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russell asked Ian Levitt: "I've just read in the Courier that Calderdale Police Officers will soon be using tasers. Can you give us more information about who will be carrying them, in what circumstances they will be able to use..." Show more »"I've just read in the Courier that Calderdale Police Officers will soon be using tasers. Can you give us more information about who will be carrying them, in what circumstances they will be able to use them and will we, the public, have access to records of when they have been used and who they have been used against?" Show less »
Ian Levitt answer: "When Taser was first introduced in West Yorkshire it was used by specially trained firearms officers. I attended one of the early awareness and training sessions and I allowed myself to be 'Tasered' so..." Show more»" When Taser was first introduced in West Yorkshire it was used by specially trained firearms officers. I attended one of the early awareness and training sessions and I allowed myself to be 'Tasered' so I know for a fact that Taser is an effective tool which has no lasting effects. It is only used after a full assessment of a situation, after appropriate warning has been given and in line with strict training and procedure.It is just one of a range of options available to a police officer whose first option is always to try and resolve confrontational situations through dialogue.
Taser is now carried by front-line patrol officers because they are not a firearm or lethal weapon. It is a proven, effective piece of equipment which is used to successfully resolve situations where individuals are intent on harming themselves or others, and helps us to protect members of the public. The effects, though painful are temporary.
Under the terms of use of the pilot, every use of taser is referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and is subject to review by a senior officer within the force to ensure that it is used appropriately and in accordance with training. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Local Issues | Email to friends | Oct 22 2008 2:23:10 PM

crimestat asked Ian Levitt: "You said recently that Skircoats Green had become a 'temporary hotspot'- do you have the resources to predict what will be the next temporary hotspot in Halifax (and if so where?) or are the criminals..." Show more »"You said recently that Skircoats Green had become a 'temporary hotspot'- do you have the resources to predict what will be the next temporary hotspot in Halifax (and if so where?) or are the criminals from outside Calderdale always one step ahead?" Show less »
Ian Levitt answer: "The deployment of police resources is dictated to a large extent by the use of the National Intelligence Model. In Calderdale we have a very effective Intelligence Unit who look at historic and current..." Show more»" The deployment of police resources is dictated to a large extent by the use of the National Intelligence Model. In Calderdale we have a very effective Intelligence Unit who look at historic and current trends with a view to identifying potential 'hot spots' where policing activity is likely to have the greatest impact. The Intelligence Unit also works very closely with the Integrated Offender Management team who, with key partners, monitor and manage the behaviour of the most problematic criminals in Calderdale by providing support and advise through to arrest and conviction if they don't comply. The results over the last few years in reducing crime and increasing detections would indicate that the police in Calderdale are managing to get one step ahead of the criminals. Remember that every single crime less, is one less victim. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Crime | Email to friends | Oct 22 2008 2:22:10 PM

collymore asked Ian Levitt: "How do you feel about the work the Halifax Street Angels are doing?"
Ian Levitt answer: "I fully support the work of the Street Angels and have done since I arrived as divisional commander. They are volunteers who give their time freely and they are doing a magnificent job. We are committed..." Show more»" I fully support the work of the Street Angels and have done since I arrived as divisional commander. They are volunteers who give their time freely and they are doing a magnificent job. We are committed to working with them and provide training and on-going support. The Street Angels help to support people in the town centre and since we have worked together in this way town centre violent crime has significantly reduced Other areas in the Country have now followed the lead of Calderdale. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Local Issues | Email to friends | Oct 22 2008 2:20:24 PM

Tomlinson asked Ian Levitt: "Can you tell us how many police there are on the Force in Calderdale and of those, how many actually go out on the beat?"
Ian Levitt answer: "Calderdale is one of eight divisions which make up West Yorkshire Police. There are around 370 police officers in Calderdale. They are supported by 52 police community support officers, 20 volunteer ..." Show more»" Calderdale is one of eight divisions which make up West Yorkshire Police. There are around 370 police officers in Calderdale. They are supported by 52 police community support officers, 20 volunteer special constables and 87 full and part-time police support staff (civilians).
All of them have roles designed to meet the demands of the public across the whole of Calderdale. For example, the response teams provide 24/7 emergency response, while the four neighbourhood policing teams in Calderdale deal with quality of life issues that affect our local communities. The number of officers on the beat at any one time is reflected by demand.
We also have both a proactive and reactive CID, Integrated Officer Management team, Suspect Management Unit who deal with prisoners from emergency response teams, a Vulnerable Victims Unit and a Contact Management Unit which links in with the Neighbourhood Policing Teams to ensure members of the publics concerns are dealt with accordingly. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Local Issues | Email to friends | Oct 22 2008 2:19:29 PM

evenhand asked Ian Levitt: "Why are the types of criminal that weren't previously likely to use violence (like car thieves) suddenly becoming more violent? What can you do about it?"
Ian Levitt answer: "I dispute the fact that criminals are becoming more violent in Calderdale. The number of criminals involved in violent crime in Calderdale continues to buck the national trend and violent crime continues..." Show more»" I dispute the fact that criminals are becoming more violent in Calderdale. The number of criminals involved in violent crime in Calderdale continues to buck the national trend and violent crime continues to reduce significantly here in Calderdale. The most serious violent crimes dominate our headlines and a large proportion of news time is given over to this which in turn raises the fear of crime - but the numbers really are very small indeed. Much of our violent crime is fuelled by alcohol, which is why we intervene early, whether it's a police officer, street angel, or one of our other partners, we all work hard to prevent violent crime. Despite reductions in violent crime of almost a third this year, we are not complacent, and we continually work with our partners to support those who do become victims and to change the behaviour of the district's most active offenders. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Crime | Email to friends | Oct 22 2008 2:17:51 PM

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