its rhetorical question by saying that, for as long as there are brave heroes like Tony Leamon, an ordinary Cornish Patriot from Falmouth, who are prepared to stand up against an overwhelming anglocentric system which condemns the Cornish people, no one will come near to 'putting us in our place'.

I invite you to pray for Tony Leamon when he attends Camborne Police Station on the 26th March, 2008 and if you do not believe in a Higher Being, to have Tony in your thoughts. I don't doubt the system will nail him to a cross in order to make an example of him for, having been part of that system myself for a good many years, I know that publically spun results in the media are often interpreted as the sign of a successful public service. I also know that people are frequently wrongfully arrested and even convicted by an increasingly authoritarian society.

I also invite you to E-mail your messages of support to Tony or to me. They count for a lot. It is my belief that the pen, and nowadays, the keyboard, are mightier than the sword so please spread what has been written by me here, written in all sincerity, to as many people as possible.

Tony Leamon would love to hear your message of support at: rockhopper@gawab.com or if you prefer, email me at: michael.chappell@midasdsl.com and I should be privileged to pass your message on.

Tony Leamon can be seen in happier times in the attached picture.

Thankyou.

Michael Chappell

Guilty? But I am a police officer.

2008-03-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wanted to know where all the speed cameras are on the roads in Cornwall, you can find out by clicking here.

Many people are under the misconception that speed cameras are ‘police cameras’, but the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are just one of a number of partner groups who are behind the speed camera initiative in Cornwall.

Further, as you will be able to see from this document, simply knowing where the speed cameras are doesn’t make it possible to avoid speeding charges being brought against you. Devon and Cornwall police officers also get caught and charged with speeding offences, but two offences in 6 years don’t seem to be that high.

What is a little shocking however is the number of serious offences that police officers have been convicted of and these offences are only the ones that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have chosen to disclose!

There are also two other points in this document that are also important to note.

The first is that if we take the figures from 2001 to 2006 only, because the majority of offences for 2007 are ‘pending’, of 20 recorded offences only 11 of them resulted in a verdict of guilty.

The second point is that offences committed by Devon and Cornwall police officers seem to be increasing.

Is this a consequence of police officers realising that even if they are arrested for an offence there is a 50/50 chance that they will get let off?

"Where did I put that file?"

2008-03-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

As the Police and Government make plans for increasing the amount of personal information about members of the public held on file, a disclosure of a Freedom of Information Act request from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary shows how negligent staff members can be in keeping personal information secure.

If plans are implemented to collect the personal details of all passengers’ taking the train, bus, ferry or plane, whether for domestic or international travel, the size of this information database will increase considerably. Moreover if the Westminster Government gives way to the Association of Police Chief Officers calls to expand the already extensive DNA database to cover all members of the public, then it won’t be long before the police and Government will be able to build up “a complete picture of our lives” and activities.

Regardless of what the moral and civil implications of this all evasive ‘Big Brotherness’ are, questions must be asked about the competency of the police - and Devon and Cornwall police in particular - to store such information.

Neighbourhood Policing – is it effective?

2008-03-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered who your local police officers are in Cornwall, you can click here to find out: Neighbourhood Policing.

This page lists the names, email contact details and police station addresses of Devon and Cornwall officers working in Cornwall.

It may be of interest to readers to note that from December 1st 2006 to November 30th 2007 there were 54,512 recorded crimes in Cornwall and of these recorded crimes 12,200 or 22% were screened out and not investigated.

This is a substantial number and it may make you wonder why so many recorded crimes have not been further investigated. Is this the result of a lack of resources or a shortage of police staff or is it just the result of an ineffective neighbourhood policing policy?

You are under video surveillance!

2008-03-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

After the perceived success of the use of head mounted cameras by Devon and Cornwall police officers, it is only a matter of time before police in Cornwall will be using them too.

The head cameras were fist piloted in Plymouth, Devon last year by police officers from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. The Force reported that where the cameras were used there was an increased proportion of crimes brought to justice compared to when they were not in use by officers. This led to the Home Office in London promising to make more head cameras available for police officers in the future.

According to the English Minister of State for Police, Crime, Security and Counter-Terrorism, Tony McNulty:

"The use of body worn cameras has the potential to improve significantly the quality of evidence provided by police officers in the drive to reduce crime, the fear of crime and increase the proportion of offenders brought to justice."

"I am delighted to be able to announce £3million for the police service which will enable forces to make this valuable technology available to frontline police officers in England and Wales."

With the addition of police head cameras, Britain’s network of video surveillance will be broadened yet again. Britain already has the most extensive network of surveillance cameras in the world, with 4 million closed-circuit television cameras. It has been estimated by civil rights groups that the average UK citizen is recorded as many as 300 times a day - almost 13 times an hour.

Cornwall is no exception to the CCTV network. In 2000 Cornwall County Council announced that in Truro and Falmouth alone there would soon be 74 CCTV cameras. At the time, Superintendent Andy Clarke, Commander of the Carrick Area, and Chairman of the Carrick Community Safety Partnership reported on the construction of a:

“…new purpose built Control Centre in Truro which will provide 24 hour monitoring throughout the CCTV area which also covers the Cathedral, the Hall for Cornwall complex and clubs and pubs”.

Since this time the use of CCTV cameras in Cornwall has grown considerably and the CCTV Control Centre in Truro has developed to the extent that a police contact of mine once said to me two years ago that there is very few place in the centre of Truro that are not covered. Sadly though, this intrusion of our civil liberties goes largely unnoticed by citizens in their every day lives.

A policy document from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary on ‘Installation and Monitoring of Force Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)’ was updated in February 2008 and ‘Guidance for the police use of body-worn video devices’ can be found by clicking here.

PCSOs - "There There Policing"

2008-03-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

“Police community support officers are playing a vital role in local neighbourhoods in Cornwall, as part of the wider police family.” (Devon and Cornwall Constabulary)

Brian Paddick was the highest ranking openly gay policeman, as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, when he resigned from London’s Metropolitan police force in 2007, after serving 30 years. He has now written a book about his experiences and gives an interesting insight into life as a policeman.

In a Sunday Mail newspaper article on 2nd March 2008, Paddick writes about several police related topics, including the role of Police Community Support Officers - a topic previously written about on Cornwall police Watch (PCSOs – Traffic Warden’s?). From Paddick’s article a keener insight can be gleamed into the real role of PCSOs and their usefulness to community policing.

In the article Paddick says:

“Senior officers felt they needed to persuade the public the streets were safe, so they invented Reassurance Policing - swiftly nicknamed There There Policing - and its task force, the new Police Community Support Officers.

Ian Blair had created the idea of PCSOs during his time as chief constable of Surrey. PCSOs were employed to be "the eyes and ears of the police" and "reassure the public".

