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A string of scandals and budget cuts have left police morale and public confidence at an "all time low", says the Police Minister. Damien Green said recent allegations involving the improper behaviour of the police have had a "really serious drag" on serving officers as well as harming public confidence in them. Speaking to Sky News, the minister said that despite complaints by the Police Federation that cuts are harming frontline officers, crime is falling. Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, added: "I talk to my officers and they’ll say absolutely, morale is low. Yet what I see, day in day out, is officers going to extraordinary lengths, working ridiculous hours, taking personal risks to try and serve the public." Home Secretary Theresa May, said: "The vast majority of police officers are out there and they are working with integrity and honesty, and doing the job that the public wants them to do.
Pray: for all serving police officers as they undertake increasingly demanding work. (2Ti.2:15)
More: http://news.sky.com/story/1112504/police-facing-serious-drag-on-morale
No police officer in Wales has been prosecuted for police corruption in the last four years despite scores of complaints .In Freedom of Information responses to questions from Plaid Cymru the four Welsh police forces disclosed none of their officers ended up in court after internal inquiries found them culpable. While three of the forces went as far as disciplining officers who had allegations upheld against them, Dyfed-Powys Police failed to take any action against officers.’ Between April 2008 and December of last year they recorded 80 allegations of improper disclosure, 36 allegations of corrupt practice and 141 allegations of irregularity in evidence/perjury. Only 16 were upheld. In answer to the question about what disciplinary action or criminal prosecutions have resulted from the upheld allegations, the force replied, ‘I can confirm that there is no information held by Dyfed-Powys Police. This is as a result of the fact that none of the ‘upheld’ allegations resulted in disciplinary action or criminal prosecutions.’
Pray: that the Police would not see themselves as above the law, may they see fit to discipline officers found guilty of wrongdoing, and may all that is hidden be revealed. (Is.5:1)
One of Britain's most senior police chiefs Sir Norman Bettison of West Yorkshire Police warned that Government spending cuts will leave officers unable to cope with a repeat of the riots that swept the country last year. He said the demand for forces to axe 20% from their budgets by 2015 will put public safety ‘in jeopardy’ and make policing widespread disorder virtually impossible. His fears were echoed by the chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, David Crompton who said minimising the impact on frontline services will become impossible if there are further cuts. 'At the moment we are keeping a lid on things and they are going in the right direction. That is a tribute to everyone in this force.’ Both forces ruled out privatising frontline services and following the example of Lincolnshire Police, which has signed a controversial £20 million contract with security firm G4S.
Pray: that God would give the Government wisdom as they utilise the diverse budgets at their disposal. (Pr.16:16)
A police chaplain says he was forced out of his post after criticising the Government’s plans for gay marriage on his personal website, MPs have been told. Rev Brian Ross said he was summoned to a meeting with a senior officer and told that postings on his blog on the subject of marriage did not fit with the force’s equality and diversity policies. Campaigners against same-sex marriage claimed that the case was “just the start of things to come”. They said it backed up warnings that chaplains in hospitals, prisons and the armed forces as well as teachers and other public servants could be dismissed legally from their jobs if they take what they consider to be a stand on grounds of conscience over the issue. Ministers have repeatedly insisted that no one should be sacked from their job for voicing opposition to same-sex marriage and have built in special “protections” for clerics into the Government’s Marriage Bill.
Pray: for Government to make their promises clear by acting to ensure no one should lose their job because of stating their point of view. (Jn.16:29)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9901134/Police-chaplain-forced-out-after-criticising-gay-marriage.html
Hayley Clayton spent a night in hospital with ten stitches to a serious head wound following an unprovoked attack. Three weeks later police told her they had found the culprit but would not prosecute because ‘it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money’. She was offered £100 and an apology from her attacker or have the offender cautioned by police. She found both offers unacceptable. She didn’t want the money she just wanted justice and the offender punished so she would learn the error of her ways and not go on to hurt somebody else. The compensation offer was increased to £150. She refused the offer. Last year 7,243 criminals with more than ten previous convictions only received a caution or warning for a serious offence. A spokesperson for the Centre for Crime Prevention said, ‘Most police have no confidence that serious repeat offenders will get a proper prison sentence if they go to court, so there is no point in going through all the paperwork.’
