Hey, It’s West Midlands Police…

…so who’s really surprised?

The full time handyman said: 'When I explain I'm not the man they're looking for they are always very apologetic - but I just want it to stop now.

'I could see the funny side at first, but 18 months on, I'm getting really annoyed’.

Well, yes. Who could blame him?

Despite the couple's complaints to West Midlands Police the raids continue to happen and the most recent one took place just two weeks ago.

/facepalm

Police said there had been a mistake, blaming human error with officers getting the wrong address when responding to 999 calls.

Human error? West Midlands Police? Shurely shome mishtake?

Matt and his girlfriend Claire, 42, have been told that officers have been warned to double-check the address before knocking on the door.

He said: 'The amount of times they've told me it won't happen again is unbelievable.’

Sadly, though, it’s not. Have you tried converting to Islam? That might stop them.

'You wouldn't think it was that difficult for the police to distinguish between a road and a grove, but obviously it's causing more problems than we think.'

*snigger*

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: 'We can confirm that officers have attended an incorrect address on Repton Road on several occasions.

‘Several’..? It was 40, FFS!

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

And none of them are working. Do you employ idiots, or someth…

Oh. Right.

You Won’t Be Surprised To Hear It’s West Midlands Police. Again…

A teenage girl has been arrested on suspicion of inciting religious hatred after allegedly burning an English language version of the Koran.

The 15-year-old was questioned and bailed by detectives last Friday after the alleged incident in the West Midlands.

Well, it would pretty much have to be, wouldn't it?

She is also accused of posting video footage of the burning booklet on Facebook.

That's a crime now? Destroying your own private property and filming it?

Naturally, a spokescreature was wheeled on to provide the usual justification for the hysterical overreaction and further debasement of our justice systen:

The spokesman for West Midlands Police added: 'The local neighbourhood team have strong links with the school and have been working closely with key partners from the community and the local authority to resolve the matter locally.

'West Midlands Police will investigate and monitor any crime reported by individuals who may have been targeted because of their disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender.'

/golfclap

Yes, we all remember how you swung into action to defend abuses of the Christian/Jewish/Seventh Day Adventist faith, don't we? Sadly, for the West Midlands Poliice, there's only ever one faith that can be guaranteed a response from the thin blue line.

And as legal blogger David Allen Green points out, the difference in the handling of this instance here, when compared to the same issue in America with its strong constitutional protection for freedom of speech, does not show us in a good light...

So congratulations, WMP! You have achieved at least one accolade. You are so uniquely bungling, biased and incompetent you've earned your very own blog tag for all your future screw-ups. You beat even the Met to that 'honour'...

Maybe It's Time You Stopped Talking About 'Learning Lessons' And Actually Learned Them..?

Although further contact was made with Hughes by social workers after the photos were received, there was no more engagement with the family by the authorities.

Two separate referrals had been made at the same time by Arthur’s paternal grandmother; one to West Midlands police, and one to social services, with the latter relating to “unexplained” bruising to Arthur’s back.

It turns out West Midlands Police proved every bit as effective as the Met in the Baby P case. In fact, this case has startling echos of that case. 

“It’s certainly the worst [child abuse case] I’ve had to investigate,” said DI Laura Harrison from West Midlands police, who led the case. “We don’t often see what goes on behind closed doors, but on this occasion we did.”

Sadly, it was after the fact. Because despite the supposed 'tightening up' after Baby P, it's always too little, too late...and here come the expected case reviews: 

A review of the role of social services is under way, while an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is expected to report back shortly.

Which will no doubt exonerate all involved, and blame covid, despite the fact that the only interest the police showed in holding anyone to account was when they got heavy with the relatives trying to get them to do thair job:

Arthur died on June 16, 2020 after suffering an 'unsurvivable head injury'. These are the four key chances the authorities missed to avert the tragedy:

ONE - Arthur's grandmother, Joanne Hughes, called social services on April 16 to say she had seen the youngster covered in bruises. However, social workers failed to spot them during a visit to his home.

TWO - On April 20, Joanne also told Arthur's school what she had seen. A member of staff called social services but was told the bruises had been caused by 'play'.

THREE - Arthur's uncle, Daniel Hughes, reports his concerns to police but is threatened with arrest if he tries to go back to the youngster's home.

FOUR - John Dutton, Emma Tustin's stepfather, makes an anonymous call to social services weeks before Arthur's death.

Having no doubt learned that contacting the police makes you the target... 

Solihull's £122,294 Director of Children's Services at the time, Louise Rees, 60, left in August before the trial began. Rees' LinkedIn profile boasts that she is now 'retired and loving it'.

Well, of course she is. She's a serial bolter, after all, as we now learn: 

The career civil servant also left her previous job at Stoke City Council, where she was the £140,000-a-year director of children and family services, a week before it too was lambasted for serious failings.

It's deja vu all over again, isn't it? 