They wore a uniform and patrolled the streets but they had few powers and much less training and equipment than real police officers.

The Police Federation was understandably concerned that PCSOs represented policing on the cheap. Although PCSOs were given the power to detain someone for up to 30 minutes, thus allowing regular police officers to arrive, they often found themselves powerless to stop people running off.

Their limitations quickly became apparent. Some PCSOs had to be rescued from Stratford shopping centre in East London when some local youths deliberately targeted them because they had no powers.

In a recent and more serious case, two PCSOs looked on as two members of the public tried to rescue a young girl and boy from a pond.

By the time a real police officer arrived and jumped into the pond, it was too late to save the boy.

I now believe the whole concept of the PCSO to be flawed.

If we have to pay people to be the "eyes and ears of the police", rather than relying on the public, then something has gone terribly wrong with British policing.
We currently have fully trained, fully equipped police officers spending up to half their time performing administrative tasks in police stations while PCSOs patrol the streets.

Surely this is the wrong way round. If we could use the money currently spent on PCSOs on keyboard operators doing the admin tasks for regular officers, we could significantly increase the amount of time each police officer spends on the street.
The police service in which I was a rookie cop was flawed. But in its favour it allowed officers to spend time in their communities, preventing and solving crime and comforting its victims.

Today I see them hidebound by paperwork, targets and political correctness. It's no longer Life On Mars, but I do sometimes look at the Home Office and the executive of New Scotland Yard and wonder just what planet they're on.”

This said, one of the main benefits of PSCOs is that many of them do come from the areas they patrol, which is more than can be generally said about Cornwall’s police officers today.

• Line Of Fire, by Brian Paddick, is published by Simon&Schuster on March 25 priced £17.99.

Devon and Cornwall Police Federation (DCPF): Who are they and what do they do?

2008-03-05T23:25:00.000-08:00

The DCPF acts like a branch of a trade union for Devon and Cornwall police officers to protect their pay and conditions. The main organisation is what they call The Police Federation of England and Wales, which was established by an Act of Parliament and formed in 1919.

At the Police Federation Conference, held every three years, members are elected to the three national rank committees: the Constables' Central Committee, the Sergeants' Central Committee and the Inspectors' Central Committee. The last elections took place in 2007. This is replicated at a Branch level. The different committees for the Devon and Cornwall Police Federation are represented by the following:

DCPF Constables Committee

Chairman
Dave James
DaveJames@Devon.Polfed.org

DCPF Sergeants Committee

Chairman
Andy Hookway
Police Federation Office
2 River Court
Pynes Hill
Exeter EX2 5JL
01392 354770

Secretary
Nigel Rabbitts
Police Federation Office
2 River Court
Pynes Hill
Exeter EX2 5JL
01392 354770

The Police Federation were criticised recently for not doing enough to persuade the Government to fully implement the pay deal decided by the Independent Police Arbitration Tribunal and this was part of the reason why police officers protested in London in January 2008. The DCPF organised demonstrations for their members.

Devon and Cornwall Police Authority – white, male and English!

2008-03-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

If you have ever heard of the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority (DCPA) and wondered what it was all about, you may be interested in the following…

Background

In brief, the DCPA works like a Governing body of a school, but none of the teachers are allowed to attend meetings as members. This is supposed to give them some sense of independence. On their website, the DCPA say that:

The Devon and Cornwall Police Authority has a duty to “secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police service” for Devon and Cornwall.

Some of their responsibilities are listed below:

• Consults With the Public
• Sets Policing Priorities and Targets
• Holds the Chief Constable to account and scrutinises performance throughout the year
• Secures Continuous Improvement
• Monitors the Force Complaints Procedure & Complaints Against Senior Officers
• Appoints Senior Police Officers
• Sets the Budget for the Police Force and the Police element of the Council Tax
• Operates the Independent Custody Visitor Scheme
• Community engagement and consultation

Members

The Devon and Cornwall Police Authority has 19 Members - 10 Councillors, 3 Lay Justices, 6 Independents. All Members are appointed to the Police Authority for a fixed term and the membership can change during the year.

Of the 19 Members, there are 5 who live and work in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. There is Independent Member, Joanna Norton, who has an address in Cornwall and an address in Exeter and it is not clear where her interests lie, although she is a School Governor in Wadebridge. Nevertheless of the 10 Councillors, 4 are from Cornwall.

The Cornwall members on the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority are:

Graeme Hicks
Cornwall County Councillor, Independent
Mike Hicks
Isles of Scilly Councillor, Independent
Bryan Preston
Cornwall County Councillor, Liberal Democrat
Jeremy Rowe
Cornwall County Councillor, Liberal Democrat
Carl Wallin JP
Cornwall Lay Justice

Joanna Norton
Independent Member

These statistics reveal that out of 19 members of the DCPA only 5 are living and working permamently in Cornwall, with one Independent Member who has an address in Cornwall and one in Devon.

It does not appear to me that Cornwall is unfairly represented on the DCPA.

In addition, there are only 5 women members of the DCPA and all members are white. The majority of members are of course from Devon, England which is where their HQ are based.

If you would like to complain about this, please write to:

Devon and Cornwall Police Authority,
PO Box 229
Exeter, EX2 5YT
Devon
England
(01392) 268333
(01392) 268330
PolAuth@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

As has been said time and again on this Blog, Devon and Cornwall Police are a colonial force and the DCPA are one of the reasons why.

Rights? What rights?

2008-03-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

As England pulls subtly towards creating a police society for itself, it seems intent on pulling Cornwall along with it. For the time being there is little indication that things will be different, but as more people begin to feel the burden of a big brother society affecting personal aspects of their lives and restricting their civil liberties, they will inevitably become more willing to take action.

Luckily for the nine to fivers among us, civil society is still able to function in a more or less healthy way, but its influence is nevertheless becoming increasingly eroded. This can be seen by the complete lack of impact the Iraq War demonstrators had in London in recent years or the Government’s complete rejection of the Cornish Assembly petition.

The Celtic League have now written to Stephen Otter, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, to find out what his views are on two matters relating to the civil rights, under English law, of Cornish citizens. Both issues, DNA databasing and gay rights, have implications for the Cornish public, but also to the Welsh who are also subject to English law in Wales. Both matters will be dealt with by Cornwall Police Watch in future blog posts.

Interestingly, as Michael Chappell highlights, Mr Otter is soon to take on the role of Head of the Race and Diversity Business area and included in his portfolio are matters concerning ‘sexual orientation’. As some of you may be aware from this blog, the Devon and Cornwall police do not currently have a particularly good reputation for their attitude towards the gay community in Cornwall, according to some activists. We will await his response with eagerness. Well done the Celtic League for taking up these issues!