Pray: that the Ministry of Justice would clamp down more severely on simple cautions and short cuts to avoid paperwork. Pray for a justice system in which both the public and victims can have confidence. (Dt.27:19)
Police in Lancashire have told the owner of a Christian café to stop displaying Bible texts on a video screen, because it breaches public order laws. Officers attended the Salt & Light Coffee House on Layton Road, Blackpool, on Monday 19 September, following a complaint about ‘insulting’ and ‘homophobic’ material. The café’s owner, Mr Jamie Murray, says the officers did not specify which texts had caused the offence. The Bible texts are displayed on a TV screen at the back of the café. Mr Murray uses a set of DVDs called the Watchword Bible that cycle through the whole of the New Testament verse by verse. Mr Murray is being supported by The Christian Institute, a national charity that defends the religious liberty of Christians. There is widespread concern that the police are misusing the law to clamp down on words or material that others may find ‘insulting’. Civil rights groups worry about the impact on free speech.
Pray: for the police action in this case to be overturned in court as an infringement of free speech. (Pr.4:5)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/video-police-ban-bible-from-christian-cafe/
Speaking at a conference organised by Faith in Britain and the Metropolitan Police Service, Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe said, ‘There's no way that we can police this city alone - we have to do this with the people not to them.’ The conference came just ahead of the first anniversary of the riots that brought scenes of violence, arson and looting to the streets of London, Manchester and other parts of the UK. The Commissioner concluded by saying, ‘It can't be just about enforcement - it has to be about diversion, encouraging people to live a better life.’ Les Isaac, whose Ascension Trust has pioneered Street Pastors across the UK, challenged the Church to act. ‘If my gospel is just for Sunday morning it is absolutely useless, if it is just for heaven then it is not to be talked about. It starts here on earth in a very practical way.’
Pray: that this conversation will produce more ways in which the Church can help the Police's work tackling the many forms of disorder in society. (Ps.33:12-14)
More: http://w ww.eauk.org/current-affairs/politics/police-and-churches-partner-to-tackle-crime.cfm
David Davis hopes to overturn a ‘gross injustice’ against the former chief whip Andrew Mitchell over a confrontation with officers in Downing Street, stating the Police had been called into question by a series of recent revelations. Davis said the Police log has ‘very similar wording’ to two emails sent to an MP by a serving officer who claimed to have witnessed the incident. The MP handed the emails to No 10. The Police Officer has now admitted he was not present. The Police log and emails claimed the incident was witnessed by several people. CCTV footage shows only one member of the public witnessed the incident. Mitchell and Davis were refused permission by the Met commissioner to see the Police log and are relying on a newspaper version which Davis said, ‘If it is an accurate account of the Police log it would get torn to shreds in Court for what was clearly not true.’
Pray: for a fair enquiry that resolves this issue and for any hidden agendas to be revealed. (Ps.15)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/19/david-davis-police-andrew-mitchell
The Prime Minister has faced a backlash from Christian leaders after stating in his speech at the Conservative party conference that he backed legalising homosexual ‘marriage. Mr Cameron said in his speech: ‘We're consulting on legalising gay marriage. To anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment. His comments on homosexual ‘marriage’ were picked up on by a number of church leaders. The Most Rev Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, said: ‘Whilst we welcome the Prime Minister's support of marriage, the proposed redefinition of marriage cannot be right. Marriage by its very nature is between a man and a woman and it is the essential foundation of family life. The state should uphold this common understanding of marriage rather than attempting to change its meaning.’ A spokesman for the Church of England said ‘The Church’s view remains of marriage as the life-long union between a man and a woman.’
Pray: for Mr Cameron to recognise the dichotomy of his view and to ensure the Government’s positive support for heterosexual marriage. (Gen.1:27-28)
The head of Britain's largest Christian broadcaster has warned the Government that it would be ill-advised to ignore the rights of Christians. Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive of Premier Christian Radio, has written to the Prime Minister reminding him that the number of regular church attendees across Britain outnumbers the combined membership of the three main political parties by nearly 10 to one. ‘Politicians would do well to heed the views of Christians who are, quite clearly, more faithful to their beliefs than the dwindling numbers of party members,’ said Mr Kerridge in his letter. He said the attendance at the three main party conferences had been ‘embarrassingly low’ this season and that the ‘deserted conference halls’ were an accurate reflection of the declining membership of the three main parties from a total of around 1.4 million in 1991 to less than half a million in 2012.
Pray: that politicians would heed the rights of Christians and the power of the Church. (Ps.74:23)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/dont.ignore.christian.voters.pm.warned/30823.htm