Latest news with #probation
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Convenience store robbed in Sarnia, one person facing charges
A convenience store robbery has led to charges for a man in Sarnia. Police say the incident happened just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday at a store on Indian Road at Confederation Street. A man entered the store and allegedly demanded money from the cash register. An unidentifiable object was seen in his hand, and police say the suspect chased the clerk around the store before the clerk locked himself in another room to wait for police. Officers searched the area and found the suspect on Borden Street and placed him under arrest. When police searched him, they said they found a makeshift weapon that had been brandished during the robbery. The accused, a 28-year-old man of no fixed address, was also subject to two probation orders at the time of this offence. He has been charged with robbery, 'wear disguise,' and two counts of breach of probation.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Lethbridge police officer pleads guilty to assault, given conditional discharge
A Lethbridge Police Service cruiser is seen in a stock photo. The Lethbridge Police Service says an officer who plead guilty to assault in connection with an on-duty incident has been conditionally discharged. The assault occurred in the LPS short-term holding facility on May 10, 2023. Police say a physical altercation happened while a male prisoner was being booked into cells, but no one was injured. Chris Stock, a 23-year member, also faces one year of probation. 'A conditional discharge means a finding of guilt is made, but no conviction is entered,' LPS explained in a Tuesday news release. 'Upon completion of the probationary period the discharge is removed from the individual's record after a set time.' An internal investigation into the incident is under way.
Sky News
4 days ago
- Sky News
'My job has made me cry and feel anxious - but I genuinely believe we make a difference': Life as a probation officer
If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, our Money team speaks to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like. This week we chat to senior probation officer Sam Gildersleeve... The starting salary depends on your role... To become a probation officer, you need to complete the trainee probation officer programme, known as the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP). The starting salary for a PQiP is £26,475 (or £30,724 with the London weighting of £4,249). Once qualified, your salary rises to £35,130. With experience, you can apply for promotion to a senior probation officer role. The PQiP programme... combines classroom learning with hands-on experience in the role. You're paid while you train, and you receive protected study time. Depending on your qualifications, the programme can take 15, 21 or 27 months. Once qualified, you'll be registered as a probation officer and added to the Probation Professional Register. This recognises your competence in managing risk and supporting rehabilitation with the right knowledge, skills, and professionalism. There are also many other roles... within the probation service, including probation services officers, victim liaison officers, programme facilitators, unpaid work supervisors, case administrators, receptionists, and staff working in approved premises and prisons. I manage a team of 13 staff... including probation officers and probation support officers. I'm responsible for overseeing risk management and ensuring we work closely with partner agencies like children's services, the police, mental health teams, housing providers, and prisons to manage risk effectively. A big part of my role involves performance management and providing supervision to my team - helping them reflect on their caseloads and professional development. I really enjoy supporting my team to grow in confidence and ability. Our team currently oversees... more than 400 people on probation. I work 37 hours a week... Monday to Friday. I'm not personally on call, although some senior probation officers provide out-of-hours cover for approved premises. As a probation officer, you may work later in the evening to accommodate people on probation who are working during the day. The camaraderie really depends on... the day - some days are busier than others. But we do socialise as a team, especially for birthdays or celebrations. We work in a challenging environment, but the support and humour within the team make a real difference. I haven't made any solid plans to retire... I still feel too young to think seriously about retirement! I'd like to keep working as long as I can, maybe part-time eventually. We're part of the Local Government Pension Scheme, which is a great benefit. The employer contributes 26.5%, and I contribute 6.5%. It's a very generous scheme and gives peace of mind for the future. I n terms of perks... we get between 25 and 30 days paid annual leave a year, according to length of service, if you are a full-time employee. We're eligible for a Blue Light Card, which gives you discounts at loads of places. You can also win free tickets to events. We have access to wellbeing and counselling services, free physiotherapy (which really helped when I ran the London Marathon), health MOTs, eye care vouchers, and MoJ rewards like free drinks from Cafe Nero or Greggs. There are probably perks I haven't even discovered yet. I haven't ever felt scared... but occasionally I feel anxious - which I think is healthy. You're often meeting people in challenging situations, so being cautious and prepared is important. I always treat people with respect, explain the purpose of appointments clearly, and listen. That often diffuses tension. The scariest situation was when... a person on probation with complex mental health needs, homelessness, and substance misuse became very aggressive when I asked him to complete a drug test - a condition of his licence. He threw a bottle and became verbally threatening, and was asked to leave. He later waited outside the office for me. It was frightening, but I was fully supported by my manager, who arranged a safe journey home and provided a personal alarm. The incident was reported to police, and safety measures were put in place. I was reassured and able to carry on with my job. Of course there are days when I don't want to go in... just like any job. But I do really enjoy my role. It's busy and at times intense, but I genuinely believe in the service and what we do. That belief keeps me motivated. The most rewarding part of my job now is... seeing my team develop and succeed. But when I was a probation officer, it was supporting people