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

DEVONWALL POLICE PRESSED ON ATTITUDES TO CIVIL LIBERTY AND GAY PRIDE

The Assistant General Secretary (AGS) of the League has written to the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Stephen Otter, in his role as Kernow Branch Secretary to seek his views on issues relating to Cornwall and elsewhere.

Mike Chappell is keen to hear the Chief Constables views about plans to extend the powers of the police to take genetic samples of anyone arrested or suspected of any crime and also his views on plans to hold a Gay Pride march in Truro, Cornwall in August 2008.

The first issue relates to a call made by the Association of Chief Police Officers for a new debate on the issue of extending the current DNA database to include all people arrested, whether they are later charged with an offence or not. This would substantially increase the current database of genetic records held of more than 4.5million people – including 560,000 people who have never been convicted of any offence.

In Scotland last month Ministers rejected calls by Association of Chief Police Officers of Scotland (ACPOS) to fall in line with police forces in England and Wales by collecting forensic samples of anyone arrested. However, Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill has ruled this out, claiming it would be an infringement of the public's human rights. Currently in Scotland if anyone has their DNA taken by the police, it is destroyed if they are not convicted.

The second issue raised by the AGS in his letter raises the question of how Mr Otter would respond to the proposed Gay Parade to take place in Cornwall in view of the additional role he will take up in April
2008, as Spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers, on matters to include, among others, 'sexual orientation'.

In the past Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has been accused of institutionalised homophobia by leading members of Cornwall's gay community. Accusations of police homophobia in Cornwall have been so persistent and far reaching that now a European television company, who are making an international documentary on homophobia, have approached Cornish activists to know more. It has been reported to the League that the recommendation for a 'British' feature on homophobia should be run in Cornwall by acclaimed Human Rights Campaigner, Peter Tatchell.

The full text of the AGS's letter can be found below:

"Mr. Stephen Otter

Chief Constable

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Middlemoor HQ
Exeter
EX2 7HQ

4th March, 2008

Dear Chief Constable

DNA Database and Gay Pride Rally

I am writing to you as Assistant General Secretary and Kernow Branch Secretary of the Celtic League in order to ascertain your views on two unrelated topics that are of interest to members of our Branch and indeed to members in the other Branches of our organisation.

The first regards plans to extend the powers of the police to take genetic samples of anyone arrested or suspected of any crime. We are aware that Chief Constable Tony Lake, who speaks for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on DNA is in favour of such plans and has even spoken in favour of compiling a DNA database of everyone charged with an offence or not.

Being a member of the ACPO, we would therefore like to know what your
views are on this subject.

The second enquiry is in regard to the announcement made last week that a Gay Pride march will be taking place in Truro, Cornwall in August 2008. It has been reported to the Branch that organisers of this march, Cornwall Gay Pride, are concerned about the reaction of Devon and Cornwall police towards the organisers of the event and the marchers themselves.

We are aware that in 2007 the previous Cornwall Gay Pride Steering Group decided to disband as a result of personal experience of homophobic behaviour towards them on the part of Devon and Cornwall police officers. We are also aware that from April 2008, you will take up the position of Head of the Race and Diversity Business area and that your new portfolio will cover 'sexual orientation'.

We would therefore be interested to know what your views are on the existence of Cornwall Gay Pride and what you intend to do as Head of the Race and Diversity Business area and the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police to improve relations between the Constabulary and Cornwall's gay community. Also we would like to know your own views on the planned Gay pride march itself.

Many thanks in advance.

Yours faithfully

Michael J. Chappell"

Where did you say?

2008-03-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

Devon and Cornwall Police are keen to get their hands on all the latest gadgets. Last year it was the taser gun and this year it’s an upgraded police protection system.

The police protection system provided by Northgate Information Solutions is a necessary piece of equipment for officers, because it can accurately pinpoint where officers and their patrol vehicles are. The system can also help to speed up officers response time to incidents, because control room staff have access to their whereabouts.

This is absolutely essential when police officers, unfamiliar with unknown territory, are called to investigate an incident by the Devon based police control centre at a place called something like ‘Roon’or ‘Rooin’ or ‘Ruan’ or maybe ‘Ruin’ or ‘Run’ or perhaps even ‘Ruan’. The potential difficulties that such a call out can have for police officers based in Plymouth are all too obvious.

Plymouth based Superintendent Peter Strawbridge at Devon and Cornwall Police was particularly thrilled by the usefulness of the new technology:

“Our new partnership with Northgate allows officers and vehicles to be located quickly and accurately, significantly enhancing officer safety… particularly in rural and off-road situations.”

In such far flung unchartered territory as the Lizard Penisula or West Penwith officers and vehicles need to to be in and out as quickly as humanly possible.

Who cares if the new technology puts one or two more percent on the Devon and Cornwall Police share of the Council Tax – at least they may now be able to find where they are going.

Why not a Cornish Stannary Police Force?

2008-03-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

In the Basque Country there are four different police forces – the Guardia Civil, National Police, Municipal Police and the Ertzaintza. In Navarre (a province of the Basque Country), the Foruzaingoa are the Ertzaintza equivalent.

The Basque County also has its own distinct legal system in the shape of the Foral Laws. The various Basque Provinces have regarded these laws as tantamount to a Constitution and today the laws are still zealously guarded and the majority upheld.

With its own Stannary Laws, Parliament and Courts there is no reason why a distinct Cornish Police force should not exist to uphold the law in Cornwall.

Cornish Stannary parliament

Are Devon and Cornwall Police Performing?

2008-02-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

After over 12 months as Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Stephen Otter said recently:

“I am very pleased by the performance of this Force since my arrival 12 months ago. The results are a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by all staff at the Constabulary.”

But have you ever wanted to know how Devon and Cornwall Constabulary compare with other police forces throughout Wales and England, according to the Home Office?

If you do, then click on Performance and Measurement to be directed to the Home Office site. This is the police League Table for Wales and England for the year 2006 to 2007 and was published in October 2007.
The Government's Police Performance Assessments rate the 43 forces in England and Wales in seven categories: tackling crime, resources and efficiency, serious crime and public protection, protecting vulnerable people, satisfaction and fairness, implementation of neighbourhood policing and local priorities.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary were rated by the Home Office with between ‘Good to Fair’ (with mainly ‘Fair’s) on delivery and ‘Stable’ in terms of direction.

In short, it is a pretty average force.

Hart unbroken

2008-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Now that the Devon and Cornwall police have stated that no further action will be taken against singer Graham Hart (see article below) the man will be able to get on with his life. I was encouraged to read that Hart will “continue even more robustly now, to gain recognition [for Cornwall] through sport and my music until we are accepted” and the police hadn’t broken his spirit.
One of the songs Hart wrote, “CNLA”, has unfortunately been taken off You Tube since his arrest, which is a shame because it was very funny indeed. No doubt one day soon it will be uploaded back onto the site.

