Latest news with #policeTraining
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Lisburn: Ombudsman recommends training after autistic woman removed from shop
Police officers should get improved training on how to deal with autistic people following an incident involving a woman in Lisburn, a Police Ombudsman investigation has of the incident, posted on social media last year, showed Katie Mitchell, 19, being removed from a shop by four officers and her is non-verbal and has learning ombudsman found while there was no misconduct by officers who responded, there should be enhanced training to "improve how they respond to members of the public who are autistic and may have individual communication needs". At the time, Katie's family said she had been left traumatised and that police had shown no "understanding" or "empathy".Her sister, Dr Eileen Mitchell, said her sister tried to buy a DVD that cost £2 in the store in Lisburn, but tills had closed for the family said Katie's mother called the police in an effort to de-escalate the situation but later lodged a complaint with the ombudsman which focused on the officers' training. Director of investigations Nikki Davis said the incident was "undoubtedly distressing" and emphasised the need for enhanced incident developed after the young women entered the CeX shop through half-closed tills were closed, and when she was unable to buy a DVD, she and her mother were asked to police were called after the situation investigation reviewed police body-worn video footage, and it showed when they arrived "their preference was for her parents to remove her".Her father "tried to move her physically", but was unable to do became involved "only after the young woman's father continued to experience difficulties managing on his own".One officer was hurt. Police action 'the last resort' Mrs Davis said footage of Katie being taken out of the shop was the subject of "significant public commentary".After a review of the footage and audio, including body-cams and CCTV, Mrs Davis said officers who attended understood the "best approach" was for her parents to encourage her to leave."The police officers recognised from the outset that there was no simple solution and their action was a last resort in an incident which lasted for around 18 minutes from police entering the shop to leaving," it added. The Ombudsman report added while there were no breaches of the PSNI's code of ethics, it did expose a gap in current training, leading directly to the recommendation that officers receive enhanced continued: "[This] equips them to engage with, and respond to, any autistic person, but especially a person who speaks few or no words and may communicate in other ways."The PSNI has been contacted for comment.
CBS News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Illinois lawmakers' Spring Session deadline looms, transit funding still unresolved
The final countdown is on in Springfield — where lawmakers have until the end of the week to tackle issues from the Illinois General Assembly's Spring Session. The state budget for the next fiscal year must be tackled by May 31. Meanwhile, there are still no answers on how the state will handle transit reform and funding — and if nothing is done on that front by the end of the week, there could be a 40% reduction in mass transit services in Chicago. Meanwhile, lawmakers have signed several bills that are stacking up on Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's desk awaiting his signature this Memorial Day. One such bill, Anna's Law, requires special training for police officers across Illinois to better address how law enforcement engages with sex assault victims — part of a larger effort to prevent those in vulnerable positions from being retraumatized. Officers will be specially trained on how to speak with those victims. Senate Bill 1563 addresses the squatter problem in Illinois, making it easier for police to remove squatters from someone's home — bypassing the months-long eviction process. Right now, squatters can stay at the property during the required court process. Another bill, Senate Bill 1491, will increase the number of therapy dogs during times of crisis — creating a course and certification program for therapy dog teams so dogs can specialize in crisis and emergency response. This will allow a police officer to respond to an incident, at any given time, with a therapy dog. Dillon's Law — named after Dillon Mueller, who died in 2014 after an allergic reaction to a bee sting — allows people who are trained to carry and administer epinephrine to those having an allergic reaction. This week is poised to be even busier for state lawmakers, as it is closing time for the Spring Session and those lawmakers are on deadline. Transit funding, again, is still on the line right now — and down to the wire with drastic service cuts looming. "It is a lot of details and moving parts, so it's taking longer than I think folks expected," said Amy Rynell, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance. "It's really important that this all get resolved by the end of May 31, when the session ends, so that we can have confidence moving forward in the system that the money is going to be there to keep it strong." As CBS News Chicago has been reporting for months, the Regional Transportation Authority — which oversees the CTA, Metra and Pace suburban buses — is facing a fiscal cliff in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If no action is taken, the CTA has said it would be forced to close 50 'L,' stations, lose more than 70 miles of rail service, and eliminate more than half its bus routes. The CTA has not yet said anything about which specific 'L' and bus lines and 'L' stops would be affected. Meanwhile, Metra would suffer a 40% reduction in service, and Pace is threatening to eliminate all service after 8 p.m. and all weekend rides. "So I think there's still hope for fixing it and funding it," said Rynell. "But a lot of, you know, late nights ahead to make that happen."
CTV News
26-05-2025
- CTV News
OPP to conduct training at local school, ‘No cause for concern'
Residents in Collingwood will notice a heavy police presence Monday evening at a local school, but OPP says it's just a training exercise, and there is no cause for concern. Officers will be at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic School between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., including members of the emergency response team and personnel from the In-Service Training unit. "The exercise will include tactical footwork, incident response drills, scenario-based training, and a familiarization walk-through of the facility," OPP stated in a release Monday. Provincial police said the training helps strengthen their ability to respond effectively to various situations. 'While we hope such training is never needed, the possibility of critical incidents requires thorough preparation.'
Wall Street Journal
19-05-2025
- Wall Street Journal
America's College Towns Go From Boom to Bust
MACOMB, Ill.—At Western Illinois University, an empty dorm that once held 800 students is now a police training ground, where active-shooter drills have left behind overturned furniture, rubber-tipped bullets and paintball casings. Nearby dorms have been razed to weedy fields. Two more dorms are set to close this summer. Frat houses and homes once filled with student renters are empty lots. City streets used to be so crowded during the semester that cars moved at a crawl. No more.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- RNZ News
Police to hold training courses at Massey University after signing long-term lease
Photo: Police have signed a long-term lease with Massey University in Auckland to begin training courses next month. Police will now have exclusive use of the Ōtehā Auckland campus, where they'll have access to gym and recreational areas with a small number of dorm rooms for police staff. "We are thrilled we have signed an agreement with Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University for space at their Ōtehā Auckland campus," Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said. Rogers said police and Massey have worked closely over the past couple of months to deliver an agreement that worked for both sides. "As part of the agreement, police has exclusive use of part of the campus, which includes multiple classrooms with capacity to seat up to 155 people, a locker room, storage space, offices, and car parks," Rogers said. "These are high quality facilities and will be a great environment for police officers to learn and develop in. Extensive planning and organisation are essential to delivering training at the new Auckland training base." Rogers said police are already onsite working to get everything up and running for a range of police courses. "This training space in Auckland is pivotal for running our senior courses and continuing to free up space at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) for recruit training," she said. "This space will also enable the Tāmaki Makaurau recruit Wing 390 to start on 30 June." Wing 390 will complete the same curriculum as the recruits at RNZPC which is located in Porirua, Wellington. Some elements of recruit training, which cannot be completed at the campus, including tactical training and swim assessment, will be completed offsite. "We know that being away from home for several months has been a deterrent for people wanting to join police," Rogers sad. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
