Thirteen prisoners on the run can't be named (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Thirteen prisoners on the run can't be named
6:00am Thursday 9th July 2009 in
Bradford MPs today demanded that West Yorkshire Police names the 13 on-the-run prisoners its officers are hunting.
The force has refused to disclose their identities or convictions to the Telegraph & Argus.
Police chiefs argue that it is not appropriate to make public the information for “policing reasons”.
Other forces around the country have taken a similar stance after it was revealed that almost 1,000 criminals are on the run in the UK when they should be behind bars.
But the district’s MPs have reacted with disbelief to the decision to hide the prisoners’ identities.
Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: “It’s clearly unacceptable that so many prisoners are at large in the first place and I think it’s absolutely appalling for the police to turn round and say they are not going to release details.
“Once again the rights of criminals seem to have greater weight than the safety of the community.
“The police are constantly asking for information from the public but when the public wants information from the police they can’t get it – it’s completely unacceptable.”
Bradford West MP Marsha Singh (Lab) said he was “shocked” at the police’s stance.
He said: “The public have a fundamental right to know if people in their area are on the run.
“I can’t imagine circumstances where it is right to withhold these details. I think their pictures, names and last known addresses should be published in newspapers.
“I remember how effective it was in the riots and if we can publish the pictures of people who have not been charged or convicted, why can’t we do the same for convicts on the run?”
And Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer said: “In my view West Yorkshire Police should be keen to disseminate the information and tell us if they were in open prisons or secure prisons as that would communicate the severity of the crime.”
Some police forces have claimed the Data Protection Act meant they could not publish the criminals’ names and pictures.
But the Information Commissioner has ruled that Data Protection rules do not require names to be kept secret.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Where publishing offenders’ details is the most appropriate way to help the police to catch criminals, then the law would not prevent them from doing so.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Any decision to disclose personal details is done on a case-by-case basis.
“Information should only be disclosed where there is a policing need to do so.
“There is no policing need for West Yorkshire Police to release the personal details of any of the individuals to the media.”
e-mail: ben.barnett @telegraphandargus.co.uk
Comments(20)
Fastnecker
says...
6:43am Thu 9 Jul 09
tyker
says...
7:45am Thu 9 Jul 09
all criminals should automatically lose their human rights on conviction.
it is about time ordinary law abiding citizens were protected by the police against criminals and we should be able to elect our senior officers directly and to de-select them if they show that they are incompetent in dealing with straight forward matters.
I was on a beach on the Gulf Coast recently:At the entrance to the rest rooms there was a full bill board showing pictures of all the perves resident within a 5 mile radius:the message was report them if you see them on the beach of near the particular facility. THIS SYTEM WORKS!!!
Jammy
says...
7:55am Thu 9 Jul 09
Jammy
says...
7:58am Thu 9 Jul 09
Fastnecker
says...
8:24am Thu 9 Jul 09
tyker wrote:I'm not certain what you mean when you say the SYTEM works
iot's all about human rights:not those of the victims but the prisoners. all criminals should automatically lose their human rights on conviction. it is about time ordinary law abiding citizens were protected by the police against criminals and we should be able to elect our senior officers directly and to de-select them if they show that they are incompetent in dealing with straight forward matters. I was on a beach on the Gulf Coast recently:At the entrance to the rest rooms there was a full bill board showing pictures of all the perves resident within a 5 mile radius:the message was report them if you see them on the beach of near the particular facility. THIS SYTEM WORKS!!!
As the billboard was full of 'perves resident' it clearly doesn't stop perves does it?
I'd have been more impressed if it had empty bill boards showing no pictures. "Now thats an impressive sight" I'd have said
Patrick Bateman
says...
8:48am Thu 9 Jul 09
Where’s the accountability?
t'old man
says...
9:52am Thu 9 Jul 09
tyker
says...
10:06am Thu 9 Jul 09
Fastnecker wrote:but it does work: these are postings of convicted local paedophiles--not most wanted.
tyker wrote: iot's all about human rights:not those of the victims but the prisoners. all criminals should automatically lose their human rights on conviction. it is about time ordinary law abiding citizens were protected by the police against criminals and we should be able to elect our senior officers directly and to de-select them if they show that they are incompetent in dealing with straight forward matters. I was on a beach on the Gulf Coast recently:At the entrance to the rest rooms there was a full bill board showing pictures of all the perves resident within a 5 mile radius:the message was report them if you see them on the beach of near the particular facility. THIS SYTEM WORKS!!!I'm not certain what you mean when you say the SYTEM works As the billboard was full of 'perves resident' it clearly doesn't stop perves does it? I'd have been more impressed if it had empty bill boards showing no pictures. "Now thats an impressive sight" I'd have said
the system is devised to warn people of their existence so does work.
the point being that there is no problem identifying these people and making their crimes known to the public in a very public manner unlike our crazy system which prevents the police even naming those criminals who are outwith the place they should be.
Fastnecker
says...
12:44pm Thu 9 Jul 09
You work for tourist information dude?
Iona Cortina
says...
12:48pm Thu 9 Jul 09
The victims have *full say* on what happens to the rapists, murderers etc...
(or are we going to say it's too harsh?)
{rolleyes}
scanipoos
says...
12:55pm Thu 9 Jul 09
albion
says...
1:07pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Iona Cortina wrote:No it isnt too harsh, nor is it British (yet) or civilised, there is nothing wrong with corporal or capital punishment if they are sentenced from a proper court of law and carried out using up to date methods in a correct and civilised manner.
It's times like this when Sharia law should be put in place.
The victims have *full say* on what happens to the rapists, murderers etc...
(or are we going to say it's too harsh?)
{rolleyes}
There are still escapees from detention in places where Sharia is the main form of judgement.
(rolls eyes back!)
ItchyBungle
says...
1:13pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Patrick Bateman wrote:I have to say I pretty much agree with you Patrick as we are only really being told half a story here from the police.
It is not acceptable to dismiss the calls for further details with the nebulous explanation of ‘there is not a police need' to do so. What in God's name does that actually mean? Surely this would at the very least require a supplementary line of questioning to establish why this is the case. Only once we know the reasoning of how and why such a decision was reached will we be able to take an informed view on the issue. As it stands it smacks of complete arrogance by the police and does little to reassure the people they serve (i.e. us). Where’s the accountability?
On the other hand, West Yorkshire Police have recently mounted a large publicity campaign telling us that they will be more open with us, it was one of their "pledges." I guess that they're pledges are as robust as they are generally then!
DJA
says...
1:53pm Thu 9 Jul 09
We've already been told by the Data Commissioner they can publish the names.
Al Spade
says...
4:42pm Thu 9 Jul 09
When they committed their offences they obviously didn't care about the human rights of their victims so why should we care about theirs?
yezboss
says...
6:27pm Thu 9 Jul 09
How can anyone have any confidence in this organisation?
webess
says...
6:39pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Anyone else think our "justice" system needs a makeover?
tallulah
says...
1:02pm Fri 10 Jul 09
Lellric
says...
1:40pm Sun 12 Jul 09
Iona Cortina wrote:No it isn't!
It's times like this when Sharia law should be put in place. The victims have *full say* on what happens to the rapists, murderers etc... (or are we going to say it's too harsh?) {rolleyes}
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Shipley MP Philip Davies says it's appalling the prisoners can't be named
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albion says...
6:32am Thu 9 Jul 09
As an example of the abuse of the silent and law abiding majority, this report is probably the most important one we have seen on this forum, and is totally sickening.