We mustn’t forget that there is one more person, of those four arrested in September 2007, who still has to answer bail in March. Watch this space for further news.

Source: This is Cornwall
Author: Julian Ridge

AT LAST MY NIGHTMARE IS OVER

28 February 2008

The nightmare is finally over for one of Cornwall's best known entertainers who was arrested by armed police investigating alleged terror plots against celebrity chefs .

Singer/songwriter Graham Hart (left), from Camborne, was one of four men taken into custody by detectives last September. It followed threats by a group calling itself the Cornish National Liberation Army (CNLA) against Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Fifteen, at Watergate Bay, and one of Rick Stein's businesses.Because his music is closely associated with the Cornish Pirates Rugby Club, fearing he might bring the side into disrepute, Mr Hart felt unable to speak out about his ordeal until police had completely eliminated him from their inquiries.

He said: "At 7.40am on Thursday September 6, 2007, I was arrested by a 14-man armed police unit for 'being in possession of a firearm with intent to threaten or use violence'.

"After being ordered from my bed and handcuffed, I was taken to Camborne Police Station, held for nine hours and released on bail.

"On returning home, my wife, Sonia, who was as totally shocked and traumatised as me, informed me that they had searched throughout our house and had taken away computers, data discs, paperwork, family DVDs, Cornish books and many other personal belongings that have only now been returned, causing us enormous inconvenience. I was outraged.

"I was accused of being a member of the so-called terrorist group, the CNLA, and was shown a photocopy from an article in The Sun displaying a picture of a man wearing a balaclava and holding a machine gun. The police informed me they had reason to believe I was that person.

"Some four months later, on January 16, 2008, I returned to Camborne Police Station and was held for a further six hours before being bailed until March 6. I was informed on Saturday, February 8, that I have now been released and no further action will be taken.

"The pressure on me, and particularly on my wife, has been enormous," said Mr Hart. "It's the end of a nightmare."

Mr Hart believes he was arrested because he is a self confessed "Cornish national" - not a Cornish nationalist - who has campaigned for Cornwall to have a place at the Commonwealth Games. He says on Monday he had been due to go on hunger strike until Cornwall was accepted into the Commonwealth Games Federation, but decided his family had been through enough stress already.

He said: "I campaign for the recognition that Cornwall's people crave in order to protect our unique culture and identity and, in this instance, to celebrate it through the wonderful medium of sport. We are a Celtic country and a Celtic nation like Wales and Scotland, as stated in the laws of this land, and I will continue even more robustly now, to gain recognition through sport and my music until we are accepted."

Mr Hart says he bears no ill will towards the police - only to the 'man at the top' who gave the order. "Officers were only doing their job. Their behaviour and attitude towards my wife and I was exemplary at all times," he said.

PCSOs - Traffic Wardens?

2008-02-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

According to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Cornwall provide “a vital role in local neighbourhoods in Cornwall, as part of the wider police family.” Part of this role is to provide advice, fixed penalty notices and detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.

Truro-based Inspector Dave Scott says that:

“Many of our PCSOs have lived most of their lives in the communities they serve and understand the issues that are important to local people.”

There are three immediate questions that need to be answered here:

1. Why not give traffic wardens a different hat and save money on PCSOs, who are just supped up traffic wardens after all?
2. If PCSOs can serve in the communities where they have lived for most of their lives and play a vital role, then why can’t the real police officers?
3. Is Cornwall being blagged off with PCSOs while Devon gets the real police officers?

The police in Cornwall have become part of a faceless society where you are as unlikely to see a police officer you know in your community as you are the closed circuit television cameras that line our streets.

“Bill bored” – Devon news

2008-02-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

A brief scan through the latest edition of Billboard, the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary online newspaper, is further evidence that Devon and Cornwall police are only really interested in Devon.

Of the 41 news items skimmed, only 6 relate to events and/or people in Cornwall. The vast majority (22) were about people and/or events in Devon with 13 ‘neutral’ items. You may be thinking that this is because there are more people in Devon than Cornwall and indeed you would be right, but there aren’t that many more people to warrant an almost quadrupling of news stories. According to the last Census there were 501 267 people in Cornwall compared with 704 493 in Devon, a difference of just 203 226.

Can the difference in frequency of Cornwall and Devon news items in Billboard be explained in terms of news worthy stories, in that there is more interesting news in Devon?

I seriously doubt this to be the case, because the entire paper from start to finish is insipid and reads like a very poor relation of the Devon edition of The Western Morning News or Parish Times. In fact this lack of interest that the paper inspired in me put me off from checking previous editions of Billboard to see if they were as Devon biased. I just couldn’t bring myself to read another edition all in one day and will have to wait for a moment when I really have nothing better to do.

Where do Devon and Cornwall police get the money from to produce such drivel? Surely no one reads the rag and it must cost a fair bit to produce. Is it any wonder that Devon and Cornwall police are raising their share of the Council Tax? It just seems so unfair that Cornish residents are paying for Billboard.

More black police officers – but how many Cornish?

2008-02-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

More black and ethnic minority police officers will soon be working in Cornwall thanks to a plan to form a branch of the National Black Police Association (NBPA) to cover Devon and Cornwall.

Black and ethnic minority people make up only 0.8% of the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary. The NBPA say that they want to raise this figure to only 1% in the initial stages, which is probably sensible for the time being considering that their accounts were frozen by the Home Office due to “inadequate financial controls.”

As a national minority themselves with (at least) 7% of people in Cornwall alone registering themselves as Cornish according to the 2001 Census, there should be Cornish Police Associations to monitor how many Cornish people are employed in the Devon and Cornwall force.

With the NBPA receiving £180,000 funding last year for 10 000 members, this is funding potential that should be taken seriously. I am sure if Tim Smitt could take advantage of such funding he would, but then again, maybe he already has - the new branch of the NBPA will be launched at the Eden Project, Cornwall on Monday!

Sources: BBC News Group aims for more black police

Black Police group Funding Froze

Another world

2008-02-24T22:57:00.000-08:00

In a show of inter-Celtic solidarity, someone from Wales sent an email to the CPW team with a poem they had written dedicated to Tony Leamon. Leamon is one of the activists who was arrested as part of the Devon and Cornwall Police crackdown on Cornish cultural and political activists last year.

After reading the poem, I was reminded of an article in a newspaper I read last week about the Spanish poet Marcos Ana. Ana was the voice of persecuted Spain under Franco and spent many years in prison for his Communist beliefs. What Ana said in the article is quite appropriate here I think:

“Solidarity is the most beautiful and the most necessary word these days. This world is very unfair and something has got to give. Many young people know that another world is possible.”

Leamon too was arrested for his beliefs and knows that another world is possible.