Winning? I Think Not…

A teacher falsely accused of assaulting a pupil has won a landmark High Court ruling against the police for unlawful arrest.

Did they have a reason, or was this another ‘just following standard procedure’ case?

Mark Richardson was held in a police cell after an 11-year-old boy claimed the 39-year-old had punched him in the throat.

The heavy-handed police action came weeks after the alleged offence and after the boy’s parents said they did not wish to pursue the matter.

Furthermore the school said it would handle the matter internally and Mr Richardson, who voluntarily went to a police station to speak to officers, was adamant the claim was false.

Given that he was dealing with the monumentally-incompetent West Midland Police, you’d think he’d have known better…

A police spokesman said: ‘Following the court ruling West Midlands Police will launch an internal investigation into this matter to review the circumstances of the arrest and handling of the case.

‘Until this is completed it would be inappropriate to comment on today’s ruling or the case in question.’

They’ll have the last laugh, though:

Mr Richardson also wanted the police to be forced to destroy DNA samples, fingerprints and photographs taken from him during the arrest and to remove or amend his arrest entry on the Police National Computer.

The judge declined these requests, leaving any alteration of police records to West Midlands Police.

I guess now he’s won his case – and compensation – he can forget that…

West Midlands Police Trip Up Again

It seems when Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in 'The Sunday Telegraph' this year that there were 'no go areas' for Christians, he was right. But I bet he couldn't have dreamed that they'd be sanctioned by the authorities:

A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham. The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned.

Still, at least the ridiculous new legislation on religious crime can be put to some good use:

Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, both full-time evangelical ministers, have launched legal action against West Midlands Police, claiming the officer infringed their right to profess their religion.

But was there another agenda for this PCSO?

They said when the officer realised they were American, although both have lived in Britain for many years, he launched a tirade against President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Cunningham said: "I told him that this had nothing to do with the gospel we were preaching but he became very aggressive.

"He said we were in a Muslim area and were not allowed to spread our Christian message. He said we were committing a hate crime by telling the youths to leave Islam and said that he was going to take us to the police station."

A Muslim area...? That must be a new designation by Ordnance Survey. Wonder what the map symbol will be...?

Still, I'm sure WMP were quick to row back from this embarrasing incident?

Not exactly:

West Midlands Police, who refused to apologise, said the incident had been "fully investigated" and the officer would be given training in understanding hate crime and communication.

Oh, I think he understands hate crime all too well...

I Told You This Wouldn’t Stop, Didn’t I?

Residents in Bromsgrove and Rubery are being called to back a new campaign for a change in the law to protect police dogs on the front line.

Oh, really? How?

In the eyes of the law police dogs are considered as 'property' so anyone who attacked or killed one would only face a criminal damage charge - the same charge someone would receive for kicking a car.

Oh, wait. I see where this is going now.

Dave Hibbert, a West Midlands police puppy walker and the chairman of the Retired West Midlands Police Dog Benevolent Fund, has now launched an online Ministry of Justice petition. In total 100,000 signatures are needed before the matter can be taken to Parliament.

Mr Hibbert is calling for a change to the law so police dogs can be recognised as serving 'members' of the force, in the same way officers are.

Yes, it’s the demand for ‘first class status’ for service animals.

Your pet? Your neighbour’s farmyard animal? Second-class, and don’t you forget it!

Mr Hibbert said police dogs did a fantastic job protecting our communities on a daily basis.

"They are the first to be called in when dangerous situations occur and they often put themselves on the line to protect their fellow officers.

"One of my own puppies, police dog Usha, was once attacked with a glass bottle and there have been recent examples of other police dogs being assaulted by criminals too.

"There seems to be a growing trend of attacks on police dogs and horses and I feel now is the time to push for a law change recognising the sterling work police dogs do for their communities," he added.

Given the notorious laxness of the justice system when it comes to attacks on police officers, what real difference would this make? Other than to create yet another example of 'they are better than us' syndrome...

‘Stuck Professionals’..?

The case of Shahnaz Malik was recently raised by Counting Cats as yet another example of the SS getting it wrong, with damning newspaper headlines and doughty MP John Hemming involved in ensuring the disinfectant of sunlight gets shone on their actions.

The BBC couldn’t let that stand and are in full protection mode:

The headlines were not incorrect. Questions about a conversation on Caesareans between mother and child did crop up during police inquiries.

Implying that this was not the initial issue…

So, a Child Protection Plan - which places the child on what used to be known as the "at risk" register - for hugging a child and telling her about Caesareans?

I’m guessing the Beeb thinks no.

Good guess!

Well... "no", says the committee which reviewed her case.

And they’d have no reason to say that, would they?

By her own admission Ms Malik has suffered a strained relationship with Birmingham City Council Children's Social Care.

She made a complaint against a health visitor and refused to attend some meetings, including the one which put her daughter in the Child Protection Plan.

Refusal to co-operate with the authorities. That’s probably her first black mark.

