Daily News Summary
Monday, 14th July 2008
Main Stories
`Tactics against gangs fatally flawed - report'
A two year research study based on six gangs in an English city has concluded the government's tactics to tackle street violence are `fundamentally misinformed, frequently failing, and sometimes actively strengthen the gangs they target'. The report found the police mistakenly target individuals who, though gang members, aren't themselves engaged in criminal behaviour - thus driving them into gang membership and confirming the status of the gang. Other findings include that in general gangs are not tightly organised, do not specialise in dealing drugs and violence is not predominately provoked by turf wars; young people identified as crime perpetrators were often repeat victims who perceived the police and other agencies as offering little protection or help; and that gang's ethnic make-up tended to reflect that local area although `the media and police overwhelming focus on black gangs'. Gdn1-2
`Stop bickering and unite against knife crime, police chief tells the politicians'
Alf Hitchcock, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner who is devising a national knife crime strategy, has said whilst the police can reduce knife attacks in the short term, it is not able to offer long term solutions. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith also announced proposals to tackle knife crime including young people visiting knife victims in hospital, meeting prisoners in jail and visiting the families of knife crime victims. Additional powers for teachers to search pupils for drugs and alcohol are also reported. Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve called the plans `ill-thought-through' and called for custodial sentences for all knife crime and Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Hulme said American research shows the proposal would not work. Times6-7, Gdn8, DTel1 and all other papers. The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail claim prison is the only place for knife carriers, DTel23, DMail7. Leo McKinstry says national service is the answer. DExp12
`Call to ban magistrates from sending minor offenders to jail'
The Daily Telegraph reports on the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies briefing by Professor Carol Hedderman which argues the rise in the prison population is not due to more offences being brought to justice, but because minor offenders are receiving longer custody terms, DTel12. The briefing can be downloaded
here
Other stories
`Plans to merge police forces revived'
The Daily Telegraph reports the police green paper, to be published on Thursday, will include suggesting a `strong economic case' for police forces to voluntarily merge. DTel2
`Offenders in danger when travelling to meetings with social workers'
An inspection report for Southwark YOT in London has reported difficulties in young people attending appointments due to offices being located in areas where young people may have to cross rival gangs territory. It's reported probation services in Merseyside and the West Midlands have had similar problems.
Times7
`Young girls think self-harming is a normal way of managing stress'
A study of the attitudes of 10 -14 year old girls by the Mental Health Foundation and Girlguiding UK has found 40 per cent reported that they know people their age who have self-harmed. Times19, Gdn6 and others
`300 asylum seekers allege abuse by deporters'
The report `outsourcing abuse' by groups coordinating the legal and medical care for failed asylum seekers alleges 300 asylum seekers have been assaulted by the security firms contracted by the Home Office to deport them. The report sys this amounts to `state-sanctioned violence'. Ind16, DTel2
`State-backed clerics to give Islamic advice'
As part of the government's `Prevent' strategy for countering violent extremism, a panel of Islamic scholars will give advice on modern living. DTel8
`Terrorism convicts "eligible" for early release'
DTel12
`One in 8 British tourists is a crime victim'
DExp9
Letters, Comment, Editorial
`Tackling crime needs more logical sentences, free drugs and vocational schooling'
Series of letters. DTel23
`Is society really broken?'
The Times editorial on why David Cameron's pessimistic rhetoric should be resisted in tackling crime and poverty. Times2
`Tackling social exclusion through parental guidance and taxation'
Two letters in the Guardian. Gdn29
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These newspaper summaries are drawn up by staff at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. They are not intended to be comprehensive, or wholly uniform in their approach. Instead, they reflect our individual and collective perspectives on the day's coverage, including our judgements in terms of relevance to the Centre's concerns. On occasion, they also reflect the inevitable time constraints within which we work.
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