Dedicated to Tony from a Supporter in Wales

There’s a man I’d like to meet, Tony Leamon is his name
He’s the one in Kernow the Colonial Police want to frame
A very brave Cornishman he is, as Celtic as me and you
And although much persecuted, the views he holds are true
This great big generous Falmouth boy travels everywhere on a bus
He’s the Cornish terrorist you know, the one they want to bust
He’s read a John Angarrack book, you see, this but one of his crimes
And for that the foreign Chief of Police wants the man to do his time
He dares to fly many St. Piran’s flags in his homeland too
And through English eyes this makes him a criminal right through
His father’s an old war vet, with English medals cross his chest
But now this counts for nothing, for being Cornish is second best
He speaks the Cornish Language, another very suspicious sign
The way things are going, they’ll make it a fixed penalty fine
He uses the email system, mobile phones and the internet
Most odd for a Cornish lad who they assume weak of head
So when the armoured and armed Colonial boys on his door did beat
Little did poor old Tony know, he’d be off for the custody suite
They refused to call him Cornish, West Country was their best
And through hours of interrogation, he failed to pass their test
There’s no such thing as Cornish and you’re a criminal they implied
And those who’ve told you otherwise have spoken naught but lies
And although he fights with cancer, and battles with the pain
Tony Leamon’s a man of Celtic steel, not for him to be lame
And from all around the whole wide world, from both far and near
Came message of support, offers of cash, and greetings of good cheer
For this honest Celtic lad, the Colonial Police can’t just let him be
Born a Cornishman his only crime to be an activist and to disagree

This is a sketch of Marcos Ana in his police cell writing poetry. Is that a Cornish flag on the wall?

Stolen Flag Returned

2008-02-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

The property of those people arrested on September 6th 2007 was, for the most part, returned this week, including the Cornish St Piran flags and Angarrack’s books. One of the flags has now been hung back in its former position in the top stairs window at the home of one of those arrested (see photo).

In addition to having their property returned, the police have also dropped the bail of all but one the men, who is still due at Camborne Police Station on 26th March 2008. This is, needless to add, the same man who still has some of his posessions retained by the police.

At CPW, we were rather surprised by the return of all the Angarrack books. We had assumed that the police had wanted to analyse its contents for “information likely to be useful to terrorists.” In consideration of the dense, and at times, heavy going chapters, we have drawn the conclusion there must be someone on the force who is either a fast reader or they just couldn’t make the effort to read the book through at all.

As for the flags, we had expected that they would be returned in early February after the police march through central London to demand better pay. One of the flags had been recognised immediately by its true owner after a photograph was shown in a local newspaper of Cornish flag waving police officers.

Officers may not be returned to the streets after all!

2008-02-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

After only six days Devon and Cornwall Police have said that their promise to return 200 police officers to the streets may not go ahead after all.

Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable, Stephen Otter said that if officers were not returned to the beat as promised, then the Home Office would be to blame, because of proposed funding changes. Speaking to BBC news, Mr Otter said:

“I need to say first of all that I'm not sure we may lose that money, but it will have a major impact on the work that we're doing.

We are putting more officers out on the streets that are more visible and more engaging in local communities, which is, ironically, at the heart of the Flanagan report.”

The Flanagan Report has been compiled by HM Inspector of Constabulary Sir Ronnie Flanagan and could cause, according to Otter, a reduction of funds for rural area policing. If this is the case, then Cornwall will no doubt be affected.

Last Friday Devon and Cornwall police, in justification of an increase in their share of the Council Tax by almost 8%, said that the extra money would be used to divert 200 officers from their desk jobs back to the streets. If the 200 promised police officers do not materialise, I wonder if the Council Tax rise will be less?

Source: BBC News

Ballad’s for the Innocent

2008-02-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

The following ballads have been composed in honour of two people arrested by police on September 6th 2007, after their homes were raided in the early morning by armed officers. These were two ordinary Cornish people whose only crime was to be involved in Cornish civil society by actively campaigning for the greater independence of Kernow.

In both cases the police confiscated Cornish flags, John Angarrack books, Cornish language tapes and other items of a Cornish nature. Both men are due to answer bail in March 2006 for the second time in six months.

To be a Brave Celt

By day and by night
We shall fight that good fight
Seizing back what is ours
And making it right

Its our history, our culture and our language too
For we are not English but Cornish right through!

They may take our books and flags away
Little they know, we're right here to stay
Black uniforms and guns in their raids by night
Their English law used to cause us much fright

Its our history, our culture and our language too
For we are not English but Cornish right through!

Many people have fought this battle for years
And they have endured both misery and tears
But we remain stubborn and at end of the day
Our deep held beliefs shall win us our way

Its our history, our culture and our language too
For we are not English but Cornish right through!

'For Tony'

By Mike Chappell
The Ballad of Hugh Rowe

Armed up police with dogs in tow
Came to take away Hugh Rowe
But everyone must stand behind
The men in the Stannary.

Through the little streets of Camborne
In the light of early morn
English police came marauding
Wrecking little homes with scorn.
Heedless of the crying children
Dragging tinners from their beds,
Cuffing Hugh while helpless neighbours
Watch the scene and shake their heads.

Not for him a judge and jury
Or indeed a crime at all
Being Cornish means he’s guilty
So we’re guilty one and all.
Round the world the cry will echo
Otter’s men are here again,
England’s name again is sullied
In the eyes of honest men.

Proudly march behind our banners,
Firmly stand behind our men.
We will have Hugh free to help us
Build a nation once again
Help the people stand together
Proudly, firmly on your way
Never fear and never falter
‘Til Hugh Rowe comes home to stay.

Adapted from an Irish song ‘The Men Behing the Wire’ by Victor Hendra, of Troon Camborne, Kernow. Published by The Western Morning News newspaper on Tuesday 23rd October 2007, in the “KERNEWEK – a living language” column.
Cornish Stannary Parliament

Can the police in Cornwall be trusted to do their job properly?

2008-02-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

The following email suggests otherwise and highlights some of the reasons why the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary in Cornwall need to come under increasing scrutiny by Cornish civil society:

• "Devon and Cornwall police 33rd out of 43 police forces in the 2007 performance tables.(source: Home Office)
• Devon & Cornwall police 5th most complained about police force out of the 43 forces nationwide in 2007.
• An average increase of complaints by 10% per 1,000 officers nationwide, but D and C increase in complaints was 19%. (source: IPCC)

Having personally won twenty two recommendations AGAINST Devon and Cornwall police as a result of complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, I know how dishonest, corrupt and prejudiced some D and C police officers I have encountered are! Trust them?...I would not trust them anymore with anything as valuable as stained toilet paper."
Police victim, Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall police – Incompetent

2008-02-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

According to a Plymouth Judge the Devon and Cornwall police are incompetent, following the collapse of a major criminal trial.

