Latest news with #Rowley


Spectator
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
The Met must fix London's street crime crisis
It's a statement of the bleeding obvious: London is in the grip of a street crime epidemic. Between 2021 and 2024, knife crime in London increased by 58.5 per cent to 16,789 offences – the highest number ever recorded. Most, about 60 per cent, are robberies, and in a significant proportion of them the item stolen was a mobile phone. Over 81,000 mobile phones were reported stolen in London last year. What has gone wrong, who is responsible and what can be done about it? One of the key insights Policy Exchange reveal in its report today is that knife crime is highly geographically concentrated. Only 4 per cent of neighbourhoods account for over a quarter of all knife crime offences and just 15 per cent of neighbourhoods account for over half of all knife crime offences in the capital. About 20 streets in London's West End near Oxford Circus and Regent Street had more knife crime than nearly 15 per cent of the rest of the capital combined. By taking a 'zero-tolerance' approach to the criminals who stalk these neighbourhoods the police could make a huge dent into the city's overall rates of knife crime, robbery and theft. So why haven't they? Sir Mark Rowley is nearly three years into his five-year term as commissioner of the Met. No one doubts that he inherited a force that was on its knees, with his predecessor having been very publicly pushed out of office. Taking over an organisation at what many believed was its nadir presented Rowley with one key opportunity: the press, politicians and, most importantly, the public would have backed him to take almost any steps necessary if it meant reshaping the Met as the crime fighting force London needs. Yet when the force finally released their new strategic plan almost a year into the Commissioner's term – called 'A New Met' – it was a damp squib. Triangulated, I imagine, with so-called 'stakeholders' – and designed to offend no one – it failed to set a clear crime fighting direction for the country's biggest and arguably most important police force. This pandering to stakeholders is one of the force's biggest strategic mistakes of recent years. (And by 'stakeholders', of course, I'm referring to lobbyists campaign groups whose stated aim is often to advance the cause of people of one identity over another.) At the root of the error is a belief that these organisations have an aim in common with the Met: to improve policing. So often, however, lobbyists limit the police's ability to operate effectively by growing the internal bureaucracy and making crime fighting harder. Until senior officers recognise this, they will continue to be taken for a ride, and the Met will be moved ever further from their core purpose: 'Crime Fighting First'. That the force found time to log nearly 15,000 Non-Crime Hate Incidents over the past five years, while showing such glaring ineffectiveness in tackling actual crime, is emblematic of the Met's deep dysfunction. Policy Exchange was one of the first to call for the abolition of NCHIs in a report published last year and supported by former Met Commissioner Lord Hogan-Howe. The Met's second strategic blunder is their inability to deploy the right resources to the tip of the spear. The Met's senior management have repeatedly said they are making 'tough choices' because of constrained finances – but the force's own numbers show this to be nonsense. There are currently 140 police officers working in the Met's 'Transformation Department', 23 in Human Resources, 21 in the 'Culture, Diversity and Inclusion' Department – the examples of police officers doing these non-jobs goes on. As many as 850 police officers could immediately be redeployed to the frontline away from their comfortable desk sinecures. The Met obsessively panders to 'stakeholders' The Met has admitted that three years ago the force had no effective performance management system, didn't know where all their officers were deployed, had a non-existent workforce planning system and weak financial plans. Were those responsible for overseeing this failing system shown the door? Has any of that sufficiently changed? The reality is that the Commissioner continues to be ill-served by several of his senior team. That he hasn't given some of these people their marching orders is a mystery. The third major problem is to be found just down the river from New Scotland Yard – at City Hall. Sir Sadiq Khan has been Mayor of London for nine years – he is the effective Police and Crime Commissioner for London but the steps he has taken have hamstrung the police in their fight against crime. Prior to his election, Sir Sadiq reportedly said: 'If I'm mayor I'll do all in my power to further cut [stop and search's] use.' The Mayor got his way. Between March 2021 and March 2024, the number of searches fell by 56.4 per cent – that's 175,613 fewer searches. Yet knife crime has increased dramatically and when the effectiveness of stop and search is raised, the response of the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime is dismissive: 'That's contested,' they say. The Mayor's deputy is Kaya Comer-Schwartz, the former leader of Islington Council. In July 2024, according to minutes of a council meeting, she 'expressed pride in pushing back against the disproportionate use of live facial recognition by the Metropolitan Police'. This is a system which has so far led to the arrest of 1,045 wanted suspects – including sex offenders. In March 2023, over a year before the Deputy Mayor's boastful comments, the Met's Live Facial Recognition system was subject to an independent evaluation by the National Physical Laboratory. They found no false positive disparities for black individuals or other ethnic minorities when configured as the force does on operational deployments. With friends like the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who needs enemies? Sir Mark has two years left of his term as Commissioner. With an explicit and unequivocal 'Crime Fighting First' agenda, where the 'stakeholder' blancmange and the 'partnership' bromides are cut adrift, the Met could still become what the public needs. In future years Rowley might be spoken of as the hero who saved the Met, and perhaps even London itself. The alternative isn't worth contemplating.


