NRA Fact and Cost Check

So the National Rifle Association have finally spoken after the shootings at Sandy Hook. Basically they have said "Don't take our guns away, but place an armed police office at every school."

So lets look at the stats:

There are 98,917 public schools and 33,366 Private schools (2009-10 figures)

At a mean $26.74 per hour (2010 national mean), say a 40 hour week to cover arrival and departure times as well as teaching time that comes to $141.5Bn M per week

Typically with 36 weeks per year that is $5.094 Trillion Billion per year

Now there are only 644,300 Police Officers in the whole of the United States, therefore during the school year 132,283 of these or approximately 1 in 5 will be spending their entire working week on school protection detail. So there would have to be some sort of scheme to overcome the short fall in crime prevention, investigation and protection of the general public.

Now surely we can find cheaper ways to protect the school children from the bad men with guns, rather than having good guys with guns (another NRA quote) there?

Update sorry I was miscounting my zeroes Billions were millions and trillions merely billions

When satisfied doesn't tell the whole story #ldconf

At the conference in Birmingham I would say I was satisfied with the way police dealt with security. It may have something to do with being raised in Northern Ireland that I noticed certain things that maybe many of my party colleagues didn't quite see, or maybe didn't quite understand was was going on, such as swabs off various parts of the ICC first thing in the morning, or the odd movement at the edge of my peripheral vision.

Of course while I may have been satisfied with how the security operation went at Birmingham, that has to be taken under advisement. Anyone who saw my only contribution from the stage will know I wasn't that satisfied with procedure before the conference. If you didn't see what I said you can take a look.



 Now from what I understand only 66% were satisfied or higher with security arrangements at conference, from their feed back forms. That does leave 1 not satisfied to a greater or lesser extend to every two above. But also how many of those would normally have been a higher than satisfied rating.

You see security arrangements cover more than merely pre-conference accreditation checks. It also covers the handling of queues, the security on site, the ease of access between sites etc. So a very satisfied can become a satisfied because of a mishandling of one area very easily.

There was a vote at conference, bear in mind this was only of the reps that attended conference, as I mentioned in my speech there are those who were not with us, some refused to seek access to the security zone because of the accreditation process. That vote didn't go the way of what the Lib Dems Federal Conference Committee (FCC) said they 'had' to do. The other speeches pointed out flaws in what the police said they 'had' to do, just in the way that Lib Dem MPs did when the police said they 'had' to have the right to detain for 90 days without trial. Remember that?

Therefore to be asked to give my opinion on accreditation at conference by Andrew Wiseman, chair of FCC yet again seems a bit much. I have already given it three time. First when I noticed a Northern Irish issue with the disclosure of both passport numbers, something that was flippantly ignored. Second when I spoke and conference voted to keep Lib Dem Conference liberal, something that now seems to be ignored, and finally in the comments I made on my conference feed back form.

I am however, now stating why I am opposed to it yet again, for a fourth time.

Sometimes you just have to repeat yourself. But come on FCC I'm not going to let you carry out a neverendum on this issue. We have spoken, we have instructed you to seek a better situation, get on with it. If you cannot watch out for your positions when those conference reps get a chance to elect a new FCC later this tear.

Sometimes I know I have to repeat myself, so today is one of those days.

13 Lords Rebelling - or muscle flexing in Ermine

Thirteen Lib Dem Lords rebelled yesterday in a vote to overturn the Conservative Party's plans to bring in elected police and crime commissioners. The election of commissioners would have led to an abolition of the police authorities that cuurently act as oversight on our police.

The Lib Dem manifesto last year had this to say on given the public a say over policing.

• Give local people a real say over their police force through the direct election of police authorities. Authorities would still be able to co-opt extra members to ensure diversity, experience and expertise.
•  Give far more power to elected police authorities, including the right to sack and appoint the Chief Constable, set local policing priorities,and agree and determine budgets.

While we wanted elections it was to the police authorities not to one individual commissioner who would have overall say and swat over what the electorate would do. Liberal Democrats do believe in power to the people, while me may have failed in delivering it with electoral reform our peers seem not prepared to standby to see it taken away over policing matter.