Judge Paul Darlow has called for a review into the mishandling of the case, saying that there had been “systemic incompetence and omission”. He also criticised the police and the Crown Prosecution Service for wasting tax payers money. A Freedom of Information Act request by one newspaper put the figure of the cost of the criminal investigation by the police at £126,568.20, with an extra £13,875.15 to cover police security at the trial.

The way the case was handled led to complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Assistant Chief Constable Bob Pennington said that a “thorough internal review” had been undertaken by Devon and Cornwall police.

Chief Supt Jim Webster said that the Devon and Cornwall Police accepted the judge's comments “in their entirety”.

Commenting on the amount of money that had been wasted by the police, MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter said:

“It is a staggering amount of money and this is what must be borne in mind by all public agencies - it's the taxpayer who picks up the tab.”

Unfortunately, even though this case took place in Devon, the Cornish tax pay will also have to bear the burden of these costs under their colonial police force. It is little wonder that the Devon and Cornwall police are raising their share of the Council Tax in Cornwall!

Source: This is Plymouth

How much?!

2008-02-17T03:09:00.000-08:00

Devon and Cornwall Police Authority will be raising the Council Tax of Cornish residents soon to pay for more police officers to walk the beat.

They plan to increase the Council Tax bills of all Cornwall’s residents by 7.94%, amounting to approximately 20p more each week for people living in Band D properties. In exchange, the Authority has promised to provide 200 more ‘front line’ police officers. Good deal?

Well the Authority’s plan is to put the police officers, who are currently working at desk jobs, back on to the streets and to fill their posts with civilians. However the Authority's Treasurer, John Glasby, has also said that 196 office positions in the police will be cut as part of a review to be carried out over the next year.

My reasoning may not be that great, but stay with me here a minute.

If 200 police officers are to be diverted from their desk jobs and put back out on the beat to be replaced by civilian works, while at the same time 196 desk jobs will be cut over the next year, then by my basic calculation only 4 people will be employed.

Therefore, why does the Police Authority want to increase Council tax by 7.94%? Surely a much smaller increase is possible to pay for these extra jobs?

If Council Tax increased by an average of 20p per week for the 1205760 people who are resident in Cornwall and Devon, the annual amount of money this would bring in for the police is over 12 million pounds - even after the wages were paid for 4 civilian desk workers!

If I was a resident of Cornwall or Devon, I would be asking the Police Authority to drop the spin and provide further justification. At least this figure is less than the 8.94% increase the Authority was considering.

Here are some Cornish comments about the proposed increase, taken from the This is Cornwall news website:

Police Community Support Officers are the biggest waste of time and money, they can't do anything useful and they are never around when you need them. I found a lost child last year and still had to phone the real police because we had no way of contacting the PCSO or pretend police officer as we know them.
Kate, Cornwall

HAHA, what a joke wages don't increase by 9-10% a year but yet they increase by stupid amounts...Anyway what police i live in hayle and guess what u can drink drive have fights and its ok but i recommend friday nights in fact any night and weekend's too as thats when the police station closes and if u need to go in and see then remenber only in the morning as they shut otherwise, which probably explained why i was dodging drunks playing football in the road new years eve. and if you call your on hold for ages talking to people in devon who have no local knowledge of cornwall or the streets where i live..very frustrating and to be honest i don't bother informing police about crimes anymore as don't have any respect for the organisation any more.
yubbauk, Hayle

If they did not waste so much time and so may resources on hounding people for minor offences they would have more money anyway! In the summer a friend of mine was held for 9 hours in a cell and was innocent!
Sam, Newquay

This has got nothing to do with funding for Police Officers. Devon & Cornwall Police actually has 160 fewer Police Officers than 2 years ago. This is about funding Police Community Support Officers now that Gov. funding has run-out. PCSO's are a cosmetic luxury and should be scrapped. They do little in real terms to make our communities safer, there is no threat to their performance, they just poodle along the streets smiling at babies and stroking dogs! Why dosent Steve Otter make a brave decision and scrap them?
Andy Robinson, Newquay

This has got to be a joke? I don`t know many people who are not struggling to pay the Council Tax, there should be enough in the kitty to cover Policing anyway
Jon, Redruth

Police Uniforms and Equipment – where’s the Cornish!

2008-02-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

If Cornwall had its own police force then it could decide on its own distinct Cornish uniform and badge, along with a whole host of other ‘Cornish’ features, like using the Cornish language for example.

One thing that immediately comes to mind is why the word ‘police’ isn’t written bilingually on police uniforms and equipment. After all, the Cornish language has been ‘officially’ recognised by the Westminster Government. Cornish could be incorporated into the current police uniform and equipment without much of a problem. This would also make the Devon and Cornwall police seem to be less of a colonial force in Cornwall.

In 2002, when the Cornish language was recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Nick Raynsford, the then Local Government and Regions Minister, said that the Government were now committed to protecting and promoting Cornish and recognised and respected it. There is no reason why the Home Office, to whom Devon and Cornwall police are directly accountable to, could not suggest that police uniforms and equipment, as used by the police in Cornwall, should not incorporate the Cornish language.

While surfing the internet I came across the above image that someone had edited. I wrote to ask them if I could publish the image, but he told me that he couldn’t give me that permission, because the image was not theirs – he had only edited it. He expressed a wish to take a similar photo and edit it in the same way, so that he could give permission for it to be published.

Nevertheless I have uploaded the photo here, because it will give readers a glimpse of the way the police in Cornwall would look if the language used on their uniforms was written bilingually.

The Thought Police

2008-02-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

The Terrorism Act says that:

“Collecting or possessing information likely to be useful to terrorists is made an offence.”

But what exactly does ‘useful’ mean?

A number of people, who have had their homes searched by the police have had their Angarrack books confiscated, along with other seemingly innocuous items. Is John Angarrack’s book ‘Breaking the Chains’ ‘useful’ to terrorists and is this why his book is confiscated by the police in their raids on members of the Cornish public?

One member (Member B) of the Kernow/Cornish Branch of the Celtic League who was arrested in September 2007 also had many items confiscated, including Angarrack’s book. He also had his own and a friends computer taken.

Member B has said that one of the things the police kept banging about while he was being interrogated, on two separate occasions, was whether he had forwarded emails received from the Cornish National Liberation Army/Cornish Republican Army (CNLA/CRA). If he had, the police told him, he would be accused of spreading information and propaganda.

Were the police alleging that Member B had broken by forwarding emails? That he had broken the law by collecting and/or possessing information that could be ‘useful’ to so called terrorists, under the terms of the Terrorism Act? Has Angarrack’s book been taken by the police, because it is full of information and propaganda?

If someone can be accused of crimes under the Terrorism Act 2000 for forwarding emails or possessing a book that could potentially be ‘useful’ to terrorists, we had better all watch out, especially those with big libraries or access to the internet.