Birmingham City Council refuses to discuss individual, ongoing cases, but in case documents seen by the BBC…

How fortuitous! Where did they get them from, I wonder?

… a GP reported the child was "unruly," adding Ms Malik did not intervene when the child misbehaved.

That’s a case for concern?

The police had better raid Tesco then; last time I was in there, a kid was throwing packages of sweets to the floor in an unruly tantrum, while mum chatted on her phone. Obviously, an unfit mother…

Nursery staff said the child expressed "very challenging behaviour" and swore.

And that’s unusual? Give me a break!

That’s cause for taking the kid out to cool down, even expelling him if it continues, but not for calling the SS. If it was, they’d be swamped!

In notes produced by the Child Protection Conference, West Midlands Police describe Ms Malik as "manipulative and overpowering" when making complaints about the nursery - complaints which were later dropped.

Ahh, West Midlands Police, butt of so many posts here. The force who, when a tv programme uncovered evidence of radicalisation of Muslims at a mosque, stepped in to take action…against the tv producer.

I think we can imagine what they’d make of a stroppy mother making accusations against the authorities, can’t we?

There are also concerns over the child's education, with Ms Malik saying she is not currently willing to put her child into a conventional school.

Aha! Yet another challenge to the authorities, and a particular bugbear at the moment.

But many people say the child is not in any serious danger, the concerns are minor and the council overcautious.

Indeed, Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, John Hemming, called the case "trivial," and Ms Malik rejects many of the allegations.

You know there’s a ‘But…’ coming, don’t you?

Behind the "nanny state versus victimised family" claims, the case is one of many which represent the tightrope care services increasingly feel they must walk when dealing with children.

And Birmingham City Council has more reason than most to be sensitive.

They aren’t walking any tightrope, though, are they?

They are goosestepping into people’s lives because they can’t cope with making decisions on the facts of the case – everything has to fit a template or a checklist.

Last month its children's services were savaged by a High Court Judge following the death of Khyra Ishaq.

So now, it’s action stations on anything and everything, even cases that bear no relation to that one.

Then, Birmingham was pilloried for not doing enough for Khyra. Now the same department risks being too interfering when death is not a threat.

Exactly!

Director for Children's Social Care at Birmingham City Council, Colin Tucker, said: "It can be a case of you're damned if you do and damned if you don't."

No, you’ll only be damned when you stop overreacting to the trivial cases and stop underreacting to the urgent cases. You know, make a decision. It’s what you are paid for, after all.

It’s hard not to look at this case and see it as the authorities making initial enquiries, being rebufed by smart, middle-class professionals and then deciding to hound them to the fullest extent of the law.

On Thursday Ms Malik's child was presented to police by her brother. In that instance the girl was allowed to return to her mother.

Note the implicit threat...

West Midlands Police have written to John Hemming MP to say they still have concerns Ms Malik may continue to avoid contact with social services and try to leave the country.

And why shouldn't she? She's a free woman, isn't she? Or is she..?

Meanwhile, Patrick Butler in 'CiF' looks at the incest case and concludes that this is a new phenomenon - that of the 'stuck professional':

It was not just the enormity of the crimes that went on within Family Q that astonishes; it is the length of time – 35 years – that they went unchallenged, despite the virtually uninterrupted involvement over that of period of 28 different welfare agencies and more than 100 safeguarding professionals.

I'd say it's pretty much a foregone conclusion, almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once it had passed through a few hands, who'd want to rock the boat? 'No-one else did anything, I don't want to stick my head above the parapet' would have gone the reasoning...

Despite the "quiet words" between professionals sharing private suspicions, no one took responsibility or action, and the family's grim narrative unfolded unimpeded, surviving successive policy initiatives and developments in child protection practice.

It matters not that the protocols and politics changed; the people did not.

Anyone looking for easy scapegoats will be disappointed by the SCR: it concludes that the staff in every agency involved, from police to social workers, were competent, experienced and qualified. They acted in good faith and were "concerned to play their part," the report says, and for the most part their work was "competent and consistent".

Everyone was competent. It's just that everyone was ineffective. Isn't this a basic failure of any large government-run organisation?

So what went wrong? The report identifies an intriguing concept: the "stuck professional." This describes a well-meaning practitioner who suspects incest or abuse, but becomes paralysed by indecision. They wait for clear evidence – charges, or a disclosure by the victim. They subcontract their professional judgment to others.

Or possibly, they lack that professional judgement in the first place, after many years ground down by bureacracy?

Doctors and police concluded no intervention was warranted, because geneticists could not prove abnormalities in babies born to Adult R's daughters were the result of incest.

Were any of those daughters underage? Did that not prompt action?

Petrified of the possible legal consequences of making an allegation of incest, perhaps even unable to face the horror of what was happening, the "stuck" safeguarding professionals diverted their energy into managing the consequences of the family's dysfunctionality: arranging multiple house moves, procuring equipment for the daughters' disabled children.

In other words, they were reduced to box-ticking as a coping mechanism...

