As if recent stabbing stats and crime figure botches weren't enough to torpedo confidence in Government/police information, there was more embarrassment today.
Last week Police Minister and Notts MP Vernon Coaker said in a select committee that police had to be proportionate when dealing with protestors.
The demonstration at Kingsnorth power station - which led to accusations of police heavy handedness - was raised, but Coaker defended officers saying they needed to protect themselves as well.
Originally Kent Police said their officers had suffered 70 injuries in the £5.9m crowd control operation.
But the Guardian reports that Coaker has now written to Lib Dems admitting none of the "injuries" were as a result of contact with protestors.
Problems included tooth ache, heat exhaustion, diarrhoea and a sting from a "possible wasp".
What is a possible wasp? In fact, what is an impossible wasp? For some reason Yvette Cooper springs to mind.
The Home Office and Number 10 need to get a grip on the information issue. Unfortunately if they don't it will only be a Notts MP who pays the price.
UPDATE, Dec 16: Coaker apologised in Parliament for the Kingsnorth balls up on Monday, and his boss Jacqui Smith for the kinfe crime botch. A bad day at the Home Office.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Impossible situation
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2 comments:
There is of course a big difference between 'botched' figures and what could be described as 'deliberate misinformation'. There was quite a lot of that from the police at the time I seem to remember, journalists weren't exactly given an easy time either.
http://jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com/2008/10/dvd-release-press-freedom-collateral.html
Vernon Coaker is a Quack. As is his boss the Home Secretary.
Despite evidence that it would do more harm than good they went ahead in Nottingham and elsewhere with a ludicrously naff and potentially harmful anti-prostitution poster campaign.
See: http://bentsocietyblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/call-to-end-all-this-quackery-in-crime.html
"End all the quackery in crime reduction"
Robin
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