Maybe underneath the ermine lined robes our Lordships and Ladyships have been working those Lib Dem muscles.

Although apparently they did so against the instruction of the newly install Lib Dem fitness coach Nick Clegg, who had asked them to support another amendment that would have led to a three year moratorium while pilots were being held.

Ulster [Unionists] Say No!

Strange to think that today it was the Ulster Unionists that said 'No'. That used to the be single word epithet us from Northern Ireland used to place with the DUP.

If this had been the first assembly there wouldn't have been the cross community agreement to devolve police powers. But that was was when the UUP were a bigger Unionist voice than the other Unionist parties now that role is reversed.

There is of course one dissenting UUP voice, Lady Sylvia Hermon MP is the widow of former RUC Chief Constable Sir Jack Hermon. She herself trained in law and was a professor at Queens alongside David Trimble for a time. In February while the talks about devolution of policing and justice were ongoing she asked Shaun Woodward in the Commons:

"For those of us who definitely do not want to go back to direct rule and who want devolution and the talks at Hillsborough to succeed, with the principles of tolerance and respect at their core, what more can we in this House do to encourage those in the negotiations to take them forward and make them successful, in the interests of everyone in Northern Ireland?"

Interesting that the sole UUP representative with inside knowledge both of the upper echelons of Northern Irish policing and law should take such a different stance from Economist and leader Reg Empey.

I think her independence from a bizarrely shaping up UUP and Tory marriage, is probably all that is going to be needed to return my home seat to becoming held by some form of independent Unionist once again after 9 years or experiencing the mainstream. Or is having the only UUP member for the last 5 years really the mainstream?

Ello, Ello, Bout Ye

Yes they almost were talking about it until the 12th....

....April that is, not July. It certainly feels like it, and reading some of my friends' Facebook updates from Hillsborough Castle of the last couple of years, err, I mean weeks, they certainly say it felt like it.

But responsibility for the Police in Northern Ireland will be transferred from Westminster to Stormont on 12th April.

The PSNI go from ello, ello, ello to bout ye in just over 2 months times.

Still Talking at Hillsborough

I know a lot of eyes will be on the Queen Elizabeth exhibition centre today, but don't also lose sight of what is going on at Hillsborough. Even though the Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen have left the Northern Irish politicians are still talking.

If there is no agreement made by later today the British and Irish governments have said their own proposal on policing and justice. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said naming two controversial parade routes:

"Anybody who thinks that the price of policing and justice is a walk down the Garvaghy Road or Ardoyne is just ridiculous."

While Alliance Party leader David Ford said that the politicians were not "merely going through the motions". Of course Northern Ireland politics would be that if not for the one dissenting voice, step forward Jim Allister, Traditional Unionist Voice Leader:

"The manner in which Sinn Féin seeks to advance its agenda, not through accepting the processes within devolution, but by loading its gun to the DUP's head with every pet project, is a reminder that even if the present Stormont crisis is sorted, Sinn Féin will be back for more and more."

Of course the devolution of policing and justice powers is not merely the Sinn Féin agenda it was agreed upon in St. Andrews before the resumption of devolved powers. It would be a sign of maturity in Northern Ireland politics if such powers could be devolved. The fact that the TUV leader is still using the language and symbolism of war when others are trying to negotiate a settlement shows a lack of productivity on his part for a stable Northern Ireland.

Is that a true voice of Northern Ireland? I for one don't think so. I'm hoping that the talks are at a substantive stage where agreement may be met once they resume this morning and come to a swift conclusion.

Brown Proffers Packages Tied Up With String

Police powers to Ulster,
Or is that "six counties".
Hours after hours of discussion and nothing.
Brown proffers packages tied up with string,
This is an old Northern Irish thing.

Forty eight hours to mull over the offer,
Then Brown will decide what becomes of the coppers,
Marches and justice are all in his hands.
Peter and Martin are on shifting sand.

When the times up
Loggerheads or not
They could be feeling bad.
They'll have to remember the thing that unites
And then they won't feel so mad.

Apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein but as Brown flies out of Northern Ireland without the deal being signed, I'm sure you'll agree it was worth it (the song not Brown's 48 hours in Hillsborough).

READ ALSO: Alistair Carmichael* the Liberal Democrats Northern Irish Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary of State gives his own view on the current situation on his new blog.

* By linking to him I'm not expected to escape his tap on my shoulder to prepare at Federal Conference Glee Club for enditions of either Flower of Scotland or Danny Boy.

Bonspeil a Victim of Health and Safety

It appears that ice conditions on the Lake of Menteith near Aberfoyle is not the reason that the Bonspeil or Grand Match of curling is not to go ahead next week.

The Bonspeil where 2,000 competitors come together to compete in the open may well now be confined to history and the last such event in 1979 may be the end of the road. The emergency services said they were unable to guarantee the safety of the competitors and spectators.

The statement from the Royal Caledonian Curling Club expressed their disappointment that these extreme winter conditions couldn't lead to the event that has captured many peoples imagination. While confident that the ice was of the required depth however, they did state the reason why there will be no match is :

"It has not proved possible to address all health and safety concerns and receive the full backing of the emergency services within the timescales involved.

"Without achieving this it would be impossible to gain the necessary insurance to hold the event.

"Every possible effort has been made to facilitate this unique event but it has been acknowledged that public safety must remain the primary concern."

Curling has been taking place on the Lake of Menteith for the past week. But Supt Davie Flynn of Central Scotland Police has said:

"We understand the attraction of such an event and recognise this is an unique opportunity for people passionate about their sport to participate in.

"However, there are clear and obvious risks and the safety of the public could not be guaranteed."

He also went on to say that it was not known exactly how thick the ice was. He's also tried to pass blame unto other public bodies saying that they were discouraging people from walking on ice on frozen lakes and rivers. Adding that he had concerns about the traffic of people wishing to attend over rural B-Roads.

Here is a montage of pictures from 2001 when it wasn't as cold or for as long as this winter. But even then there was hope of a Bonspeil

Now Sinn Fein are Threatening the SNP Tactic

Yesterday I blogged about the bankers at RBS using the SNP tactic of not just taking the ball away, but themselves out of the game if their bonuses of £1.5 bn (25% of profits) are turned down by Government. Today I see that Martin McGuinness the Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland is threatening, in coded language, that the same may happen in Northern Ireland over the timing of devolution and justice to Stormont.

I say coded message so let me decipher, McGuinness says that the institutions are unsustainable without a date for devolution of policing by Christmas. You may think so what if you are not Northern Irish, but that is code for all the institutions of devolution, not just cross-border agencies but also the Assembly and the dual mandate of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Devolution of policing has always been one of the major stumbling blocks in fully implementing the Good Friday Agreement. After all Sinn Féin and their military were never going to be likely to be on friendly terms with the force that was arrayed against them throughout the Troubles. So this has been the longest, hardest and most painstaking march towards a peaceful, settled Northern Ireland there has been.

However, it is one of those rare occasions that I agree with the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson. I quite often have found the man objectionable in the past, but he is correct when on the BBC this morning I heard him say that setting deadlines in stone was something that should never be done in Northern Ireland politics, but that the best settlement for all sides should be worked out. If that is done by Christmas then that is fine, however if it is not Sinn Féin should not arbitrarily walk away from all the progress that has been made.

There are signs that a consensus is almost settled on the first Justice Minister under this period of devolution. David Ford the Alliance party leader looks set to gain the cross-community support to take on that role. Now the politicians need to reach agreement over policing and McGuinness is right in that it has to cover equality issues. But with only three weeks to Christmas and probably less that two of those productive setting a Christmas deadline for a resolution is ludicrous so close to that date. Even Tony Blair over ran on his deadline to get the Agreement signed off initially.

DNA Database is Racist

With chilling echoes back to the data collected in Nazi Germany on genetics the startling truth about the criminal database is that 3 in ever 4 young black, British males finds himself on the DNA database. In total there is also a third of all Black men.