The watchword in child protection post-baby P is "authoritative". Professionals in the case of Family Q were too tolerant, timid, indecisive, and unquestioning, the report concludes. Confronted by terrible misdeeds they lacked the confidence, maturity and authoritativeness to intervene.

And yet, they seem to have had no problems actingin the Shahnaz Malik case, despite little or no evidence of any issues.

Does the 'stuck professional' hypothesis explain it all? I think the answer must be 'No'.

Jonathan Yardley: Better Comedian Than Sir David Jason...

...but it didn’t stop him getting into trouble all the same:

It started with a presentation with members of the audience given a handset to allow them to select answers to questions flashed up on a screen.

A police authority worker who was acting as presenter then told them: "Let's start with an easy question to get us going: Press A if you're male or B if you're female."

One member of the audience in Wolverhamtpon responded by asking: "What if you're transgendered?"

Mr Yardley, a quantity surveyor, who is married with a 13 year old daughter, said: "I quipped that you could press A and B together. There was much laughter."

Bet you can guess what happened next....

Unbeknown to him there was a man dressed as a woman in the audience whose male partner had raised the question.

In other words, a member of the professionally-aggrieved just looking for an excuse. After all, there’s no reason for asking that question in the first place, is there? If they believe they are born into the wrong sex, they’ll be only too happy to vote as one of the distaff side.

This wasn’t a genuine question – this was a ‘Look at me! Look at ME! Pay attention to me!’ from the person eager to prove his credentials as one of the caring people.

Mr Yardley, Wolverhampton city council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods and safer communities, said: "Several days later a complaint of homophobia was made. I was asked to go to the local police station, questioned for two hours by a sergeant and an inspector and let off with a warning.

‘Homophobia’...? Who’s equalling transgender issues with homosexuality?

Are our oh-so-politically-correct plod not aware that they aren’t the same thing? Back to the diversity vats you go, plod!

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They explained the legal process and what had happened and how the complaint had been made and they said I could be subject to a civil prosecution.

"There are much more important issues that the police should be spending their time on. I have so much treouble with crime and anti-social behaviour in my ward. I'm not homophobic, I just said it as a joke. It's a sign of the times we live in, you can't make jokes any more."

Nope, you can’t. You just have to sit there quietly in your home, not smoking, drinking or eating red meat, not reading, watching only the news, and saying absolutely nothing to anyone else. At all. Ever.

That’ll keep you out of trouble in NuLab’s NuBritain. Well, as long as you have energy-efficient lightbulbs...

The WMP are fielding a crack team of PR flacks to make this latest embarrassment go away:

West Midlands Police have "strongly refuted" the version of events described by Mr Yardley during and after the meeting last October.

It disagreed with his assertion that the remark about transsexual people was met with general amusement, claiming it actually caused offence to members of the audience and provoked a complaint to the force.

We know it caused ‘offence’ to one member of the audience. Where’s your proof that people didn’t laugh as the man claimed...?

Chief Superintendent Richard Green, head of police in Wolverhampton West said:"The local sergeant had held meetings with the councillor before and after the one referred to. One of the many issues that were informally discussed included the matter he now refers to.

"At the time he thanked the officers for discussing the matter with him and the appropriate and proportionate way that they dealt with the matter. We are at a loss to understand why this has been raised now almost six months after the event.

So what..? Is there a statute of limitations on feeling aggrieved? If little Mr ‘Am I Arthur or Martha?’ had come to you with their complaint, would you have told them ‘Ooh, no, sorry, that was over six months ago, we can’t do anything about it now’?

I don’t think so....

"West Midlands Police would not wish the public to be left with the impression that this matter occupied a large amount of police time, as the contrary is true.

We spend our time successfully tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and arresting criminals, as the public quite rightly expects us to."

Mmmm, if you say so.

Because it seems to me you spend a hell of a lot of your time chasing down thought crime, ensuring the laws of free speech in this country work in favour of only one group, harassing journalists telling the truth about mosques and actively assisting criminals.

So I think 'the public' have your number, don't they? And it isn't '999'. Though if you were to turn it upside down...

Does Kahlid Mahmood Show His True Colours Here?

The disgusting violence in Birmingham at the weekend has been covered well by LfaT, Constantly Furious and Leg-Iron, so I won’t cover that ground. Laban has a good look at the history of such events in the past too.

But the follow-up might just play into New Labour’s hands nicely:

Police are today considering applying for injunctions barring troublemakers after 35 people were arrested following a city centre clash.

Which set of troublemakers does he mean, I wonder?

And why is he so sure that they travelled to Birmingham, rather than already being resident there?

Today Chief Inspector Mark Payne, from West Midlands Police, said there were 35 arrests, mainly for disorder.

Three people were injured and there were several reports of damage, including a car.

He said the force will consider applying for injunctions to stop troublemakers travelling to the West Midlands.

And what if some of them didn’t travel? What if some of them were from Birmingham?

