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Public Questions – Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel – July 2014
I’ve submitted some questions for the public questions slot at the Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Panel in July 2014. In the interests of transparency, I’m publishing them here. The questions are circulated to all panel members so they’re an opportunity to get matters in-front of all the panel members and perhaps urge them to act […]
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IPCC Says Police and Crime Commissioners Should Review Police TASER Use
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is today recommending that Police and Crime Commissioners take a more active role in overseeing their force’s use of TASER weapons. One of the recommendations in the IPCC report titled “IPCC review of Taser complaints and incidents” states: The frequency and type of Taser use, and its justification on each […]
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Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill
Today MPs are considering the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill 2014-15 which is being rushed through the House of Commons in a single day. The Bill has been brought in following a judgement of the European Court of Justice on 8 April 2011 which ruled invalid the EU Electronic communications — Directive 2006/24/EC which […]
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Cllr Ian Manning Threatens to Blackmail Tesco Over Contribution to Chesterton High Street Improvements
I observed Cambridge’s North Area Committee on Thursday the 3rd of July 2014. One of the items on the agenda was the consideration of various environmental improvement schemes for the area. One proposal was to improve the area in-front of the Tesco mini-supermarket on High-Street Chesterton. This is one of my local shops and I’ve […]
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Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel – June 2014
Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Panel is due to meet, in Peterborough City Council’s council chamber, at 2pm on Thursday the 19th of June. These are some of my notes and comments in advance of the meeting, following the published agenda. The meeting date, and location, has changed since that agreed by the panel at its […]
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Police and Crime Commissioner Commissions Survey on When People Report Crime
Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright has commissioned Cambridgeshire County Council to run a research project on the ‘under reporting of crime’. As part of this work a public survey has been launched, which is available at: https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=139992116233 I think our Police and Crime Commissioner is tackling an important issue here. When I see […]
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Proposed Make-up of Cambridge City Council Scrutiny Committee Amended Following Tweet
The proposed make-up of one of Cambridge City Council’s scrutiny committees has been changed following one of my tweets. Cambridge City Council’s Civic Affairs Committee is due to meet at 6pm this evening. Earlier today I tweeted a number of observations on the published agenda and papers, including: What housing role will new Community Services […]
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Jimmy’s Emergency Accommodation Centre Full and Turning Away Nine People Per Night
Riverside, Cambridge. Cambridge’s homelessness emergency accommodation centre, Jimmy’s, is full tonight and has been turning away an average of nine people a night over the last week. Being approached by people begging for cash is a reasonably common experience for me in Cambridge. Typically the context is someone in one of the city’s shopping streets […]
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Suck My Formaldehyde Pickled Balls – My Response
It appears an ex Cambridge City Councillor sending me a message in public saying: “suck my formaldehyde pickled balls” is news. Ex Cllr Brown’s astonishing invitation to me shows how unpleasant people can be to those entering discussion about how we run Cambridge and our wider society. I think this kind of exchange is something […]
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Students Do Not Vote for Community Independents Says Cllr John Hipkin
Cllr John Hipkin has sent a comment on the Castle Ward election results to an email list. I thought the content of the message was surprising and ought be made available to a wider audience so I am publishing it here. I am astonished at Cllr Hipkin drawing a sharp distinction between “residents” and “students” […]