Latest news with #Policing
Scoop
4 days ago
- Scoop
Police Urge Caution On The Roads This Holiday Weekend
Police are reminding road users that there will be zero tolerance for unsafe driving this Matariki Weekend. 'There was an unacceptable number of road deaths over King's Birthday weekend, and we don't want a repeat of that this weekend. If you are driving in a way that puts your own, or someone else's, safety at risk, expect there to be consequences,' says Director Road Policing, Superintendent Steve Greally. 'We have zero tolerance for selfish drivers gambling with other people's lives.' Emergency services see first-hand the devastation that dangerous road behaviours cause, and the harm doesn't end at the scene. 'One of the hardest parts of our job is knocking on a door in the middle of the night to tell a family that their loved one isn't coming home,' Superintendent Greally says. 'Matariki is a time for families to come together and be with each other – please don't do anything which would prevent that from happening.' Police will be out on the country's roads in increased numbers this weekend, with the clear intention to stop and prevent unsafe driving behaviour, day and night. Our officers and road safety partners are undertaking a large amount of work to ensure the safety of everyone on our roads. Many of us make long journeys over long weekends. We know that tired drivers make mistakes, so take regular breaks and split the driving with someone if you can. Having your seatbelt on, driving to the conditions and not being distracted while driving can be the difference in walking away from a crash or being seriously injured or worse. Information on holiday road toll periods can be found here: Safety — Road deaths | Ministry of Transport [1].
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Labour MPs call for abortion to be decriminalised in Scotland after vote at Westminster
EXCLUSIVE: Lillian Jones and Joani Reid have urged the Scottish Government to make sure no woman is prosecuted for having an abortion. Labour MPs have called for the decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland after MPs voted on the issue south of the border. Lillian Jones and Joani Reid have urged the Scottish Government to make sure no woman is prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy. MPs considered an amendment to the Crime and Policing bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday, although it only applied to England and Wales. Kilmarnock and Loudon MP Jones said: "I fully support Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment, this is about women's choice and self determination. "No woman should face prosecution for making deeply personal decisions about her own body. This is about protecting women from outdated laws that criminalise them instead of offering care and compassion. "Every woman deserves the right to choose without fear of a police investigation or a courtroom. "I hope the Scottish Parliament will follow suit and bring forward similar reforms so that women in Scotland are equally protected under the law." The Scottish Government has set up an expert group to review the law on abortion and advise on whether it should be changed. The group will report next year. Abortion is permitted up to the 24th week of a pregnancy in the UK, but there are concerns that women in Scotland can only have a termination here after 20 weeks in cases where there is either a foetal abnormality or the woman's life is at risk. East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Reid said: 'Unlike in England there is no law criminalising abortion in Scotland. It's an offence created by the courts alone north of the border, but it's one that the Scottish parliament can legislate to abolish. 'Of course I know why many people are concerned that ending the prospect of women being criminalised for having an abortion risks inadvertently encouraging a handful of individuals to mistakenly believe they can flout the law concerning late-term terminations. 'There is a balance of risks, and I think that the greater injustice is the thought of our police, our prosecution services, and our courts relentlessly pursuing women who have had an abortion and women who, through error, misunderstanding, or sheer desperation, find themselves accused of a crime they scarcely knew existed. 'It's not a party matter and I hope MSPs of all parties will come together to end the criminalisation of these vulnerable women.' Welsh Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment would 'remove the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment' of any woman who acts in relation to her own pregnancy in England and Wales She said the cases of women investigated by police had motivated her to advocate for a change in the law. Her amendment will not change time limits for abortion or the regulation of services but it 'decriminalises women accused of ending their own pregnancies'. It would take them out of the criminal justice system 'so they can get the help and support they need'. Her amendment is supported by abortion providers including MSI Reproductive Choices and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) as well as the the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). MPs had a free vote on the issue as it was seen as a matter of conscience. This meant they could take their own view rather than what the party wants. Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: 'The Scottish Government believes that all women should have access to abortion services should they require them. 'An Expert Group was established in August 2024 and will provide recommendations based on a thorough assessment of the current legal framework on abortion. 'This review covers all aspects of the current law relating to abortion, rather than just criminal offences, to ensure that any future proposals consider major shifts in clinical practice since 1967. 'It will therefore be important to ensure careful consideration of the Group's recommendations. We will need to wait for the outcomes of this review before considering changes to abortion law.'
