Three charged for plot to murder Brown.
August 29, 2008
According to reports by The Telegraph, three British Muslims were charged for threatening to murder Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
A plot to assassinate Gordon Brown was foiled in time to prevent any harm. Ishaq Kanmi, a 22 year old youth, from Blackburn, Lancashire has been charged with soliciting murder and belonging to, or claiming to belong to Al Qaeda. The report goes on to mention that he is also facing charges for;
“inviting support for a proscribed organization and for disseminating terrorist publications.”
Abbas Iqbal, a 23 year old youth who is also from Blackburn, is charged with disseminating terrorist publications and also possession of an article for the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.
The third person to be charged for the same offence is Ilyas Iqbal a 21 year old youth. He is also charged for making a record of information likely to be useful by a person committing an act of terrorism
Two of the arrested men were preparing to leave the country at Manchester Airport when the arrest took place on 14th of August, while the third was arrested at work in Accrington, Lancashire.
A fourth was arrested on Tuesday morning in Blackburn. A fifth arrest is currently on the cards.
The timely culmination of an operation led by the Lancashire police, supported by officers from the Greater Manchester Police Counter Terrorism Unit led to the arrests, thus preventing the suspects from fleeing the country.
Home Secretary expresses commitment to further reductions in the crimes
July 17, 2008
The UK Home Office experts state that the figures for Police-recorded crime invariably mirror trends in falling crime as witnessed throughout the developed world. According to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, the government’s priority is building on what ‘we have achieved so that everyone feels improvement.’
Jacqui Smith added: “We are firmly committed to delivering further reductions in the crimes, which most concern people, particularly violence involving guns and knives.” She also acknowledged ‘knives are still being used in the most serious violent incidents’. The Youth Crime Action plan that has just been published is part of a wider, comprehensive package of measures for tackling the problem.
Serious violent crimes that involve a blade have earlier been bundled with other attacks. However, officers have recorded them separately since April last year in light of mounting public concern. Last year police recorded 22,151 offences that involved knives in England and Wales, comprising grievous bodily harm, woundings, robbery and attempted murder.
Prime Minister Gordon Mr Brown, speaking about the knife crime figures, stated he wanted to make carrying a blade as ‘unacceptable’ (just) as having a gun on the streets.
Police-recorded crime falls in England and Wales, latest data shows
July 17, 2008
Police-recorded crime fell almost 9 per cent in England and Wales in the 12 month period to March, according to the latest figures.
The just released statistics including the first ever reliable data for knife crime indicated there were nearly 22,000 offences last year. They also suggest that people generally still believe that the rate is going up even while the risk of being a victim is now at its lowest ever level.
The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, stated she was “extremely pleased” with the overall reduction in the police-recorded crime. The annual crime report for the year 2007-2008 reveals the longest recorded phase of falling crime - down 48 per cent from 1995. It shows there were around five million recorded crimes. All the main categories showed a fall. However, gun crime was up 2 per cent and murder was up 3 per cent.
Home Office experts state the figures indicate that most offences take place in hotspots. They are not evenly spread across England and Wales.
New plan for dealing with knife crime
July 11, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to defend his government’s plans to tackle knife crime that have been derided by the Liberal Democrats as “half-baked”. Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has already unveiled proposals for using shock tactics against all young offenders who are caught in possession of a knife.
Meanwhile, senior police officer Alf Hitchcock has given a call for ‘non-military national service’ for offending teenagers. He also stated knife crime victims as well as offenders were now getting younger.
The home secretary’s proposals for youth crime check in England and Wales are to be outlined in more depth and detail when the government unveils its youth crime plan. Ms Smith’s new proposals will mean that youths who are caught carrying knives will be made to go to accident/emergency wards, to witness the consequences of stabbings. They will be made to meet victims’ families as well as make prison visits to individuals convicted of knife offences. She stated: “I am (very) keen that we make people face up to the consequences.”