Latest news with #policing
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach backs Garda Commissioner after lack of clarity from minister
The Taoiseach has backed the Garda Commissioner days after the Justice Minister did not take an opportunity to express confidence in the policing chief. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan was asked about his contact with Commissioner Drew Harris over a series of disclosures and developments about how the service deals with matters around guns. Advertisement This included the storage of firearms at garda headquarters, defective gun holsters, and garda interactions with a man facing gun charges who later died by suicide. At a press conference, Mr O'Callaghan said he had confidence that An Garda Síochána was dealing with the matters correctly. However, he did not explicitly answer in the affirmative after being specifically asked if he had full confidence in Mr Harris. The minister said: 'I'm not the person who's there to supervise operationally what An Garda Síochána are doing.' Advertisement He added: 'I ask the Commissioner questions that are of concern to me, he gives me answers in respect to them, that communication is confidential. 'I have no difficulty in telling you the issues I raised with him, obviously what he says back to me is a confidential process.' His Fianna Fáil party leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, however, said the Commissioner had served with 'dedication and commitment'. Asked on Friday if he had confidence in Mr Harris, Mr Martin said: 'I have confidence in the Commissioner. Advertisement 'I think, he has served very diligently over a long number of years. 'His term has come to an end, and the process is on the way for replacement.' While further pressed as the press conference closed on whether the Justice Minister should apologise, the Taoiseach did not provide a reply. Mr Harris is due to retire on September 1, after the Cabinet agreed a two-month extension beyond an earlier end date of June 1. Advertisement
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald De Lucca Joins Advisory Board of Alternative Ballistics Corporation to Enhance Law Enforcement Growth Strategy
Las Vegas, Nevada, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alternative Ballistics Corporation, an innovative public safety technology company, is proud to announce that Donald De Lucca, former President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and a seasoned law enforcement executive, has joined the company's Advisory Board. Chief De Lucca brings over three decades of distinguished law enforcement experience, including leadership roles as Chief of Police for the cities of Doral, Golden Beach, and Miami Beach, Florida. He is currently a partner at V2 Global, where he leads domestic and international risk consulting and crisis management initiatives, in addition to heading the firm's Law Enforcement Advisory Group. Throughout his career, Chief De Lucca has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing law enforcement strategies, professional development, and community engagement. His tenure as the 104th President of the IACP - representing 33,000 police leaders in over 170 countries - underscores his global influence and dedication to modern policing. Under his leadership, agencies he commanded earned national recognition for implementing best practices from the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. 'I am honored to join the Advisory Board of Alternative Ballistics Corporation,' said Chief De Lucca. 'I believe deeply in the mission to provide law enforcement with tools that enhance officer and public safety while supporting responsible and effective use of force. The Company is advancing a critical innovation, and I look forward to helping guide its growth and impact.' Steve Luna, CEO of Alternative Ballistics Corporation, welcomed the appointment: 'Chief De Lucca's unmatched leadership and experience in policing, both in the U.S. and internationally, will be instrumental as we continue expanding our reach and delivering mission-critical technology to law enforcement agencies. We are excited to have his insight and guidance on our Advisory Board.' About Alternative Ballistics Corporation Alternative Ballistics Corporation ('ABC') produces The Alternative®, a patented less-lethal device designed to help law enforcement de-escalate potential lethal threats and reduce fatalities. The device attaches quickly to a service weapon and uses bullet capture technology to convert a live round into a non-penetrating impact projectile that can temporarily incapacitate an individual, allowing officers the opportunity to safely effect an arrest. It is intended for use when confronting non-compliant individuals who are in possession of a non-firearm weapon, oftentimes involving a person in crisis. After deployment, the firearm instantly reverts to standard use. A commercial version for civilian home-defense may also be available in the future. Forward-Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, we or our representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: our ability to advance the direction of the Company; our ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; and the competitive environment of our business. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Company Contact: info@ For Investor Inquiries, please contact: Hanover International, Cusumano, Presidentka@
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
Islamabad's first woman to lead men's police station takes on drug lords, land mafia