"It is important to be aware that West Midlands Police have no powers to ban or stop peaceful protests and would not seek to do so.

"However, if criminal acts or racially aggravated incidents are reported, then police will arrest and prosecute anyone found to be responsible."

On both sides?

Today Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr, condemned both groups involved in the clash for putting innocent people at risk.

Well, that’s encouraging, at le…

Oh:

"I firmly believe in the right for people to protest but to do it peacefully. These people have shown they cannot do that so they shouldn't be given any licences to protest."

Hmmm, ‘licences’, eh? A slip of the tongue?

Or does he really believe that we need – or should need, maybe in future – licences from the government in order to protest?

"It's like banging your head against a wall and this is not a little crime."

Natasha says she contacted West Midlands Police straight after the incident and received a call back the following day.

"Someone rang me and we ended up in an argument as he wasn't bothered about the injuries," she said.

"I'd been attacked by this dog and he was talking about police resources - if this had been a child they might not have survived.

"Then I heard nothing after that and I kept chasing to get updates and then I went to Little Park Street station as it had been over a week.

"I was promised that someone would ring and no phone call came. So I rang them on Friday to ask what's going on and I keep getting passed from pillar to post and that dog is still out on the street."

Funny that they should worry themselves about police resources. They seem to waste enough of them themselves. Sometimes spectacularly.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We were made aware of a dog attacking another dog and its owner in Radford Road in Coventry just before 9pm on Monday, April 23.

"The attack is believed to have taken place just before 8.30pm that night.

"The 32-year-old woman sustained injuries to her hand and was treated at hospital. Her dog was also injured and required veterinary treatment.

"Enquiries remain on-going and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting crime reference 20CV/90589W/18."

Yes, I'm sure you're on the case.

Maybe divert some of the resources you expend on monitoring your Twitter account trying to head off the latest PR disaster on to walking a beat instead?

Police Spokesman:I, For One, Welcome Our New Muslim Overlords…

More than 200 cameras targeted at Muslim suburbs of Birmingham as part of a secret counter-terrorism initiative are to be dismantled, it emerged today.

‘Muslim suburbs’..?

The West Midlands police chief constable, Chris Sims, said he believed all cameras installed as part of the £3m surveillance initiative should be taken down to rebuild trust with local Muslims.

What happened to ‘nothing to hide, nothing to fear’?

In a statement, Sims said: "I believe that the support and the confidence of local communities in West Midlands police is the most important thing for us in the fight against crime and terrorism.

"We can fight crime and the threat posed by terrorism far more effectively by working hand in hand with local people, rather than alienating them through a technological solution which does not have broad community support."

And when did the police last worry about whether a solution (technological or not) have ‘broad community support’?

Today, a Birmingham council scrutiny committee released its own report, finding senior police officers guilty of "deliberately misleading" councillors over the purpose of the scheme.

Ah, of course. It couldn’t be that councillors sat back and let it happen, right?

There have been no resignations or disciplinary action…

Shocker…

No action is known to have been taken against the assistant chief constable Anil Patani, who had overall responsibility for the project.

I’d guess Patani is bullet-proof. Wouldn’t you?

I Think The Phrase Is: 'You're Bang To Rights, Son!'

Police chiefs facing scrutiny over a decision to ban fans of an Israeli football team from attending a match in Birmingham have insisted the move was not politically influenced. West Midlands police (WMP) leaders defended their position at the home affairs committee on Tuesday after being recalled to give further evidence over the decision to ban fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a Europa League match against Aston Villa on 6 November.

Just the WMP living down to their reputation, or something more sinister? 

Members of the home affairs committee on Tuesday recalled West Midlands police’s chief constable Craig Guildford, and commanders involved in the decision making, greeting parts of the force’s new testimony before them with outrage.Police said they had intelligence the Israeli fans would be the main perpetrators of trouble, a claim that is disputed.

The one thing guarenteed to irk politicians is when their pets in blue start lying to them. That's something they are free only to do to us, the public who are paying for them. 

The cross-party committee of MPs said parts of the intelligence gathering seemed “one sided”, inflating the threat Maccabi fans may have posed while underplaying the threat to them from those in Birmingham angered by Israel’s attacks on Gaza. They said the minutes from SAG meetings showed pressure coming from two councillors, who said that away fans should not attend the game.

And we can guess who those two councillors were. Or rather, what they were.

As intelligence was being gathered ahead of the game, one document contained claims locals in Birmingham might “arm” themselves.

'Locals' with good old Birmingham names? I suspect not. 

Guildford denied he or the police force were politically motivated to find evidence to justify the ban. “From everything that I’ve read, and the commanders that I spoke to, I do not believe that there was political influence on that decision. 

“Lots of local politicians and local members of the community I’m sure wanted to try and influence it, but I honestly don’t think it was influenced,” he told the committee.

You couldn't lie straight in bed, Guildford. Even if you were to be believed, and we were to accept that you honestly believe that, it makes you a disgrace to the uniform and a total liability due to extreme gullibility... 