Of course the computer itself is colour blind. But as each entrant on that database at present has been stopped, arrested and sampled, even if released and not charged with any crime, shows the latest findings in a horrifying light. The Human Genetics Commission who drew up this report gets this figure from a question asked to the Home Affairs select committee to Baroness Scotland in 2007 when she responded to the statement that "as many as 77 per cent of young black males will soon be on the DNA database" with "The figures in relation to 77 per cent, I think, are correct." This figure does not tally with those officially released by the Government.

However, the Guardian focuses on the part of the report that Police are routinely arresting people with the purpose of adding their DNA to the police database. But as those targeted for such action are overly representing Afro-Caribbean young men their increased stigmatism from the police. There is also the tale of a 12-year-old schoolboy who eleven years ago was swabbed and added to the database of an alleged incident involving Pokemon cards. Or the black man who was arrested for not wearing his seatbelt.

Database evidence is not the be all and end all of police work, nor should it ever be. It is only part of the process, but also what has happened to the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. The fact that there are 5 million individuals on the crime detection database, many of whom have never been charged or found to have been involved in a crime is a backdoor way to lazy policing. It is not a coverall for the lack of policing on the streets, all of us would agree that prevention is better than detection after the event.

But all this picking up, swabbing and cataloging of data of people who aren't doing anything criminal is wasting police time. The section 60 powers that give the police this amount of power to stop anyone at anytime and arrest without just cause is merely farming DNA unto the Government's pet database project. With the report that has been produced there is a clear reason that innocent peoples DNA should be struck from the database. This is not being used to prevent or detect crime, this is being used to target certain groups in our society without just cause being given.

Cash Flow Crisis Could Affect Police Numbers

Strathclyde Police, Scotland's largest police force, is facing a budget crisis that may result is redundancies. The force is key to the SNP's election pledge to add 1,000 officers to the beat, earlier this summer they were pleased to announce that 846 had been added.

However, the force that has claimed 465 of the new officers is looking at having to make £34.7 million which they say may result in some of those officers not being put on front line duties, or having exceeded 8,000 officers. Although with the discrepancy between income and outgoings set to increase to £65.6 million in 2013-14 making it unlikely that additional recruitment will take place. Strathclyde also suggest that other forces will also face the same issues.

But their report does suggest that reductions in staff numbers may be required:

"What we are worried about is how much the government is going to be able to give us next year, and about how much the local authority is going to give us next year."

"Dependent on the savings options that will require to be considered, it is inevitable that there will be some impact on personnel resources."

So bad news for Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill going forwards to meet the commitment. If the Police forces truly believe that no additional increase in force size and that even these may not all be employed in front line service the target looks like being failed by the end of the current parliament.

Brake on Kettling

Peter Brookes from the Times 9 April 2009

In the Times today this is further reporting on the policing of the G20 protests last week, in light of the new footage that is emerging of just what happened to Ian Tomlinson.

Tom Brake the Lib Dem MP for Carshalton and Wallington was there as an independent parliamentary observer. Having already read his note on Facebook and seen his pictures to see his thoughts being brought into the mainstream media was a welcome addition.

Tom himself was detained within the 'kettle' and saw for himself that the detention of the peaceful with those in minority who were out to cause trouble ended turning ugly.

"'Kettling' is a tactic that should come under review. At the first sign of difficulty, the police present a wall of riot shields and batons around protesters — the peaceful alongside the problematic — and slowly squeeze them into a tighter space. People are allowed in, but absolutely no one is allowed to leave.

"Slowly the number of inmates increases. No access to food. No water. Young trapped with the old. Journalists trapped with anarchists. People, like an elderly couple I spoke to, who simply did not want to be there at all.

"It is not surprising that under such conditions an otherwise overwhelmingly relaxed and peaceful crowd can become agitated, then angry, and then violent. The tactic proved misguided and counter-productive. It served to alienate a whole mass of peaceful protesters."

It may be right tactic to deal with the violent in the mob, indeed as a football fan I have often been effectively in a moving kettle being shepherded away from an away ground into my means of transportation. But there is a difference from being moved along and being penned in, as journalists, MPs and friends of people who ended up needing hospital treatment were on that day.

