Police Salaries to Triple under Landmark reform

Moscow Times shows that Medvedev is still trying to do something about the rule of law in Russia. But as the officer quoted at the end of the article says "They will never allow cuts to the staff at central headquarters". Never seems to happen here either...or at least never for long

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" shouts Croxteth gunman after taxi driver blasted

Liverpool again. This one won't make the national dailies.

Liverpool Gangster shot dead in West Derby street execution

Liverpool continues to turn into Dodge City. Its all intertwined with children's football too. Presumably this will make the nationals eventually.

Real IRA may be planning fresh bombing campaign on the UK mainland

The comments from times readers are as depressing as usual. But remember there is a General Election on and seats at stake in Northern Ireland too. lets see what happens once this interminable campaign finally comes to some sort of result

Elite US Units Step up effort in Afghan City before attack

Preparations fo an offensive in Kandahar...and recognition that organised crime may be an obstacle to obtaining popular support from Afghans. Special Forces "taking out " insurgent leaders, but a huge suspicion that someone much higher up the tree needs to be removed too.

record number of "legal highs" detected across Europe

EMCDDA report lists 24 new drugs

Sex offenders win right to challenge lifetime place on sex offenders register

Same problem as terrorist blacklists. The UK Supreme Court finds it unlawful to have a system of criminalisation with no right of review. question: why is this a matter for the Home Office when we have a Ministry of Justice? The first of the 2010 finals papers starts here.

Five cleared over Leonardo painting plot

Three "not proven", two "not guilty" of one of the FBI's top ten world arts thefts. This relates to the previous post.

They called it "Stolen stuff Reunited" but their busines plan didnt foresee a criminal trial

The story of the stolen Leonardo...or is it? Not proven, m'lud. The Times tells a good story. At least the picture is safe. There will be books on this one. And lawsuits too.

Grey Crime Wave?

Your blogger has been attached to the title of "expert on grey crime" ever since he made a silly throwaway remark to an audience of retired folk in Exeter many years ago, without knowing the press were present. the following day the local headline was; OAP Crime Wave...and Ive never looked back. Please note the outrageous quip in this piece. it is not to be taken seriously...but it will be!

Boost for Labour as Home Office Figures Reveal Falling Crime Rate

It has been great to be away from the UK election! the crime rate has been falling for a while now, but you wouldnt know it from the redtops. It goes back to policies pioneered in Scotland after the safer Cities initiative of the 1980s, for any PhD students who want to research the stuff rather than make political points. Unfotunately, we still arent sure which particular one of these policies works, because...we didnt get round to evaluating them as they were introduced! o tempora, o mores, Oh dear I'm back in the UK.

Return of the Blogger

No link from the title today. Just to tell you that I have returned from a visit to South East Asia, studying the Redshirts in Thailand, the border scams on the Thai-Cambodia border and discovering that the Buddhist festival of Songkran as celebrated in Luang Prabang is a two-day water fight. I will be bringing stories from my adventures in organised crime research to you as I find official versions of them when I rearch them on my return to Exeter.