Put The Dangerous Bitch Down...

A schoolboy had to have stitches in his leg after being mauled by a trainee police dog at a cop’s house on Christmas Day.

There's taking your work home, and then, there's this: 

Sergeant Fleur Tedshill, an experienced dog handler for West Midlands Police, had been looking after the training pup at her home in Brierley Hill, Birmingham.

The black dog, called Penny, was being trained by the police officer after her working police dog Snap retired.

Sgt Tedshill and her family had been celebrating Christmas Day when the attack on the boy took place. Penny has now been removed from the home and placed into West Midlands Police’s kennels, and will be reassessed.

What? I really think you should cut your losses, don't you? 

“We are still investigating this incident and the matter has been referred to our professional standards department, as is standard practice in incidents such as these.”

 I don't see any Bonio in your future...

Sounds About Right For West Midlands Police...

A machete-wielding thug attacked a mother's car while she was dropping her four-year-old daughter at school.

The woman, 23, said her family's car was attacked outside the gates of a school in Dudley, West Midlands, on Wednesday morning.

Shocking footage shows a man thrashing his weapon through the windscreen and onto the car bonnet at around 9.10am.

Well, at least the police will finally be able to do the job they are paid f..

Oh. 

The woman, whose partner was driving, claimed police failed to attend the scene despite four 999 calls from other parents and the school.

Perhaps they should have lied and said he wasn't wearing a mask? 

The culprits fled the scene, but the woman did manage to note down the number plate of the grey-coloured Mercedes van. However, she claims she didn't hear anything from the police after reporting the incident and was merely given a police log number.

She claims she called officers via the non-emergency number 101 to find out what was happening only to be told an officer would be in touch on Thursday.

Is anyone really surprised? Their lame excuse is that they were told the offender 'had fled' and there was 'no longer any danger'. 

And that's not the worst of it...

The woman said her partner was later pulled over by police officers due to the smashed window. He explained what had happened to officers, who she said were 'gobsmacked' and told him to get it fixed.

/facepalm 

The mum later said that an inspector had been in touch, following media inquiries, and an officer was due to take a statement on Wednesday night.

Ooh, a complaint got her a whole day knocked off the sluggish response!  

With Chief Constables Like These…

…it’s not surprising we have riots, is it?

A top police officer in the force investigating the deaths of three men who tried to defend shops during last week's riots has said looters should be shown compassion.

Chris Sims, chief constable of West Midlands Police, said that rioters in Birmingham had led difficult and 'tragic' lives, and should be dealt with in a 'pragmatic way'.

Yes, it just had to be the bright spark who ‘leads’ West Midlands Police, who must be the most dysfunctional force this side of Essex.

Speaking to councillors in the city he revealed that he had spoken to several youngsters arrested after last week's violent scenes.

He said: 'I spent Saturday evening in the custody block at Steelhouse Lane Police Station. There are tragic offenders as well as tragic victims.

'Young people who have been in care for most of their lives. We need to show some compassion and be pragmatic about how we deal with these people.'

I suppose we should count ourselves lucky he didn't follow the example of his force when dealing with the Channel Four documentary and insist his officers go and arrest some of the victims of the rioting!

To Protect And Serve…

The drama unfolded when seven caravans moved on to the historic site in the shadow of a 13th century church under cover of darkness after removing part of a wooden fence rail at its boundary.

Oooh, that’s surely criminal damage, isn’t it? Why were the police not fining them?

Still, one intrepid villager, perhaps with the Meriden community action in mind, decided he wasn’t going to just lie down for this.

Or rather, he was:

The pensioner lay down across the missing section as five more caravans arrived at the site yards from his home.

Bravo!

At one point the 70-year-old man was on the ground with his face almost touching the wheels of a truck towing a caravan which had stopped with its bumper over his head.

He’s got guts, I’ll say this for him.

But then someone called the police, and that’s when everything went to hell in a handcart:

The man, who didn't want to be identified for fear of reprisals, said: 'The police arrived and told me to move. I asked them for their inspector's name and they refused.

'Meanwhile, the travellers were threatening to come back and ''sort me out'' but the police did not act on that. I was so disgusted I went home.'

*sigh*

The caravans moved a short distance away while police guarded Yardley Old Park in Yardley, Birmingham. But after 30 minutes officers left, allowing the mainly Irish travellers access to the beauty spot which is bordered by the medieval Old Grammar School and Grade I listed St Edburgha's Church, which dates back some 800 years.

Oh, FFS..!

Tim Moon, 28, whose family home overlooks the 30-acre park, said police seemed 'more interested in keeping the traffic moving' than stopping more travellers from getting in.

He said: 'We heard a commotion and I saw this man lying across the pavement where the travellers had removed the fencing. Travellers were standing over him and gesturing for him to move. One man tried to drag him away by the feet.

