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Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Children involved in thousands of violent crimes
Almost 8,000 violent crimes last year involved a child as the accused person, amid rising numbers of kids aged 11-15 found to be carrying weapons. Police Scotland data shows 7,700 overall violent crimes involving offenders under 18, making up 18.1% of violent crimes overall between March 2024 and April this year. The news comes amid concerns over knife crime in Scotland after two teenagers were allegedly knifed to death in separate incidents in recent months, and officers recovering over 200 weapons from teenagers aged 17 and under in the last year using stop and search powers. Critics have hit out at the Scottish Government's 'soft touch' justice approach, including the increasing use of recorded police warnings, Proportionate Response To Crime (PRTC), the presumption against prosecution for under 18s and even reduced sentences for under-25s who have committed serious crimes such as rape and murder. A senior Police Scotland officer also previously acknowledged that, in relation to shop lifting for example, young offenders and the criminal gangs who exploit them are aware of these outcomes and see it as 'low risk high/reward'. Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for justice Liam Kerr said: 'The alarming surge in the number of young people carrying weapons and the stubbornly high rate of violent crime involving children exposes the SNP's complacency around lighter penalties for young offenders. 'Despite John Swinney's insistence that real deterrents remain an option, the presumption under the SNP's soft-touch guidelines is that young people who offend are unlikely to face appropriate penalties. 'After 18 years in government, the SNP must take full responsibility for this dire situation.' According to Police Scotland, both the volume and proportion of violent crimes involving children decreased compared to the previous year. But they acknowledge there has been an increase in the number of youngsters carrying weapons, particularly among 11-15 year olds, with rising numbers of young girls also getting involved in violence. Force data shows robberies and common assaults were the violent crimes with the highest proportion of accused under 18, at 22.7% and 22.1% respectively. Just over half of violent crimes involving an accused under 18 took place in open spaces, with almost a quarter in residences and 18.3% in educational settings. A force report says: 'Recent analytical work between Police Scotland's Analysis and Performance Unit and the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit has identified a substantial and consistent level of violent crime being committed by young people and that these crimes are often committed against other young people. 'The results of this analysis also indicate that there has been a higher frequency of younger accused persons across recent years when considering the period since 2019. 'It has also highlighted that older accused (16-18-year-olds) commit more serious violence whilst younger accused (11-15 years old) commit more crimes relating to violence and threatening behaviour.' According to Police Scotland, the changing nature of gangs and the 'exploitation of vulnerable young people' has emerged as a 'growing issue' impacting the problem of underage violence and offending. Force data also shows 38,802 offences went either undetected or unpunished in 2023/24 with 13,445 crime reports 'directly filed' for no further action under the PRTC scheme and 25,357 Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs) issued to offenders – an increase of more than 32% or 6,176 on the previous year when 19,181 were handed out. Under the scheme officers have been ordered not to conduct investigations into low-level offences where there are no obvious leads, witnesses or CCTV footage. Chief Constable Jo Farrell has said: 'I am concerned about… trends around violent crime committed by young people and often committed against other young people and we think a notable proportion of that is happening in and around schools. 'It's on policing and partners, local authorities, third sector, and beyond to work together to do all we can to prevent violence and reduce the harm it is causing. 'Reducing violence and preventing the harm it is causing continues to be an absolute priority.' Like this: Like Related
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Auto driver stabbed over personal enmity in Chandigarh, hospitalised