Elle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
How Cynthia Rowley Spends a Perfect Weekend in Montauk
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. 'When my daughter was born, I had a big house in East Hampton, and all I did was wash towels for friends who came to visit,' says Cynthia Rowley. 'So one day, I got in my car and drove to Montauk, looking for the smallest house for sale.' Twenty-five years later, the designer still calls the small seaside town home. 'There's nothing like the landscape and natural beauty in Montauk,' she says. 'And it's just far enough away that people don't always want to make the trek—which makes it feel really special. It's an escape.' If you do decide to make the drive, though, it's well worth it. Spend your days surfing, swimming, hiking—and truly unplugging. 'The best thing about being there is that we're just on the beach all day, every day,' Rowley adds. 'It's really about being in nature, connecting with it.' Below, her personal guide to the perfect weekend (way) out east. o Uber — Don't drink and drive! o Walk — You can walk along the beach almost anywhere in Montauk, from right in town to Ditch Plains. o Bike — Montauk is a long haul, especially if you only have 48 hours or so. But there's so much beauty to take in, and no better way to see it all. o Marram — Marram is amazing because it's right on the beach. It's kind of secluded, but we love that we get to host our annual Cynthia Rowley Surf Camp there. o Hero Beach Club — Also right by the ocean! o Airbnb — You really can't go wrong with an Airbnb. There are some smaller, more rustic options on the bay side that are cute and mellow. It's a great area for kids—no big waves, just calm water and the most beautiful sunsets. o Joni's — I love the Thai Me Up or the classic egg wrap and a smoothie. o The Surf Lodge — Order the lobster roll with fries. o Monte's at the Manor — Located in the Montauk Manor, which is really haunted (I'm serious). The food is so great though. o John's Drive-In — For the homemade ice cream. I usually do two scoops: Chocolate Oreo Fudge and Toasted Coconut. o Air & Speed — For surf stuff! o Cynthia Rowley — It's a special location—literally a beach shack turned into a store. My beautiful store manager, Maddie, looks amazing in the clothes and is almost always barefoot. Between the good music and the barefoot manager, it's way more laid-back than our other store! We even brought in sand in—the store is actually built right in it. And all summer long, we host an artisanal coffee pop-up. o Farmer's Daughter — Housed in the old White's Drug & Department Store, you'll find its antique clothing collection. o Surf Engstrom — Pick up a Cynthia Rowley wetsuit and go to Marram, where you can sign up for a surf lesson with my friend Leif at Surf Engstrom. One to two hours is good— then have lunch at Mostrador Marram on-site. It's excellent. o Montauk Point Lighthouse — For a scenic walk or hike, be sure to spray yourself for ticks first, then drive out to the Montauk Lighthouse and walk the trails along the ocean. You'll see sea lions sometimes—it's really beautiful. Don't miss the Lighthouse itself at the end, on the very tip of the island. That's why Montauk is called 'The End.' o Westlake Fish House — I recommend ending your night with some live music. There are always bands playing at Westlake Fish House. Montauket and Solé East are great choices too, depending on the vibe you're after.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fig Trees That Grow Rocks From Carbon Discovered in Africa
It's well-known that trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air to create their structure's organic building blocks. Some trees go one step further, converting extra CO2 into limestone within their trunks. Now researchers have found a new example of such a plant that could be a suitable choice for agriculture. These trees can turn this greenhouse gas into calcium oxalate, which microbes then convert to calcium carbonate, aka limestone: the same mineral formed by coral reefs. "We've known about the oxalate carbonate pathway for some time, but its potential for sequestering carbon hasn't been fully considered," says biogeochemist Mike Rowley from the University of Zurich. Related: The international research team focused on three species of figs: Ficus wakefieldii, Ficus natalensis, and Ficus glumosa. While all three species convert carbon dioxide in the air into limestone laced throughout their bark and wood, Ficus wakefieldii performed best in terms of carbon fixation rates. Calcium carbonate tends to remain trapped in soil much longer than organic carbon, so trees that do this could be important allies in slowing climate change. Adding a productive species of food crop to the short list of limestone-producing plants could provide an extra incentive to grow them, too. "If we're planting trees for agroforestry and their ability to store CO2 as organic carbon, while producing food, we could choose trees that provide an additional benefit by sequestering inorganic carbon also, in the form of calcium carbonate," Rowley says. All three fig species grow in the depleted basaltic soils of Samburu country in Kenya. In this dry environment, it is easier for the scientists to track the formation of calcium carbonate. "However, even in wetter environments, the carbon can still be sequestered," Rowley says. "So far, numerous species of tree have been identified which can form calcium carbonate, but we believe there are many more. This means that the oxalate-carbonate pathway could be a significant, under-explored opportunity to help mitigate CO2 emissions as we plant trees for forestry or fruit." The research was presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Prague. Related News Numerous Fossils Reveal Jurassic Fish Killed in Same, Bizarre Way 'Ball Lightning' Caught on Film After Storm in Canada Expired Cans of Salmon From Decades Ago Contained a Huge Surprise Solve the daily Crossword