'The caravans were blocking the road and traffic was backed up in both directions - the police seemed to just want to get the cars moving again.'

I expect it was a lot easier to bully one 70 year old pensioner than risk tackling a gang of people intent on trespass, who might have put in a complaint that their rights weren’t being respected...

Suzanne Lyons, 56, whose home overlooks the park, said: 'We needed help from the police but whilst there was a lot of finger wagging going on, there hasn't been much action.'

Same as it ever was…

Even the council didn’t get any further:

Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Eustace said the council had asked police to immediately remove the travellers as soon as it became aware of the problem last Friday, using powers to tackle trespassers, but officers had refused because in most instances it is considered a civil, rather than criminal offence.

Let’s hope the council bear this in mind when it comes time to tot up the budget for policing, eh? In fact, I'd make a point of totting up the bill for the clean up that will no doubt be incurred and reducing the policing budget by exactly that amount. Maybe then, they'll get the message.

Did the police have anything to say in their defence?

Superintendent Mick Gillick from West Midlands Police said officers advised the pensioner to move 'for his own safety'.

Probably correct. He wouldn’t want to end up as another Tomlinson…

Then we were treated to a fine display of ACPO-friendly jargon:

'Local officers are listening to residents and other stakeholders to ensure their concerns are recorded and investigated where necessary.'

FULL HOUSE!

Whoops, sorry, got carried away with the buzzword bingo there…

Note that none of those statements imply any responsibility by Supt Gillick to actually DO anything to resolve their problems. And by god, he’ll do anything to deny that there was a time when the police might have had the opportunity to do something…

He said around six caravans had entered the park from a second entrance before the pensioner's protest.

But residents said all caravans entered from the spot the man was attempting to guard.

Well, who are you going to trust?

The leading police blog has an article about the budget crisis affecting the issue of personal safety equipment. No doubt the people of Yardley might wonder why they should get exercised about that, when it seems the police in their area have plenty of ways to ensure they never need it....

OMFG! Deadly New Knife! Run For The Hills!!

Just in case people weren’t already aware of the threat of knife crime, the Met Police have decided to provide tabloids with even more headline articles by warning of ‘The Wasp’:

Senior police officers have been warned to look out for a new knife which can inject a ball of compressed gas into its victim that instantly freezes internal organs.

The 'wasp knife', which can deliver a ball of compressed gas capable of killing its victim at the press of a button, may be heading for Britain, the Metropolitan Police fear.

A needle in the tip of the blade shoots out the frozen ball of gas which instantly balloons to the size of a basketball, freezing organs.

The Metropolitan Police have told colleagues in the West Midlands to be on the lookout for the blade, which is designed to kill sharks and bears.

So, they must have evidence that these knives are in the country, then..? Well, no:

A source close to West Midlands Police said: "The Met is obviously concerned about this and that is why they have circulated the information.

"This knife will almost certainly kill and the Met must have intelligence that they are in circulation.

"I think it is only a matter of time before one of these is used because the internet makes it much easier to find and buy weapons like this."

Oh, the Internet! Is there anything it can’t do….?

So, if the Met has intelligence, let’s see it. Or are they just scaremongering? Perhaps they want funding to set up a new ‘Internet Knife Crime Monitoring Team’…

Of course, that doesn’t stop the usual rent-a-quote politicos from horning in to get their tuppence-worth of publicity:

Labour MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, Khalid Mahmood, said: "Weapons like this are absolutely disgraceful and there is no reason at all why people should be walking around the streets with them.”

Very true. But there’s also no evidence that people actually are walking around the streets with them either…

But then, ‘horrible knife not on streets of UK yet as far as we know’ isn’t going to sell any newspapers, is it….?

At Least One Part Of The Justice System Has Teeth...

A dangerous getaway driver who stole a high powered car may never drive again after he was bitten by a police dog following a high speed chase.

Who's a good dog then!

Shorthouse already had a dangerous driving conviction on his record (18 weeks suspended for 12 months) from February last year at the time of the offences.

He stole the Audi worth £38,000 from Warwick Parkway railway station between November 24 and November 26 last year. The owner returned to find the car gone, broken glass on the ground and a baby seat, which had been inside the Audi, placed on the bonnet of another car.

Shorthouse also stole a Ford Focus RS a few days later on November 29.

The justice system working as well as ever!

It's amazing no-one was killed by this waste of skin and his fellow thieves.

Timothy Sapwell, prosecuting, said CCTV showed the Audi driven by Shorthouse pull up at the garage and three people get out. They stole the Focus which was driven away 'in convoy' with the Audi. The Focus failed to stop in Groveley Lane, Birmingham, and police attempted to stop it. Two people left the Focus and climbed into the Audi, driven by the defendant.

Mr Sapwell described Shorthouse ramming a police vehicle. An officer suffered back pain as a result and it caused £1,500 of damage to the police car. The chase lasted 37 minutes and covered a distance of 30km. It involved officers from both West Mercia Police and West Midlands Police. Shorthouse drove at speeds of up to 100mph with typical speeds of between 70 and 80mph in 30mph roads.