What is certain is that the Terrorism Act 2000 is potentially an act of law that can allow a police force, that is keen to meet their targets to keep the politicians from their doors and the pay packets of their bosses bulging, to arrest anyone for freedom of thought and expression.

I am sure the Terrorism Act wasn’t designed for this purpose, but it seems that it is being used by the police authorities as such.

One example of this can be seen from the recent quashing of the convictions by the English Appeals Court of five young Muslim men who were jailed for downloading and sharing extremist liturature from the internet. The lawyer of one of the men previously convicted said that they had been jailed for “thought crime”. Imran Khan, solicitor for Mr Zafar told BBC News that:

“Young Muslim men before this judgement could have been prosecuted simply for simply looking at any material on the basis that it might be connected in some way to terrorist purposes.”

Mr Khan also said that section 57 of the 2000 Terrorism Act had been written in such wide terms that “effectively, anybody could have been caught in it.”

Mr Malik, one of the men convicted said:

“My prosecution was a test case under the 2000 Terrorism Act. Today's decision means no first year student can ever be prosecuted again under this Act for possessing extremist literature.”

This ruling could also have implications for the Cornish public who have been arrested as part of the police campaign to track down CNLA/CRA suspects. It is hoped that the implications of this case filter down to the police of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and that they immediately drop the bail of those people arrested in September and carefully consider future raids and arrests on the grounds that people are guilty of thought crime.

Terrorism Act 2006

Terrorism Act 2000

Good News!

2008-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Light does seem to be appearing at the end of the tunnel for two people arrested in September 2007, as part of a police crackdown on activists from the Cornish movement.

Letters from the police have been received by the two men to say that personal possessions will be returned to them after many items were confiscated on the day of their arrest, including books, flags, computers and money. In addition, one of the men has now been told that he will not be charged at all, despite being originally threatened with terrorist offences and money laundering!

The other man, a member of the Kernow Branch of the Celtic League, received a letter from the police to say that only part of his possessions will be returned and is still requested to answer bail in March 2008.

Nevertheless it has taken almost five months for the police to realise that they have once again over reacted, months of worry and stress for the two people arrested and months of campaigning work by individuals and organisations. All this wasted time could have been better spent elsewhere if the police could have only done their job a bit better.

Loss of faith in the police

2008-02-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

There is little doubt that today people are loosing faith in the police. On 11th February, an article in the London based Daily Mail newspaper, Officers in despair, a public losing trust: Inside Britain's police farce, highlighted some of the difficulties that are inherent in the police force today.

Not that I would say the Daily Mail is a fully trustworthy paper, but the journalist, Harriet Sergeant, offers us some interesting facts and musings about the police. Below I have taken from Sergeant’s article some of, what I think, are the more poignant snippets and have made some of my own comments underneath:

Source: Daily Mail newspaper
Article: Officers in despair, a public losing trust: Inside Britain's police farce
Author: Harriet Sergeant

“By 2011, spending on the police will rise to £10 billion, two-thirds of the law and order budget.”

Sergeant argues that the police have never been better equipped, had so much money or access to technology, but yet the public and the police themselves have never been more dissatisfied with their lot.

“A poll shows that only one in five of us believes in the Government's ability to deal with crime and violence, the lowest rate out of all 30 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.”

“The 43 police forces in England and Wales are wholly accountable to the Home Office.”

As Sergeant herself suggests in this statement, confirming our own knowledge, Cornwall only has an English colonial police. Moreover, this highlights the need for the police to be decentralised and for Cornwall to have control of its own police force.

“Worse still, the Government all too often measures the wrong things - and tolerates dodgy data for political ends.”

The police are controlled for “political ends” – a telling statement indeed in view of the events that have been happening in Cornwall over the last year.

“Bad targets force otherwise ethical public servants into unethical behaviour.
In the police, this means that serious crime is ignored and minor crime elevated to the serious in order to satisfy the target regime.”

Hence the arrest of innocent people in Cornwall.

“As a result, police complain that they are criminalising a generation and alienating the public.”

They have certainly alienated and continue to alienate people by arresting and harassing people who are innocent.
“Ordinary people want something different. They do not want the crimes happening in the first place.”

“When asked to choose which activities the police should spend more time on, the public's top three priorities are preventing crime, community policing and foot patrols - all of which are about deterring criminals.”

People want a more local and accountable police force. They want to see police people in the streets who they know, respect and who are approachable.

“Targets measure crime committed rather than crime prevented. They allow the Government to score politically - but in the process, police complain, the Government has sacrificed their integrity and their relationship with the community.”

Targets for the police just motivate the police to arrest people.

“As one officer said: "Politics currently control the police."”

See above!

“This growing alienation between the public and police is deeply worrying.”

Perhaps this is why there is a shortage of Special Constables in Cornwall, (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7238644.stm) but Special Constables are just a sticking plaster for an open wound.

“In the most recent British Crime Survey, 50 per cent of respondents thought the police in their area did an excellent or good job.”

But that means 50 per cent didn't, which is a sorry performance for any institution.”

“Complaints against the police have doubled in the past three years. Significantly, the big increase is coming from law-abiding, middleclass people, upset by officers' rudeness, by not being kept informed about a case as promised and the crime against them not being investigated properly.”

Police definitely need to keep the law abiding public on their side. This is not achieved by harassing and arresting them for the sake of targets. Neither is it done by making them feel they are permanently under suspicion.

“In 2003 there were 264 police officers in England and Wales to 100,000 of the population.
The European average is 357, and in New York, where crime has fallen dramatically in the past 20 years, there are 457.”
The figures just don’t add up. Again this is politics interfering. In Scotland they have recently increased the number of officers on the beat. This could be done if Cornwall had its own devolved force.

“But what exercised the police officers I encountered more than anything else was the pressure on them to meet targets in what are called "sanction detections" - making arrests, charging people, issuing penalty notices or official cautions.
It skews police activity, takes away their personal discretion - once a key factor in policing - and puts them in confrontation with an increasingly hostile public.”

Targets, targets, targets – no one likes them except the politicians and the fat cats who benefit from them with financial incentives.

“One constable remarked that his job used to be about problem-solving - if a dispute could be settled without making an arrest, so much the better.

‘“That way we make more friends than enemies within our communities."”

Not any more. Arrests have to be made to meet the "sanction detection" quotas.”

In Cornwall the police have certainly made enemies rather than friends. This is not good policing. Again this is down to targets and politics!

“Local commanders are judged by their detection rate. The annual bonuses of their senior officers - £10,000 to £15,000 - depend on it.”

The fat cats!

“To meet targets, police are now classifying incidents as crimes that would previously have been dealt with informally or even ignored.

The best example is Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act, which allows police to arrest anyone for "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress".

