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More than 10 intelligence and police officials in five European countries including Britain, Germany and France told Reuters they are increasing surveillance of Islamist militants. A British security official said the war in Gaza was likely to become the biggest recruiter for Islamist militants since the Iraq war in 2003, and that calls for attacks on Jewish and Western targets had risen in Europe. Two Islamist militant attacks in France and Belgium last month killed three people, and these two countries, Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have raised their terrorism threat alert levels. LONE WOLVESSecurity officials say the main danger for Europe is probably from attacks by "lone wolves" — assailants who are radicalised, often online, but have no formal links to more established groups. Although a truce has come into effect in Gaza, both sides have said the war is far from over.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, radicalised, Mark Rowley, al, Jochen Kopelke, It's, Kopelke, Israel, Peter Knoope, Knoope, Iman Atta, Germany's Kopelke, influencers, Europol, Thomas Renard, Juliette Jabkhiro, Angelo Amante, Johan Ahlander, Phil Blenkinsop, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, London, British, Islamic State, Islamic, WOLVES Security, Hamas, Dutch National, International Centre for, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, BERLIN, Israel, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, Iran, Gaza, Iraq, Europe, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Italy, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Qaeda, Afghanistan, Syria, United States, British, al, West

☆ UK's interior minister accuses police of pro-Palestinian bias over marches
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Critics in opposing parties and her own have accused her of stoking division and undermining the police. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described Saturday's planned march as disrespectful and said he would hold Rowley to account that the remembrance events are safeguarded. Braverman, seen as a possible future Conservative party leader, often takes a harder line than her party as a whole on issues such as crime and immigration. Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was too weak to challenge her. In a separate incident, two men were arrested over damage to the Cenotaph war memorial in the northern English town of Rochdale.

Persons: Braverman, Suella Braverman, Mark Rowley, Rishi Sunak, Saturday's, Rowley, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Neil Basu, King Charles, Sarah Young, Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper, Sharon Singleton, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: The, Hamas, British, Conservative, Opposition Labour Party, British Loyalist, London, LBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, London, The Times, Northern Ireland, Britain, British, Braverman, Rochdale

☆ London pro-Palestinian march to proceed, Sunak asks police for safety assurances
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"(Rowley) has said that he can ensure that we safeguard remembrance for the country this weekend as well as keep the public safe," Sunak said. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, which is organising Saturday's march, has said it would avoid the Cenotaph, London's main war memorial. Since Oct. 7, London police have made 188 arrests for hate crimes, including 98 for suspected antisemitic offences, 21 for Islamophobic offences and 12 for "faith hate crimes". "We continue to see a very concerning rise in both antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crime," Commander Paul Trevers said. Most of the antisemitic offences were reported in London's Hackney area, home to a large Jewish community.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Mark Rowley, JUSTIN TALLIS, Sunak, Rowley, Paul Trevers, Britain's, Michael Holden, Rod Nickel Organizations: Britain's, Metropolitan Police, British, Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, London, Community Security Trust, Thomson Locations: Kilburn, London, Britain, Israel, England, London's Hackney

☆ U.S. Says Surveillance Drone Was Shot Down Off Yemen’s Coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

“The laws created by Parliament are clear,” Mark Rowley, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Service in London, said in a statement on Tuesday evening. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr. Sunak said Mr. Rowley would answer for his decisions. “Now, my job is to hold him accountable for that.” The two men were set to meet to discuss the event on Wednesday. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, one of a number of groups organizing the event on Saturday, vowed to continue. No protests are planned for Sunday, when the national service of remembrance will take place in central London.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ” Mark Rowley, ” Mr, Rowley, ”, Mr, “, Tayfun Salci, Suella Braverman, Tommy Robinson Organizations: Metropolitan Police Service, Sky News, London, Twitter, Palestine Solidarity Campaign Locations: London, Gaza, Israel, Whitehall, Palestine

☆ London Police Chief Calls for Clarity on Handling Extremism at Protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's most senior police officer said on Sunday he would support a review into the legal definition of extremism in response to criticism of the way his officers handled pro-Palestinian protests in London. Some British politicians have criticised London's police after they failed to arrest people at a pro-Palestinian rally shouting "jihad". "There is scope to be much sharper in how we deal with extremism within this country," he told Sky News. Ministers are reviewing the legal definition of extremism in a move designed to counter hate crimes, including antisemitism, according to one government official. A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is responsible for examining the legal definition of extremism, declined to comment.