ISLAMABAD: Tucked amid the dust and bustle of Islamabad's fringes, the suburb of Phulgran has long been a magnet for trouble: drug dens, land-grabbing, and a loose grip on law and order. But now, it has something new: a phenomenon. In her blue uniform and a modest headscarf, Misbah Shahbaz quietly took charge in 2025 as Station House Officer (SHO) of Phulgran, Islamabad's first-ever female SHO at a general, or men's, police station. The post of SHO is one of the most visible and operationally significant leadership roles in Pakistan's police hierarchy, responsible for crime investigation, public safety, and station-level administration. Until now, female SHOs in Islamabad had only led women police stations. 'It's a historic decision, and I feel very proud,' Shahbaz told Arab News as she walked through a briefing with her team. Phulgran sits at the nexus of rural sprawl and urban ambition, where narcotics and land mafias thrive. Shahbaz's three-fold roadmap is simple: Clean up the drug trade, target land-grab networks, and raise the ethical bar in policing. Methodical yet unspoken in her stride, she is already tackling the tough territory: 'Drug trafficking is a major concern. I've already developed strategies … and God willing, you'll soon see the results.' Her academic résumé reads like an MBA case study: she holds a Master's and an MBA. But she insisted: 'I've always been drawn to the uniform … This was never about the degree, it was about a passion to serve.' Back in 2012, Shahbaz took one of the 87 Assistant Sub-Inspector slots based strictly on merit. And that was just the beginning of a journey in which she says her male colleagues largely treated her as an equal. 'I was lucky to have excellent mentors, all-male officers who treated me no differently,' she said. 'They taught me the finer points of investigation, from identifying subtle clues to interviewing techniques.' Today, when Shahbaz rolls through Phulgran in her official vehicle, residents pause. Men nod, women whisper encouragement and in the sidewalks, young girls see her, and absorb a message: you, too, can wear the badge. 'She's not less than any man,' a constable under her command said. 'In fact, she leads better.' TURNING TIDE? Let's zoom out: Pakistan's police force is staggeringly male. According to the National Police Bureau (NPB) and UN Women Pakistan as of 2023, only about 3.2 % of officers are women, just 15,509 women out of 489,645 total. And while Islamabad fares slightly better, with around 5% of women, most provinces hover at 1–4%. A mandatory 10 % quota exists but the officers actually recruited, trained, and retained are far fewer. In some provinces, it's under 1%. So, Shahbaz's promotion is more than symbolic. She's a breakthrough not just for Islamabad but for an entire force held back by gender disparity. With so few female officers, women are often reluctant to report crimes, especially those involving domestic or gender-based issues. Experts also say the absence of women in decision-making and field leadership reduces community trust in law enforcement. Female officers like Shahbaz could change that balance. And her rise isn't just a personal triumph. It's the latest clue in the slow shift in a system where less than 1 in 30 cops is a woman. As the police officer said: 'Islamabad Police already have a reputation for professionalism but I want to raise the bar so that every citizen feels heard and respected.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
PSNI ‘far more robust' in response to attacks on officers, warns Jon Boutcher
Northern Ireland's police chief has warned rioters that his officers will no longer stand and take the violence directed at them as he made clear there has been a 'shift' in responding to disorder under his watch. Jon Boutcher acknowledged there had previously been reluctance within the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deploy tactics such as baton rounds (AEPs) and water cannon due to concern among officers that they might be subject to complaints. He said that since last summer's race-related disturbances in the region, the PSNI was being 'far more proactive and robust' in response to attacks directed at them. Speaking to the media at an event at Stormont to highlight high levels of assaults against officers across all areas of policing, the chief constable also described as 'nuts' social media platforms that enable people to generate income from livestreaming disorder. There were multiple incidents of people livestreaming disorder in parts of Northern Ireland last week. Mr Boutcher said his officers had put themselves in harm's way to police the incidents, with 87 injured as a result. 'I have a duty to protect those officers,' he said. 'In the disturbances last August you will have seen a shift, we were far more proactive and robust in our tactics last August. And we are more robust again. 'And I will bring support in from policing (elsewhere) in the United Kingdom to ensure that we can police these disturbances until we've arrested all of those concerned. And we will arrest them. We will pursue them, we'll find them, we'll arrest them, we'll prosecute them, and we will put them in prison.' He added: 'I'll be very clear, I have no tolerance for assaults on police officers. And I think if you speak to the police officers here, they would be unequivocal in the fact that we use all the tactics available to us, whether that's AEP rounds, whether that's water cannon, but we do it proportionately. 'You've seen the footage of what these officers have faced – the masonry, the petrol bombs, the railings and axe (all thrown at them). We will not stand there and be assaulted. We'll defend ourselves. 'We'll take proactive measures to stop that, and we will go after them. And we'll put their images in the media, that wasn't happening. So we've released more images of people we want to arrest. 'Don't do it. Stop it. I will be very clear. I will not accept this. I will not accept it, but none of us should accept it. Nobody in society should accept this.' Mr Boutcher continued: 'So last year, last August, to be clear, when the disturbances started, I felt that, and I spoke to police officers, officers told me that they didn't feel supported, they stood there and took incoming missiles of all sorts of descriptions. 