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
FBI tipped off gardai to Carlow shooter's attempts to buy guns on dark web as fresh controlled delivery details emerge
GARDAI carried out a controlled delivery of firearms to Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald after being tipped off by the FBI about attempts to buy them on the dark web. Senior sources told the Irish Sun that Advertisement Fitzgerald He Labour's Alan Kelly this week raised questions over the 'proportionality' of the He asked if they could have looked at alternative interventions given Fitzgerald was not involved in organised crime and had 'some issues.' Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS It followed a €2,700 payment being allegedly paid over for the acquisition of firearms and ammo. Controlled delivery is a common methodology used by police forces worldwide. It sees a handover of illicit items to a suspect, who has sought to get them, by an undercover police officer. Advertisement Most read in Irish News A senior source said: 'Gardai were correct to act in the initial case last year and act on information passed to them. 'Controlled delivery is a very common method used by police forces worldwide.' Man walked through Carlow shopping centre firing into air before being confronted by cops as crowds ran from scene In a statement on the matter, a spokesperson said: 'An Garda Siochana is precluded by law from commenting on protected disclosures. "An Garda Siochana does not comment on matters before the courts. Advertisement "In general and without commenting on any specific case, An Garda Siochana use a range of internationally recognised investigative techniques when tackling serious crimes such as the sale and supply of drugs and procuring of firearms, either of which could then be used to cause significant harm to the public. "One of these is controlled deliveries. In controlled deliveries if any material is used it is made safe by the law enforcement agency before being used, ie firearms are deactivated. 'ALLEGATIONS REFERRED' "Following these allegations being published by a national newspaper in May 2025, the Garda Commissioner referred these allegations to Fiosru for independent examination in line with the 'incidents of concern' provision in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, and relevant material was provided. "As stated by the Commissioner, Fiosru has informed An Garda Siochana that it would not be taking any further action on the matter. Advertisement "The individual involved was charged following independent evaluation of the Garda investigation by the Director of Public Prosecutions.' During Fitzgerald's first court appearance, gardai initially objected to his bail but then acceded to it under strict conditions which the accused had stuck to until the day of taking his own Another source explained that Fitzgerald did not have any criminal history, which made it difficult to prevent him from getting bail when charged last year. 'NUMBER OF FACTORS' This source added: 'There are a number of factors that the gardai could object under, such as being a flight risk, interference of witnesses or the risk of committing a serious offence while on bail or the seriousness of the alleged crimes. Advertisement 'But this all has to be backed up by examples and facts. "The fact is that this man had no criminal history whatsoever to back up any such concerns.' The Irish Sun last week revealed how cops probing Fitzgerald's death seized a USB stick found taped to his friend's bedroom window. They are now examining its contents in a bid to get answers behind his actions. Advertisement 1 Gardai were tipped off by the FBI after Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald tried to buy guns on the dark web Credit: GARDA
National Post
30-05-2025
- General
- National Post
Chris Selley: Is Sir John A. Macdonald being set up for a fall?