Persons: London's, Mark Rowley, Andrew MacAskill Organizations: London's Metropolitan Police, Sky News, Sunday Telegraph, Department Locations: London, Britain, Israel, Gaza

☆ London police chief calls for clarity on handling extremism at protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Britain's most senior police officer said on Sunday he would support a review into the legal definition of extremism in response to criticism of the way his officers handled pro-Palestinian protests in London. Some British politicians have criticised London's police after they failed to arrest people at a pro-Palestinian rally shouting "jihad". "There is scope to be much sharper in how we deal with extremism within this country," he told Sky News. Ministers are reviewing the legal definition of extremism in a move designed to counter hate crimes, including antisemitism, according to one government official. A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is responsible for examining the legal definition of extremism, declined to comment.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, London's, Mark Rowley, Andrew MacAskill Organizations: Police, Hamas, REUTERS, London's Metropolitan Police, Sky News, Sunday Telegraph, Department, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, London, Britain

☆ Some London Police Officers Step Back From Armed Duty After Murder Charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

British soldiers were briefly put on standby over the weekend to support the counterterrorism police in London after some armed officers refused to carry their weapons in the wake of a fellow police officer being charged with murder. The Metropolitan Police Service said on Monday that a number of police officers took the decision to “step back from armed duties while they consider their position” over the weekend. Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, and other senior police leaders held discussions with the officers over the weekend “to understand their genuinely held concerns,” the police said in a statement. Enough armed officers returned on Monday that assistance from Britain’s Ministry of Defence was no longer needed. “As of lunchtime on Monday, the number of officers who had returned to armed duties was sufficient for us to no longer require external assistance to meet our counterterrorism responsibilities,” the police said in the statement.

Persons: Chris Kaba, Mark Rowley Organizations: Metropolitan Police Service, Metropolitan Police, Britain’s Ministry of Defence Locations: London

The Metropolitan Police said Friday they were searching Richmond Park in southwest London, near where the delivery van Daniel Khalife used to escape Wandsworth prison was spotted on Thursday. Khalife orchestrated a bold jail break from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday morning while dressed as a chef. Richmond Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks, is designated National Nature Reserve and stretches for 2,500 acres. The Met Police said Friday it was looking into the possibility that someone inside Wandsworth prison helped Khalife escape. By then, Khalife was gone and all that remained of his escape was the strapping officers discovered under the van.

Persons: strapping, van Daniel Khalife, Khalife, Daniel Khalife, ”, Mark Rowley, ” Rowley, Alex Chalk, Chalk Organizations: London CNN — Police, Metropolitan Police, UK’s, Media, Met Police, Nature Reserve, LBC, Police, The Metropolitan Police, strapping, British Locations: London, Richmond, Wandsworth, Richmond Park, Royal Parks, Putney, Britain

☆ UK police officers admit sending racist messages about Meghan, royals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York City, U.S., December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Five former London police officers on Thursday admitted sending grossly offensive racist messages to each other on WhatsApp, which included references to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and other members of the royal family. Three of the messages featured racist comments about Meghan, the wife of King Charles' younger son, Prince Harry. The former officers, aged in their 60s, pleaded guilty to sending offensive messages at a hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court. Its new chief, Mark Rowley, has promised to rid it of unsuitable individuals among its more than 43,000 officers and staff.

Persons: Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Robert F, Kennedy, Andrew Kelly, King Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan's, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Charles, Prince William, Kate, Rishi Sunak, Britain's, James Harman, Mark Rowley, Michael Holden, Sam Tobin, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, London, Westminster, Metropolitan, Command, Diplomatic Protection Group, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, London

☆ Stephen Lawrence: New suspect named in racist murder of Black British teenager
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —A new suspect has been named in the racist murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence in southeast London over 30 years ago. The statement, issued in response to a BBC investigation released Monday into the Met’s mishandling of key inquiries, added that too many “mistakes” were made in the initial investigation of the murder. Two men were sentenced to life in jail in 2012 for the murder, but “three or four other killers of Stephen Lawrence (are) at large,” according to the statement from the Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward. Lawrence, an 18-year-old architecture student, was fatally stabbed at a bus stop by a gang of youths in April 1993. He died in August 2021, months before the police declared the murder investigation inactive and said there were no further lines of inquiry.