A senior policeman explained that Section 5 used to be invoked only for "a full-blown punch-up".

But now that a Section 5 arrest qualifies as a "sanction detection" and counts towards to those all-important targets, suddenly every minor incident is blown out of proportion.”

Again this is about meeting targets. Hit the public with any law – even if they are innocent, or even if they appear to be on the fringes. Of course, this effects the more vulnerable in the community, who may not even be aware of their rights or that they may be breaking the law in the first place.

“The effect of all this on the policing we receive is devastating. Crimes that would once have been written off are rigorously pursued, wasting money officer who refused to collude was disciplined.”

Targets, targets, targets!

“A child stealing a Mars bar earns an officer the same as working on a murder investigation. Inevitably, some are now reluctant to get involved in any job that does not help towards their target.

But this is often the very police work that the public appreciates - reassurance and solving problems.”

Again this shows that we need local, community policing. Special constables are fine, but they will not have the experience and training that professional officers have. Therefore are more likely to make mistakes. In short Special Constables are no substitute for a proper qualified professional police force.

CONCERN OVER TREATMENT OF CELEBRITY CHEF THREAT SUSPECTS

2008-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

The following newspaper article was lifted from thisiscornwall.co.uk and was published in the West Briton newspaper on the 7th February 2008. It refers to the Celtic League and the letter it wrote to Chief Constable Stephen Otter of Devon and Cornwall Police.

The League reported that it was happy the newspaper was taking the matter seriously enough to run an article on the issue, but that it was disappointed that there were several mistakes made. The most important of these errors was that the article suggests that the League said in their Otter letter that three of those people arrested in September 2007 were members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament, when no such mention or allusion of the kind was made at all.

This of course rightly sparked a reaction from the Cornish Stannary Parliament to the newspaper, which can be found by following the link CSP.

As a following post will reveal, the publicity that resulted from this article possibly had consequences for two of those people arrested.

Source: This is Cornwall
Published: West Briton newspaper 07/02/08

CONCERN OVER TREATMENT OF CELEBRITY CHEF THREAT SUSPECTS
09:00 - 06 February 2008

Police chiefs are facing serious questions over the arrests of three Cornish men in connection with alleged terror plots against chefs Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver.Four suspects were taken into custody last September following a series of dawn swoops on addresses in Camborne and Falmouth.

Now it has emerged in an official complaint to Stephen Otter, chief constable of Devon and Cornwall police, that three of them were members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament.

The complaint by the Celtic League expresses "our continuing alarm" over the treatment of the suspects.

It also alleges that a number of members have resigned from the Cornwall branch of the league "out of fear that their membership was somehow the cause of their arrest".

The protest comes after a group calling itself the Cornish National Liberation Army (CNLA) was said to have threatened to burn down one of Mr Stein's businesses in Padstow.

The group also allegedly declared the cars of his restaurant customers legitimate targets.

In an e-mail to a local newspaper last June, the shadowy extremists branded Mr Oliver an "incomer" and claimed he was hurting local people by driving up house prices and living costs.

Following the series of raids on September 6 last year, police confirmed the four men had been arrested on suspicion of the illegal possession of a firearm.

One suspect - 53-year-old Hugh Rowe, an engineer and senior member of the Cornish Stannary Parliament - later protested his innocence in an exclusive interview with the Cornish Guardian.

He said that officers seized dozens of possessions from his Camborne home, including three St Piran flags, Cornish language tapes and computer equipment.

"I'm quite openly involved in the Cornish movement but they have wrongly linked me with this scenario," insisted Mr Rowe.

The search warrant for his address - issued to a detective constable based at Launceston police station - revealed that police were looking for a rifle and ammunition.

It also gave officers the authority to search for any computer or similar equipment "capable of taking, storing or sending images and e-mails" as well as "face masks, clothing and other items" displayed in a photograph.

This picture, published in a national paper shortly after the alleged threats were made against Mr Stein and Mr Oliver, was said to feature hooded members of the CNLA organisation.

On January 16, one of the three Cornish Stannary Parliament suspects returned to Camborne police station to answer his police bail.

According to Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, director of information at the Celtic League, he was "interrogated" for around 10 hours.

Mr Tal-e-bot told Mr Otter in a letter: "Neither his family members nor supporters were told when or if he would be released. In February last year, I wrote to the Independent Police Complaints Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police, Ian Bynoe, to complain about a succession of arrests of another of our members, Member A, which seemed to border on harassment.

"Later, Member A decided not to pursue the matter further, being frustrated and upset with the whole business," he went on.

"The subsequent arrests of our other members since that time seem to confirm our initial concerns that Devon and Cornwall police are, for some reason, targeting our members in Kernow/Cornwall."

A police spokesman told the Cornish Guardian that none of the four suspects had been charged with any offence.

"They have all been bailed to March 26," she added.

ARTICLE LINK

Gay Rights Activist Accuses Police in Cornwall of Homophobia

2008-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

In Cornwall, a gay rights activist has been venting his frustration at what he calls a homophobic police force in Cornwall. Malcolm Bradbury lists a string of complaints against the police that have either gone uninvestigated or been virtually ignored by the police themselves and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Mr Bradbury, alias Pink Pasty, says:

“To my knowledge the Cornwall police force, in recent years has been accused of:

1. Failure of ‘Duty of Care’ to a homeless 15yr old teenage gay youth (UNIVESTIGATED)
2. Attempted blackmail of a teenage gay youth (UNINVESTIGATED)
3. Abuse of a gay teenager in a strip search & botched ‘Stop & Search’ (UNIVESTIGATED)
4. Seizing of a computer & destruction of a gay businesses (UNIVESTIGATED)
5. Failure to follow ‘TRUE VISION’ & CPS definition of ‘Homophobic Incident’ following serious physical assault of two gay/bi persons (UNIVESTIGATED)
6. Refusal to take statements from Gay/Bi witnesses (UNIVESTIGATED)
7. Withholding Court legal documentation (Investigated, but pitifully excused by the IPCC)
8. Perjury by a police officer in Crown Court (UNINVESTIGATED)
9. Denying a gay person arrested and held in Custody food for in excess of 7hours (investigated, but pitifully excused by the IPCC)
10. Obstruction by police to making a complaint against the police (investigated, but pitifully excused by the IPCC)
11. Un-logged visits by police officers to further intimidate complaintents against the police (UNIVESTIGATED)

There is more, but... 'who cares?' Certainly;-

NOT the Cornwall Police Authority
NOT Cornwall County Council
NOT the Gay Police Association

Sadly the IPCC is inept & completely toothless & ineffectual in dealing with police corruption, misconduct & prejudicial practises & attitudes prevalent within the police. They are simply there IGNORE complaints made or to gloss over police abuses of power.

I speak from personal experience.”

Blog:
http://www.pinkpasty.blogspot.com