'There are a range of tactics available to them. They felt that here complaints are made against them for using those tactics in a way they're not made anywhere else. 'This is our police service. This is the line between keeping society safe and there being, you know, havoc in society, chaos in society. 'We will use all the tactics available to us to protect those officers and protect society. We will not stand there and take missiles in the way that I've seen occur before, unless we absolutely have to. We will be absolutely robust in dealing with people.' On the issue of livestreaming rioting, Mr Boutcher said: 'Much of the stuff that you see online, and there is so much of it, is from overseas. Most of it is from abroad. It's not from here. ' People who don't know Northern Ireland, they don't know Portadown, they don't know Ballymena, they're just getting on this almost crowd euphoria looking remotely. That's what's encouraging a lot of this behaviour. 'I was only told recently, the more looks or likes you get when you're filming these events, you get money on social media platforms. That's nuts. 'Don't go out anywhere near these disturbances and disorders. Stay away, because if you get caught up in it, it can change your lives forever. 'Whatever you think you can achieve in life will be seriously handicapped if you are arrested and prosecuted for these crimes that are being committed. Don't do it.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Non-crime hate incidents should be scrapped, says ‘anti-woke' police chief
Non-crime hate incidents have gone too far and should be scrapped, the head of Greater Manchester Police has said. Sir Stephen Watson said the policy had been introduced with good intentions but was now past its 'sell-by date'. He stressed it was not the job of the police to involve themselves in people's arguments, and said the collection of non-crime hate incident data had fuelled the accusations of two-tier policing. In a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, the Chief Constable, who was knighted in the King's recent birthday honours list, urged police forces to get back to basics in order to restore public trust and confidence. He also hit out at the impact human rights legislation was having on policing, saying it was not right that foreign criminals who 'fecklessly fathered children' could then avoid deportation by claiming the right to a family life. A non-crime hate incident is defined as an incident that falls short of being criminal but is perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person with a particular characteristic. Non-crime hate incidents were introduced in 2014 following recommendations made in the Macpherson Report into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence. They are intended to provide forces with an intelligence picture of community tensions and help them understand where problems might suddenly arise, but have often resulted in police intervening in social media spats, with critics claiming they have a chilling effect on free speech. There are also concerns that they serve as a distraction for stretched police officers, who would be better off concentrating on serious crime. Asked if he believed whether the policy of collecting non-crime hate incident data should be scrapped, Sir Stephen said: 'Simple answer – yes, I think it should. I think the policy has passed its sell-by date.' He said it was the 'antithesis' of doing the basics and was at odds with the public perception of what was right. Sir Stephen conceded that the policy was introduced so police could have a better understanding of vulnerable people in their communities. But he added: 'What it morphed into was pretty much anybody with a protected characteristic who perceived themselves to be a victim of an incident, because of that, was automatically recorded. I think that's a mistake, and I think it went too far.' Sir Stephen was also critical of the impact some areas of the Human Rights Act was having on policing and confidence in the justice system. He said: 'The Human Rights Act is part of the panoply of the legislative machinery within which we have to operate. And candidly, you know, as a police officer it is less helpful for me to pontificate on what the legislative framework should look like. It's simply observing what it is and faithfully serving it in the public interest. 'However, there are manifestations of the Human Rights Act, which I think impacts policing and society more generally, I mean classically, foreign national offenders and the ability to deport people. 'It seems to me that is entirely unhelpful, particularly when people are simply claiming on the basis of having, very often, fecklessly fathered the number of children in our country, that they somehow shouldn't be deported because they have the right to a family life. Well, I suspect most of the public beg to differ.' Greater Manchester Police was in special measures when Sir Stephen was appointed four years ago, but he has turned the force around thanks to a traditional, no-nonsense approach to policing. He said getting the basics correct was vital if police forces were to deliver what the public expected. He added: 'It's picking up the phone, it's getting to people. It's turning up looking like you can pull the skin off a rice pudding. 'It's about being smart, it's about being professional, it's about being compassionate, it's about being diligent. 'It's about understanding the law, and it's about demonstrating to the public that you care and you're hungry to help because they don't ring us because they want to talk to us, they ring us because bad things are happening in their lives, things that are causing them and their families great consternation. 'It's about recording all crime faithfully, it is about investigating every reasonable line of enquiry for a single crime, and it's about locking people up. And it's about doing all of this with vim and vigour to demonstrate to the public that we're there to be relied upon.'