If the police lose their sense of proportion, fairness and justice as well as the means to control a situation. If their actions exacerbate and pour oil on the coals of what they were trying to snuff out then there clearly needs to be a rethink. If innocent people (and today's Times indicated multiple) were without provocation hit from behind by baton wielding men in uniforms, we need to do something.

We don't accept thugs on our streets. Just because they have Her Majesty's crest on their gang's uniform or colours they should not be treated any differently.

Not So "Quick"-witted of the Yard

Less haste more heed may well be the lesson learnt by Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick today. This morning he exited a car in Downing Street carry plans for an anti-terrorism raid. This evening, after the top sheet was photographed clearly giving far too much information, 10 suspects were arrested in raids.

The obvious conclusion to be drawn was that Quick was entering Downing Street to brief on the plans that were captured. However, as the details on the agency photograph were zoomed across the world the raid and arrests were moved up in Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire. Evening raids of this sort are unusual so it is highly likely that as a result of the slow-wittedness and hasty exit of Quick from that car this operation was put under risk if it wasn't proceeded with immediately.

Whether the police were ready to make these arrests at this time we will no doubt find out if the suspects are in fact held. If they were still gathering information in preparation for it and were maybe waiting for some final piece to slot into place before going in, may well mean that what they could take is what had to be taken.

In a bad few days for the police this failure to protect operationally sensitive data is just another sign that our "police state" is simply not competent to deal with such sensitive data. Whether that is their own operational plans or our DNA or whatever they want to keep neither the police nor this Government seem capable to handling things with the trust they would want, which we should be unwilling to give them anyway.

****Breaking News**** Channel 4 News have just announced that the officer seen beating and flooring Ian Tomlinson, shortly before he died of a heart attack when he wasn't protesting at G20, has voluntarily come forward.

****Breaking Comment**** Still on Channel 4 News Shami Chakrabarti is right that is doesn't look good. Brain Paddick whilst trying to defend the enquiry and the process is not coming across strong enough against the evidence from the three cameras that captured the final minutes of Ian Tomlinson's existance.

The Met's Rodney King Moment

Remember during the LA riots when we all learnt the name of Rodney King. Well during the G20 protests in London we will remember the name of Ian Tomlinson and these images which the Guardian has obtained will help us know why.



Ian Tomlinson wasn't even involved in the G20 protests. He was merely returning from his job selling newspapers when he got trapped within the Metropolitan Police force's kettling operation. But Tomlinson had done nothing to deserve this treatment. It appears that the only people in that video needing to let off steam in the kettle were the police.

Who'd Want to Help the Police Now?

A teenager who was doing all he could to make sure someone who had lost their phone got it back got arrested when he turned it in at the local police station in Southport.

Of course the fact that 18 year old birthday boy Paul Leicester ended up spending four hours in the cells means that his DNA was taken and will be held on the National DNA database. He had already called the owner and told the owner he would be dropping it off at the local police station so they could collected. He charge was "theft by finding".

Now there are a number of things regarding this charge, apart from the stealthy way to prop up the . First last time I checked Alex Salmond hadn't given Kenny MacAskill jurisdiction over Southport as theft by finding is a Scots law and not on the English statute book. Also Paul was had made an attempt to return the item to the owner, and was handing it to the police for their save keeping, which under Scots law is not actually "theft by finding".

The problem that arises from this is who is going to want to help the police now? What innocent person is going to walk voluntarily into a police station to hand in lost goods, help with their enquiries, or whatever? If there is a change that the police will not use logic in a case like this and arrest you on the spot, steal your DNA and place it on a national database where they want us all eventually, would you want to help.

As the victim of crime both professionally in retail and personally at home I have been in a police station, or had the police call out to me. But would I had in that stolen credit card for fear of being charged with theft by finding? Report a stolen item for possibly a charge of fraud to attempt theft (from the insurance company)? If the police want to act like we are in a police state they will get what they long for an unsupportive populace. But they more they do the less support they will get from the people and that is something the Government is also forgetting.

Not all young people are up to no good. Not all Asians are terrorists. Not everyone turning something over to the police nicked it. When will they learn?