"He failed to stop at roundabouts, t-junctions and traffic lights showing red, forcing other vehicles to take evasive action to avoid collisions" said Mr Sapwell.

Shorthouse also reversed to attempt to ram a pursuing police vehicle. Towards the end of the chase all the car's tyres were punctured, either by stingers deployed by police or by the manner of the driving itself.

Mr Sapwell added: "The car was boxed in by a police dog handler vehicle and a dog was set on the defendant to catch him. He received a bite from the dog."

I'm with one of the commenters - what a pity it let go!

James Bryce, defending, said: "He has always had an abiding interest in cars and speed.

"He started mixing with the wrong people and has become embroiled in this offence."

After the dog bite Mr Bryce said the defendant was on the operating table for two to three hours and had suffered significant ligament damage.

He said: "It could be that is a life long injury. He may not be able to drive again."

We can but hope, since the judge is considerably more toothless.

Judge Jim Tindal said: "Not only was the vehicle stolen, it was driven in a dangerous way." He jailed Shorthouse of Greenford Road, Birmingham, for 18 months and banned him from driving for three years. He must also complete an extended driving retest.

That'll teach him.

When ‘Round Up The Usual Suspects’ Becomes ‘Just Round Up The Nearest People’…

Police stormed a house in Hall Cut, Brightlingsea, arresting the group after a man was attacked in an alleyway outside Nathan Jalaudin’s 19th birthday party.

The victim, a 24-year-old, had been at the party until the early hours of Monday, June 4, when he went outside alone.

The group were shocked when he staggered back into the house minutes later with a puncture wound.

Seven people from the party, aged between 16 and 21, were arrested the next morning after police forced entry into the property.

But only briefly, you understand.

The brother and sister said since their arrests they have been verbally abused and received threatening phone calls.

Miss Jalaudin said: “We are not bad people. We haven’t done anything wrong.

“We have had people call us names in the street and phone calls to our home.

“The police haven’t apologised. We just got letters saying we had been released.

“Brightlingsea is a small town. Rumours get around fast.”

So, complain!

Mr Jalaudin, a music technology student at Colchester Institute, said they were considering lodging a formal complaint.

He said: “When the police came at 2am we told them we were his mates and hadn’t done it. Then I woke up to police everywhere. They smashed in our gate and front window.

“I’m relieved it’s over, but people still stare at me like I’m a criminal.”

It’s not even all rosy, either. Despite releasing them, their possessions are still in police custody.

The family’s gate was destroyed by the forced entry and the siblings said they will be seeking compensation.

The seven arrested have been told mobile phones and clothes confiscated during the arrest will not be returned until August 8.

Why? For forensic examination?

Was that the reason for the arrest in the first place, to gain access to these without having to ask?

An Essex Police spokesman, said: “Detectives have to take all reasonable action to investigate allegations of crimes.

“We cannot comment on specific incidents, but there is a process for complaints if they wish to make one.”

I think the definition of ‘reasonable’ shouldn’t be simply to make it easier for the state’s agents to do its job, frankly.

Especially when the consequences of arrest (DNA retention, overseas visa complications) are now potentially quite serious.

It's not just Essex Police either - West Midlands Police - no stranger to faux pas - were responsible for this appalling leap to judgement just the other day.

Yesterday, Derrick’s sister Angela, 46, revealed the family heard of the deaths first from friends who saw news reports. She said: “Our mum Brenda got calls saying ‘Your son is dead’ before she knew what had happened.”

Utterly disgraceful. And maybe if they weren't so concerned to arrest everyone in the immediate vicinity, they'd have spared a thought for the less-glamorous, but just as important, aspects of a murder investigation?

Like informing the next of kin?

Slow Learners...

West Midlands Police is beefing up its dangerous dog unit in response to a 12 per cent increase in attacks and offences in the last year.

Finally! They can start with their call handlers.

And an eye on the costs, too:

Officers are also taking action to speed up enforcement action to slash the £430,000 a year costs of keeping dogs in kennels before destroying them or sending them back to their owner.

Looks like someone has finally realised what I've been saying for a long time.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s board was also told that while animal cruelty is often seen as a low priority it often an indication of other criminal activity from domestic violence to organised gangs.

 What took them so long?

But offences involving banned fighting dog breeds - including the Japanese Toza, the Pit Bull Terrier - have fallen year on year down from 122 in 2016-17 to 91 last year.

 Why are there still cases? These things were supposed to be eradicated by this law.

Chief Inspector Dawn Miskella said: “Nationally there has been a correlation between organised crime and dangerous dogs offences. We often find we are dealing with dangerous dog type issues when we are dealing with other forms of criminality, for example if we execute a warrant at an address where we’d got drugs intelligence we would often find a certain type of dog at those addresses.”

There's little need for them if you're a law-abiding person, is there?