All eyes will be on Toronto later this summer — or they should be, because it could be darkly hilarious. That's when Queen's Park undertakes a bold, interdisciplinary experiment in Canadian history, policing and law: The province is going to let Sir John A. Macdonald's statue out of the plywood prison it has inhabited for five years. The monument had been restored after previous vandalism, only to find itself in a box to prevent future vandalism. Article content Article content Article content It is possible, as National Post's Tristin Hopper argued this week, that we may be seeing the end of 'Canada's nationwide purge of historic figures and names' — at least by governments themselves. That'd be nice. But has anyone asked the yobbos who vandalize and tear down statues if they're done with the purge? Article content Article content 'How are you going to stop the same thing from happening all over again?' was among the questions reporters asked of the people in charge. The answer wasn't entirely convincing. Article content 'Legislative security will be keeping a close eye on it,' The Canadian Press assured us, based on speaker of the legislature Donna Skelly's remarks. Legislative security and the Ontario Provincial Police, who patrol the legislature grounds (with assistance from the Toronto Police Service), had better be keeping a close eye on it, because Skelly even invited the Macdonald-haters to come to the as-yet-unscheduled unveiling. Article content 'People have the right to protest here. As long as no one is hurt, and you don't break the rules or the law, you're welcome,' said Skelly (a Progressive Conservative MPP), before taking it even further: 'This is where you should be protesting.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Of course, it's unlikely anyone would try to splatter, behead or topple Macdonald during an official event. So one hopes the Queen's Park security aces at least have a camera or two trained on the statue, if not to actually prevent any vandalism then at least to apprehend and charge the offenders. Article content But then, this is a city where a certain traffic speed-enforcement camera has been taken down five times by vandals in six months — and in one case, subsequently thrown in a pond — and apparently no one has thought to install a camera that might record people doing it. We are not imaginative people. Article content Montreal police never found the gang that beheaded Macdonald's statue in Place du Canada in 2020; instead, the city just decided not to reinstall it, since it was constantly getting vandalized. Problem solved! Why waste police time over some old dead bronze guy? Article content In 2021, something calling itself an Indigenous Unity Rally hauled down the statue of Macdonald in Gore Park in Hamilton, Ont. City police investigated in earnest, by the sounds of it, and laid charges against a 56-year-old suspect. Then, prosecutors stayed the charges.
ITV News
21-05-2025
- ITV News
Southport survivor Leanne Lucas launches 'Let's be Blunt' campaign for ban on pointed knives
Leanne Lucas is calling for a ban on pointed knives and says 'we must continue to talk about knife crime' A yoga teacher who survived the Southport attack says "evil will not win", as she launches her campaign for safer knives. Leanne Lucas managed to get several children to safety in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024, despite being stabbed several times. Leanne has partnered with the Ben Kinsella Trust for the 'Let's be Blunt' campaign, calling for people to swap to blunted knives, instead of ones with pointed tips. The teacher is heading to Westminster to call on MPs to endorse the campaign, saying the damage and "misery she saw caused by knives must never be repeated". Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Leanne said she the horrific events in Southport "changed her life forever". Leanne was critically injured in the attack on 29 July 2024, and three children - Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King - were killed. She said she hasn't been able to use a kitchen knife since the attack. Leanne said: "I think being introduced to the blunt tip knives has been a step forward for me in my journey, as well as being able to speak about it publicly to help everybody else. "There has to be something that comes out of this, there has to be change." Patrick Green, from the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: "With blunted knives we're removing the opportunity, the impulsivity. "Blunted knives would make things safer for everyone, and it's something the public can adopt right now. "We don't need to wait for legislation, I expect a lot of people don't know that you can actually buy these knives now." The 'Let's be Blunt' campaign is being unveiled at a Knife Crime Awareness Week parliamentary reception on Wednesday, 21 May, where Leanne will speak alongside the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson. Knife Crime Awareness Week, which runs from 19–25 May, is organised by the Ben Kinsella Trust, a knife crime prevention charity. Leanne told Good Morning Britain: "We can't change what happened. "But if we can do anything, so people don't feel the way I feel, the way the families feel, then we will continue to talk about this. "We need to talk about knife crime and how we can keep people safe. "If everyone plays a tiny part in tackling this, we can make a massive change."