Hat tip Helen Duffett via Mark Pack and his Eating Lentils doesn't make me a terrorist suspect Facebook group.

Another Dark Day for Northern Ireland

I don't like what I'm seeing from back home. The fact that what appears to be dissident republicans have now killed the first police officer on duty in over 10 years in Northern Ireland. The Real IRA are claiming responsibility.

However, it was good to see Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd as one of the first to condemn this attack.

"This is an attack on the peace process. Whoever carried out this shooting was not doing so to advance Irish republican or democratic goals.

"They have no strategy to deliver a United Ireland. This is a time for strong political leadership and cool heads. It is a time for all political parties and the two governments to recommit to the principles which have underpinned the peace process and delivered the stability of recent years."

Local nationalist councilor Dolores Kelly who sits on the police board said the people of Northern Ireland were "staring into the abyss" adding:

"All of us have to realise we are on the brink of something absolutely awful."

How the people, all the people, of Northern Ireland come through these difficult times the first real test of the new peace, the new hope, the new future. The wording that Sinn Féin mulled over on Sunday was used again last night. It is being raised in the Telegraph that the wording ''wrong and counter-productive'' and assertion of a United Irish goal show true feelings of strategic error rather than outright condemnation.

The people of Northern Ireland need to step forward together in a spirit of unity to get through and over this. They expect their leaders to do the same just as Ian Paisley did with his praise of Father Tony Devlin's word on Sunday. If he can call a Roman Catholic Priest a man of the cloth and say it one of the best speeches ever given by one surely there is room for Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin to condemn violence unequivocally and continue to pursue a peaceful future.

Carnival on Modern Liberty: No Freedom of Speech = No Public Liberty

When the Labour Government first banned protesters in Parliament some people didn't think it would infringe too much on this countries freedom of speech. Under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all people have "the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression".

No while I don't agree with the views of Geert Wilders nor the views of Fred Phelps of Westboro Church and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper the fact is that both Wilders and now the Phelpses have been denied entry to the UK. They have been denied the right to express themselves. However, as with Geert Wilders last week this may get their message across more clearly and louder than if they have been allowed in.

John Stuart Mill in On Liberty wrote:

"The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error."

So Jacqui Smith has twice in a week performed just such a peculiar evil of denying the ability to have discourse to unearth the error in that opinion.

Maybe Wilders in right when he called the UK government cowards for refusing his entry. But as with Derek Draper's LabourList diatribe in recent weeks it appears to be the Labour default position. As position to ban any who don't agree with what you say instead of engaging in debate. It is also generally the default position of those for whom the argument is lost to want to avoid debate at any cost. Is that where Labour is?

Benjamin Franklin said:

"Without Freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech."

Sadly now that we cannot take pictures of the police or things that may be considered useful for terrorism our liberties are being eroded. With the Labour government and its apologists trying to control what can be said or blogged we are heading to a dark place devoid of public liberty.

They can watch you, want to read your emails and keep you biometric data. But you are not allowed to come to your own conclusions, think with you own brain or possible go about your business without proving you are you. The liberties we once held dear are going, going....

Does this mean the terrorists have won because are Government and Labour are too scared to let anything go on that might give them opportunity. And the price? Our liberty.

Last Chance to Watch the Watchers?

There is a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode called "Who Watches the Watchers?" in which a group of anthropologists are uncovered when their disguised hide observing a pre-First Contact civilisation is compromised by a power failure of their holographic false front. That may be away in the future Stardate 43173.5 to be precise, to please the geeks and Trekees/Trekers amongst my readers, and is a fairly innocent issue of how to maintain the Prime Directive. Something we could well do with and the sooner the better.



But let me take you a date far closer to today. Indeed only 10 days hence for the stats and excel geeks amongst you that is 39860 in numeric form or 16 February 2009 for the rest of you. Because on that day Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 amends the Terrorism Act 2000 regarding offences relating to information about members of armed forces, a member of the intelligence services, or a police officer.