to change. I worked with a young man involved in drug dealing after being groomed by a gang. On release from prison, we built a personalised risk management plan together. He was housed safely and found a job, away from his old contacts. Over time, he grew in confidence and completed his sentence without being recalled for the first time. At his final appointment, he simply said: "Thanks for believing in me." That meant everything. Most people don't really know... what a probation officer does. They're usually curious and interested, and often say: "I couldn't do that." I'm always happy to explain the role and share how much good the service does. The biggest misconception is... that we're just there to befriend people on probation. People don't see the behind-the-scenes work to manage risk and protect the public. Probation is often invisible in the media - unlike the police, courts, or prisons. There's no TV drama or documentary that really captures what we do. Maybe there should be! The job can be... unpredictable. Things crop up that can change your day. But the team is incredibly supportive. People always help each other out when needed, which makes a big difference. The job has made me cry... though, it's rare and usually depends on the situation. While I have cried before, I don't see this as a weakness, and it was mostly due to frustration at feeling that perhaps I wish there was more that I could do to help an individual. We're all human, and that's part of caring about the work we do. There is a great support network within the probation service, mainly from colleagues that are always willing to support. One moment that stands out is... when I was working with a young man involved in domestic abuse. He reflected on how his actions had wider impacts - the "ripple effect.". Later, he told me he'd felt angry during an argument but remembered our conversations and chose to walk away and kick a football instead. That insight and self-control showed real progress. The reason people reoffend varies but... common reasons include a lack of stability, poor housing, unemployment, substance misuse, mental health issues, and limited support networks. It's rarely just one issue. This role is for people who are... resilient, empathetic, and curious. You'll face complex, often challenging situations, and need to make decisions that affect lives and protect the public. No two days are the same. You'll work with people at their lowest points, and will need to build trust to help them change. The probation service values... diversity. We want to reflect the communities we serve. If you bring life experience, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to learn, this could be the career for you. Visit our website to find out more - and who knows, maybe I'll meet you one day!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Charges reduced in Levittown attempted luring case
A former Levittown man has been sentenced to probation for offering a child a ride in his truck earlier this year. Gene Louis Martin, 54, pleaded guilty last month in Bucks County Common Pleas Court to misdemeanor charges of harassment and disorderly conduct in the January 16 incident. Bucks County Judge Raymond McHugh accepted the negotiated plea, which dropped a felony charge in what was originally charged as an attempted luring, and sentenced Martin to serve 12 months of probation with supervision transferred to Maryland, where he is now living. Subscriber exclusive story We review the unreleased Falls financial plan to fill $22M budget gap when landfill closes Police charged Martin after an 11-year-old boy walking on Pebble Lane in Falls said that Martin stopped his pickup truck beside him and offered him a ride. The boy ran home and his parents called police. Police reviewed surveillance videos showing the vehicle, which was later located in the driveway of a home on Nearwood Lane in Falls. Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@ This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County judge sentences man arrested for offering a child a ride
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Barry Spooner: Staff 'not curious enough' about woman who killed
Probation staff dealing with a woman who befriended a man she later murdered were "insufficiently curious", a coroner has Spooner, 74, was found dead at his home on Gladstone Street, in the Forest Fields area of Nottingham, on 7 June Hansford, from Coalville, pleaded guilty to his murder, and was sentenced to life in prison on 4 December Tuesday an inquest at Nottingham Coroner's Court found Mr Spooner was unlawfully killed. The court heard Hansford was jailed in 2019 after extorting money from her grandfather "in order to fund her chronic substance misuse".On her release the following year she was deemed by probation service staff to present a high risk to her grandfather, and a medium risk to the general public, and she soon struck up a friendship with Mr had told a member of probation staff she had moved in with him, and the inquest was told police were called to his address on numerous occasions for incidents including reports of threats of violence and theft.A number of public protection notices (PPNs) - a document police use and share to record safeguarding concerns about an individual - had been made after visits, but not all the incidents were acted upon. In the days before his body was found agencies had attended the property due to concerns for Mr Spooner, but Hansford told them that he was his body was found on 7 June it was discovered in a state of decomposition, which the court heard suggested he had been murdered weeks a conclusion of unlawful killing, assistant coroner Nathanael Hartley said there was "a lack of information sharing" between probation services and police over Hansford."I find that probation practitioners were insufficiently curious about [Hansford's] living arrangements," he said."Nobody contacted [Mr Spooner], probably because they were too focused on [her] offending-related needs."Mr Hartley said the lack of curiosity had been recognised by the probation service, which has since made changes to the way it records and assesses PPNs, adding Nottinghamshire Police has used it as a "case in training" exercise for the inquest's conclusion, Det Supt Paul Lefford from Nottinghamshire Police said the force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct to review its previous contact with Mr said they had accepted both recommendations regarding reviewing information around PPNs, and paid tribute to the deceased's family."They have been through a horrendous ordeal and have shown considerable courage and dignity throughout the legal process," he Ministry of Justice declined to comment.