Persons: Black, Stephen Lawrence, Matthew White, White, ”, Matt Ward, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Stephen’s, “, Lawrence, Duwayne Brooks, Lawrence’s, Jeff Spicer, Ward, Sir Mark Rowley, ” Baroness Lawrence Organizations: London CNN, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, BBC, CNN, Met Locations: London

☆ Head of London's police force apologises to LGBT+ community
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - The head of London's Metropolitan Police apologised to the city's LGBT+ community on Wednesday for the failings of the past, responding to calls from an activist group to draw a line under what they called "homophobic victimisation." Commissioner Mark Rowley, the country's most senior police officer, made the apology in a letter addressed to gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and published by Tatchell's foundation. "If the police say they have changed, they need to show it by acknowledging past wrongs," Tatchell said. Rowley also said the Met would publish a new plan for LGBT+ Londoners and promised to restore LGBT+ community liaison officers across the capital. Reporting by Muvija M, Editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mark Rowley, Peter Tatchell, Rowley, Tatchell, Muvija, William James Our Organizations: London's Metropolitan Police, London, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ Anti-monarchists released from custody after King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JUSTIN TALLIS/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - The leader of anti-monarchy group Republic and other members were released from custody after hours of detention during Saturday's coronation of King Charles that raised questions over whether the police response had been proportionate. Republic said that detained members began to be released late on Saturday evening, after nearly 16 hours in custody. Tens of thousands of people turned out to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla, who rode in a state coach back to Buckingham Palace after Saturday's service at Westminster Abbey. Not everyone who came to watch was there to cheer Charles, with hundreds of republicans booing and waving banners reading "Not My King". "I think overall (the police) managed to get that balance right," Frazer told Sky News.

☆ Police arrest republican leader ahead of King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - British police arrested Graham Smith, leader of anti-monarchy group Republic, and a number of other individuals as part of what they called "a significant police operation" ahead of King Charles' coronation on Saturday. A photo posted on Twitter showed Smith sitting on the ground surrounded by a group of police officers. An officer at the scene near Trafalgar Square said three republican protesters had been arrested for carrying paint. A Reuters photographer said a number of protesters from the Just Stop Oil environmental group were also arrested. Rowley had said police would take action if protesters tried to "obstruct the enjoyment and celebration" of a significant number of people.

☆ Police arrest anti-monarchy protesters ahead of King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Police arrested the leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic hours before King Charles' coronation on Saturday and a number of other protesters who had gathered among the crowds lining the procession route in central London. "NOT MY KING"[1/2] An anti-monarchy demonstrator holds stickers ahead of Britain's King Charles’ procession to his coronation ceremony from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, at The Mall in London, Britain May 6, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls 1 2Some anti-monarchy protesters had held up signs saying "privatise them" and "abolish the monarchy, not the right to protest", and "Not My King". Most of the anti-monarchy protesters on Saturday had congregated in Trafalgar Square next to the bronze statue of King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, leading to a short-lived republic. While many other European monarchies have come and gone, or are far diminished in scale and importance, the British royal family has remained remarkably resilient.

☆ A Black teen’s murder sparked a crisis over racism in British policing. Thirty years on, little has changed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Katie Polglase Sarah El Sirgany Ivana Kottasová Martin Bourke Oscar Featherstone | Katie Polglase | Sarah El Sirgany | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

His killing and the subsequent failure of the London Metropolitan Police Service to properly investigate the crime sparked a national outcry. Within days of his killing at a bus stop in southeast London, five White teens were identified as being involved. It took years of campaigning by the Lawrence family — and public support from the likes of Nelson Mandela and the national press — to get the investigation moving. While an initial investigation by then-police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission cleared the police of any wrongdoing, the Rigg family kept fighting. Matthew Brealey/CNNFinding peaceAs the Lawrence family and their supporters mark the 30th anniversary of Stephen’s killing, they are still fighting for his killers to face justice.