South Wales Guardian
16-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Utter bull – Paul Rowley denies being told of strike threat by Salford players
It was reported earlier this week that some senior players had threatened to pull out of the Betfred Super League clash following renewed uncertainty around the Red Devils' financial position and had informed club officials, including Rowley, of this. A Rugby Football League spokesperson confirmed to the PA news agency on Tuesday that a meeting was due to take place on Wednesday with players, the club, the RFL and the Rugby League Cares charity in attendance. Rowley clarified his understanding of the situation prior to taking questions at Wednesday's press conference, saying: 'Just a couple of things so you can get it in early… One, I read an article saying I'd been made aware of certain players not playing, etc. 'That's not true, nobody's approached me. I've not had any dialogue or regard in that. That's utter bull. 'Second, RFL are coming in. That was at the request of the players, they've not come in like on a white horse or anything, it's been at the request of the players just for some clarity and some good chat. 'They're kindly doing that, so that's all good. That's not the gravitas that it was made out to be.' The 21-man squad for our trip to AMT Headingley! 🔒 — Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) July 16, 2025 Salford have been operating under salary cap restrictions since the start of the season following a drawn-out takeover process and the late payment of some wages. The club named their 21-man squad ahead of Friday's trip to Headingley, which remains unchanged from the group picked for last week's clash against Castleford – with the exception of three players absent due to injury. Jayden Nikorima, Esan Marsters and Loghan Lewis are all missing after picking up injuries against the Tigers, and Rowley provided an update on their progress. 'Loghan is obviously HIA so he can't play on Friday and the other two boys, they'll definitely be long term,' the head coach said. A second #SuperLeague victory of the season for @SalfordDevils 😈 — Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) July 13, 2025 'Jayden's got a fractured arm, Esan's got damage to his shoulder so we're just awaiting the appointment with a specialist to talk through the results of the scan. 'That's long term, we're not going to see Esan for a while.' In place of those players, Charlie Glover, Finley Yates and Sam Hill have been named in the squad for the Leeds game. Salford will be looking to build on last weekend's 26-22 victory over Castleford, their second Super League win of the season, which ended a 13-game losing run. However, they face a tough test against Leeds, who are fifth in the table.

Rhyl Journal
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Utter bull – Paul Rowley denies being told of strike threat by Salford players
It was reported earlier this week that some senior players had threatened to pull out of the Betfred Super League clash following renewed uncertainty around the Red Devils' financial position and had informed club officials, including Rowley, of this. A Rugby Football League spokesperson confirmed to the PA news agency on Tuesday that a meeting was due to take place on Wednesday with players, the club, the RFL and the Rugby League Cares charity in attendance. Rowley clarified his understanding of the situation prior to taking questions at Wednesday's press conference, saying: 'Just a couple of things so you can get it in early… One, I read an article saying I'd been made aware of certain players not playing, etc. 'That's not true, nobody's approached me. I've not had any dialogue or regard in that. That's utter bull. 'Second, RFL are coming in. That was at the request of the players, they've not come in like on a white horse or anything, it's been at the request of the players just for some clarity and some good chat. 'They're kindly doing that, so that's all good. That's not the gravitas that it was made out to be.' The 21-man squad for our trip to AMT Headingley! 🔒 — Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) July 16, 2025 Salford have been operating under salary cap restrictions since the start of the season following a drawn-out takeover process and the late payment of some wages. The club named their 21-man squad ahead of Friday's trip to Headingley, which remains unchanged from the group picked for last week's clash against Castleford – with the exception of three players absent due to injury. Jayden Nikorima, Esan Marsters and Loghan Lewis are all missing after picking up injuries against the Tigers, and Rowley provided an update on their progress. 'Loghan is obviously HIA so he can't play on Friday and the other two boys, they'll definitely be long term,' the head coach said. A second #SuperLeague victory of the season for @SalfordDevils 😈 — Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) July 13, 2025 'Jayden's got a fractured arm, Esan's got damage to his shoulder so we're just awaiting the appointment with a specialist to talk through the results of the scan. 'That's long term, we're not going to see Esan for a while.' In place of those players, Charlie Glover, Finley Yates and Sam Hill have been named in the squad for the Leeds game. Salford will be looking to build on last weekend's 26-22 victory over Castleford, their second Super League win of the season, which ended a 13-game losing run. However, they face a tough test against Leeds, who are fifth in the table.