A 25-year-old auto driver was brutally stabbed with knives by his two acquaintances who chased him from Zirakpur to Tribune Chowk in Chandigarh's Industrial Area, Phase 2, on Monday. The accused have been identified as Varun and Nikhil. The victim, Gurmeet Singh, alias Gyani, of Phase 1, Ram Darbar, is undergoing treatment at GMCH, Sector 32. Gurmeet in his complaint to the police said that the incident occurred around 4.45 am. He had just stopped at a roadside dhaba in Zirakpur after dropping a passenger, when the duo, who are also his acquaintances, approached him. 'They started threatening me, saying I wanted to become a hero in Ram Darbar and that they will not spare me today,' Gurmeet told police. Sensing danger, Gurmeet left the spot in his auto and came towards Tribune Chowk. After parking his vehicle near the PRTC workshop, he began walking on the nearby cycle track. However, the two accused followed him and allegedly blocked his path, pinned him to the ground and began assaulting him. 'Varun took out a knife and stabbed me in the back. Somehow, I managed to escape and started running towards the gurdwara in Industrial Area Phase 2,' he stated. 'The duo chased me and caught me again near the gurdwara, where Nikhil stabbed me on the left hip,' Gurmeet alleged, adding that in a desperate attempt to defend himself, he picked up an iron pipe from the roadside and struck Nikhil. After this, Nikhil dropped his knife and Varun fled from the scene. A PCR vehicle arrived and took both Gurmeet and Nikhil to GMCH-32 for medical treatment. Nikhil was thereafter arrested by the police. His accomplice Varun remains absconding. Police have confirmed that they are verifying the motive behind the attack, which appears to stem from personal enmity. Efforts are on to trace and arrest the absconding accused. A case under sections 126(2), 109, 351(2), 351(3) and 3(5) of BNS has been registered at the Sector 31 police station on the complaint of Gurmeet. Meanwhile, Gurmeet is reported to be in stable condition and continues to receive treatment.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broadband is the bridge to a better future. Why are West Virginians still waiting?
Around 25% of West Virginians live without access to high-speed internet. (Trumzz | Getty Images) In the heart of West Virginia's rural landscape, the promise of new job opportunities through online training is overshadowed by a glaring problem: a lack of reliable broadband access. For residents like Dee and Bobby, this digital divide isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to building better lives and a more prosperous future. Dee, in Wyoming County, is trying to restart her life after battling addiction and losing custody of her children. Last month, she enrolled in an online training program that promised to prepare her for a remote customer service job. Such jobs could be a lifeline in rural counties like hers, where traditional employment is scarce. But Dee immediately hit a roadblock. Her home internet failed to meet the minimum speed requirements for a remote interview, let alone sustained remote work. Her hopes faded because of infrastructure deficiencies outside her control. Despite her resolve, her ability to secure a sustainable livelihood and rebuild her family remains on hold. Bobby, a resident of a remote holler in Putnam County, has a similar story. He enrolled in an Adult Collegiate Education program to become an HVAC technician, aiming to increase his earning potential. But when winter weather made it unsafe to drive out of the holler, he lacked the internet access needed to keep up with coursework. Like many in rural communities without broadband, Bobby isn't being held back by a lack of ambition or ability, but by the absence of a basic prerequisite most Americans take for granted. These stories aren't isolated. They represent the daily struggles of the 25% of West Virginians who live without access to high-speed internet. Nationwide, the digital divide still affects more than 14 million people, mostly in rural and low-income areas. But the gap is particularly stubborn in West Virginia, where rugged terrain and sparse populations make traditional broadband expansion more expensive, and where broadband buildouts have too often stalled due to bureaucratic delays. The situation is worsening. Communities can no longer count on promised funding from federal initiatives like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to materialize on time or to support the most effective technologies. Meanwhile, deployment delays continue as providers and utilities argue over who will pay to replace aging poles. These fights have little to do with the lives at stake. But this doesn't have to be the end of the story. In McKee, Kentucky, a town tucked into the Appalachian Mountains like many in West Virginia, a nonprofit called the People's Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) has shown what's possible. With support from federal funds, local investment, and a clear community mandate, PRTC has built and maintained a fiber broadband network that now offers above-average speeds. The project connected residents not just to the internet, but to jobs. More than 600 work-from-home positions have been created in partnership with job-training nonprofits, and the region has seen its unemployment rate drop by an astonishing five percentage points. This model works because it is rooted in local ownership and accountability. It treats broadband not as a speculative venture for private profit but as public infrastructure, no less vital than roads or electricity. It also aligns broadband access with workforce development from the start, ensuring people are trained for the very jobs that connectivity unlocks. West Virginia can replicate this success. Local organizations must be empowered and funded to close broadband gaps, while aligning closely with job-training providers to meet community needs. Strategic investment in community-based broadband cooperatives, especially those leveraging fiber, can create jobs in installation, maintenance, and the digital economy. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is the foundation for economic mobility in the 21st century. Without it, education, career advancement, health care and entrepreneurship are out of reach. And without those, rural residents remain locked in cycles of poverty and dependence, no matter how hard they work. If we're serious about creating real economic opportunity in West Virginia, we must stop waiting for ideal conditions and start investing in real solutions. That means prioritizing broadband expansion as a matter of economic justice. Until people like Dee and Bobby have a fair shot at success, none of us should be satisfied. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Hindu
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Electric bus operations set to boost public transport in Puducherry
With six electric buses arriving in Puducherry last month and 19 more expected by July-end, public transport is likely to get a boost. These buses will likely make the city cleaner and greener. Puducherry is late in buying electric buses, compared with the other Southern States. The measure is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the government-owned Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), and its full transition to electric buses for its operations in urban and mofussil areas by the year-end. The Puducherry government will operate these buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II) Scheme of the Union government. Gross cost contract 'The 25 buses (10 AC and 15 non-AC) are 9-metre vehicles. They will be run on the gross cost contract in the public-private partnership mode. The ₹23-crore seed funding from the Smart City project will be used for the Behind the Meter (BTM) facility, and a major portion of the sum will paid on a per kilometre basis. The buses will ply on 15 tentative routes within urban areas. They will be operated on a viability gap funding model,' says Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar. The charging infrastructure is being readied by Evey Trans Private Limited, a subsidiary of Olectra Greentech, on a 25,000-square foot site belonging to the Puducherry government on Maraimalai Adigal Salai. Official sources say the operator has to bear the cost of hiring drivers, electricity, and maintenance for 12 years. With a single charge, a bus can run up to 200 km. It takes around six hours to charge a bus. The battery-operated buses have a life of 6-7 years. Demand sent to the Centre While the 25 electric buses will ply on designated routes in the urban areas, the Puducherry government has planned to procure 75 more buses under the PM-ebus Sewa scheme. It has submitted the demand to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). According to an official, 'Puducherry plans to run 50 buses on inter-city as well as mofussil routes and the rest on the existing urban routes. Of the 75 AC buses, 50 will be 12 metres long. They will be deployed on inter-city routes. The rest of the buses (9 metres) will be deployed in urban areas.' The official adds, 'States or cities will be responsible for running the bus services and paying the operators. The Central government will support the bus operations by giving subsidies to the extent specified in the scheme.' Under the scheme, the Central government will provide ₹24 per km for a bus deployed on inter-city routes and mofussil routes and ₹23 per km for a bus in urban areas. The Puducherry administration will bear the rest.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Hoshiarpur: 6 police recruits fail dope test, dropped from training batch
Six Punjab Police recruits undergoing basic training at the Police Recruits Training Centre (PRTC) in Jahan Khelan here failed the dope test in a major embarrassment to the force, which is spearheading the 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign across the state. Following the failed test, the names of the recruits have been struck off from the training, officials said. PRTC commandant Jagmohan Singh confirmed that six recruits have been found positive for drugs in a dope test. 'These recruits were undergoing basic training at PRTC, Jahan Khelan, and after the test report, have been reverted to their respective districts. They were part of batch number 270, and these recruits were subjected to the dope test after they showed suspicious behaviour,' Singh said. The tests were conducted on the complaint of the chief drill instructor of the training centre. 'A report from Hoshiarpur civil surgeon confirmed that all the six recruits used drugs,' Singh added. He said following the report, the names of these recruits have been struck off from the training programme. 'Intimation has been sent to the respective police commissionerates and districts. The trainees belonged to Ludhiana, Patiala and Tarn Taran,' Singh said. PRTC officials have requested a de-addiction programme for the said trainees.