☆ London's police force steps up crackdown on rogue officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, an independent review found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, and unable to police itself. The review called for urgent reform of Britain's biggest force known as the Met. The Met's new chief Mark Rowley, who took over last September, has vowed to rid the force of unsuitable individuals among its more than 43,000 officers and staff. Further reviews are ongoing to assess the vetting of serving officers and all staff are being checked against the Police National Computer (PNC), which records convictions. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman and Sachin Ravikumar Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia may inadvertently fuel cyber crime, says data theft victim service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SYDNEY, April 5 (Reuters) - An Australian government-backed service for victims of identity theft blasted a plan to toughen privacy laws amid an explosion of online data theft, saying it would spur compromised companies to pay ransom and invite more hacking. IDCare, a non-profit that helps internet crime victims, said by making it easier for regulators to fine companies for poor data security and failing to criminalise ransom payment, Australia may inadvertently fuel a cyber-crimewave. Canberra raised the maximum fine to A$50 million ($34 million) from A$2.2 million for companies that fail to stop data theft after the first major attack in October, when some 10 million customer accounts at No. DEMAND SPIKESince Australia made it compulsory for companies to report data breaches in 2018, IDCare's submission said community demand for its services had rocketed. ($1 = 1.4806 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Praveen Menon and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"We have found widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism," the report said, adding "women and children do not get the protection and support they deserve". [1/4] A Metropolitan Police officer stands on duty in Westminster, London, Britain, October 1, 2021. The review said the biggest barrier was the Met's culture of defensiveness and denial about the scale of its problems. Met Commissioner Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior police officer, told reporters: "We've let Londoners down and we've let our own frontline down ... The 360-page report listed strong leadership, a women's protection service, and a new children's strategy as some of its recommendations.

☆ British police face struggle to clean up sexist culture after scandals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

London's Metropolitan Police has been hardest hit: After years of saying serious misconduct cases were isolated incidents, it now says it must change its culture. "We have failed and I'm sorry," Mark Rowley, the Met's new chief and Britain's most senior officer, said in January. According to an official report, officers had passed off the conversations as 'banter'. RISING CRIMESome officers officers think the government needs to look at itself. Braverman was reported last year as having told police chiefs to prioritise "common-sense policing" over diversity efforts and virtue-signalling "woke" messaging.

☆ London police officer jailed for at least 30 years for serial rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Carrick’s offences, which included 24 counts of rape, were all committed while serving in the Metropolitan Police – piling further pressure on Britain’s biggest police force, which is already reeling from a series of scandals in recent years. The London force, which dismissed Carrick last month, has previously apologised for failing to spot his pattern of abuse earlier. Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said in a statement on Sunday evening that she was “truly sorry for the harm and devastation” caused to Carrick’s victims. Carrick pleaded guilty to a total of 49 offences, including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment and coercive and controlling behaviour. The judge told Carrick: "You have lost your liberty, your job and your status.

☆ British police officer pleads guilty to 49 counts of rape, sexual assault, and other crimes, as head of London's Metropolitan Police says: 'We've let women and girls down'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

David Carrick, a former British police officer, pled guilty to dozens of counts of rape and sexual assault. By failing to stop Carrick sooner, the head of the Metropolitan Police said the agency "let women and girls down." David Carrick, 47, a former armed officer with the Metropolitan Police, pled guilty to six counts, including rape and sexual assault, at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday. He previously pled guilty to committing 43 offenses — including 20 counts of rape and several counts of sexual assault as well as controlling or coercive behavior — in December, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service said. Metropolitan Police/Media UseGoing forward, the Metropolitan Police said, Carrick's crimes have laid the foundation for new protocols to deal with offenders within law enforcement's own ranks.

☆ London police officer pleads guilty to 24 counts of rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner," Mayor Khan said. The Met's Gray said work to identify and rid the force of corrupt officers was "determined", "focused" and ongoing. An independent review of the London force said in October that "radical" reform was needed in relation to how the it dealt with misconduct allegations faced by hundreds of its staff and officers. The review was commissioned in 2021 after an officer was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Reporting by Sarah Young and Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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