Charlotte Gore points out the Rodney King police beating in LA. I'd like to highlight this:

Taken during the Gaza protest last month it was just one of many I could have taken that day. The police are able to take pictures of us, even if the event is peaceful. From the 16th February what happens when things do not remain peaceful. The police with the handheld cameras are not likely to be recording actions if things get nasty.

Also with almost everyone having a camera in their pocket through their mobile phone all the time, innocent by-standers are likely to take out their picture to take shots of what they see as injustice. I know I have done it several times at football games when the police are using a disproportionate response to the Livi travelling support.

Therefore I thoroughly recommend that you join the Facebook Group National Take a Photo of a Police Officer Day which will be the 15th. It is the last day you can enjoy the freedom secure in the knowledge that you pic won't led to up to 10 years in prison. Let's watch the watchers good one last time. And in the meantime we'll all to brush up our quick sketching skills to capture the scene to show up the police.

Justice and Policing Stormont Breakthrough

One hundred and fifty two days, not the longest stand off in Northern Irish politics but possibly one of the most crucial with one of the greatest outcomes at the end. Many said it could never be done but the DUP and Sinn Fein have actually come to an agreement over moving forward the devolving of powers for justice and policing from Westminster to Stormont.

Announcing the programme of "modalities" that will lead to the eventual transfer of these powers appears to have finally removed the major stumbling block that was outstanding between the two parties. With the logjam about to be removed in the next few months.

The steps include appointing the Senior QC as the new Attorney General. A cross-community consensus vote in the Assembly would elect the Chairperson of the Justice Committee until May 2012.

There is also a sunset clause to review the arrangements in time to put in place a more permanent settlement on these issues.

So it's back to work for the folks on the hill.

Just Who's For Eating Humble Pie?

In the 2005 General Election the Lib Dems in Scotland stood on getting 1000 more police on the streets. I remember it well as I erroneously gave the break down of these stats for Lothian and Borders at the hustings in Bo'ness when of course I should have given Central Scotland figures: only to have Michael Connarty correct me. So of course I fully support any increase in police officers that the SNP can manage.

However, the SNP when elected last May also promised 1000 more police for Scotland. They claimed they would do this by the end of this parliament. However yesterday when it was announce that there were either 118 or 74 additional officers the SNP spin machine has changed their definition in their target to recruits not additional officers:

"In addition to the 150 additional recruits which were recruited in 2007/08, a
further 450 additional officers will be recruited by the end of this financial
year, 200 additional officers in 2009/10 and 200 in 2010/11. This will bring the
total number of additional recruits to 1,000 over the life of this Parliament."

But hang on same statement does acknowledge that:

"We inherited the lowest recruitment since devolution with many officers due to
retire. We've tackled that challenge head on, and although these latest figures
are reassuring, there remains much work to be done."

and goes on to say:

"We have set out plans to deliver a more visible policing presence on Scotland's
streets and make an additional 1,000 officers available in our communities. We
are not just delivering on this but going substantially beyond, by also looking
at recruitment, retention and redeployment."

Well no doubt the Nats will take whichever thousand they want to as they have mixed up the two willy nilly through this statement of course redeployment may well meet a target of 1000 extra officers available in our community. Part of the Lib Dem pledge in 2005 was to do away with a lot of the red tape, provide better resources to free up more police time for them to be out on the beat. However look at what the Nats actually promised last May (page 58):

"That’s why we will set out plans in our first Budget for Scotland for 1000 more
police and will encourage Chief Constables to focus these new resources on
community policing."

There it is in black and white 1000 more police, not 1000 recruits, not 1000 more on the streets and actual increase of 1000 officers. Bearing in mind that in 2008/9 271 officers will reach retirement age and some 708 more before 2010/11. That's 900 officers that cannot be retained or redeployed leaving a net gain on the promise of 1000 recruits to be about 100 by the end of this parliament or 10%.

So when a spokesman for the Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill says:

"Labour and the Liberal Democrats are going to have to eat a big slice of humble
pie now that police numbers have increased to record levels – well over 100
above the position we inherited from them."

Maybe they should dig out their own recipe, check out exactly on off target their promises are and find out just what the facts are.