Private security and social control: the private security sector in the United Kingdom, its commercial functions and public accountability.

This thesis examines the growth and significance of private security in the United Kingdom. It details the broad commercial functions and lack of public accountability of the private security sector and draws out the implications for civil liberties and public policy. This is a subject which has been seriously neglected in criminology, sociology and related disciplines in Britain. This thesis is the first (publicly available) criminological study of private security in Britain to bring together such a range of material and concerns. It draws upon original 'case-study' observational field-work and on interviews with a wide range of respondents, in private security, the police, Parliament, journalism, trade unions, civil liberties groups and academia. Extensive literature review and collaborative work with various involved parties also support the research. An introductory chapter provides background to the research and outlines the structure of the thesis. The second chapter presents two ‘case studies’ based upon the observational field-work, discusses aspects of methodology and draws out those points which broadened the nature of the research project and those which have particular relevance for subsequent chapters. The next chapter discusses the range and activities of the private security sector. The chapter on the issue of licensing examines 'causes for concern', present arrangements for self-regulation, the role of the professional associations and of the Home Office, considers the experience of other jurisdictions and generally presents the case for public regulation and accountability. A theoretical chapter charts the conditions conducive to the post-war growth of private security, takes issue with previous theoretical accounts and develops an analysis in which political relations with and within the state are forefronted. A concluding chapter offers cautionary comments on the limits and desirability of some possible future developments and adds thoughts on one possible avenue for policy development

Green criminology and dirty collar crime.

Among all organisms inhabiting the planet, only humans generate masses of non-reducible waste. The problems of waste management and rubbish disposal are absolutely central and yet generally overlooked issues for a hyper-consumer society. These problems lead to uncomfortable questions and as with Al Gore's message about the challenge posed to human society by climate change, at the heart of these questions there is an „inconvenient truth about the crisis of waste that „rubbish society" brings with it and that urgently needs to be addressed (O'Brien, 2007; Girling, 2005). According to Rosenthal (2008), across continental Europe and in the USA, … longstanding landfill sites are filling up quickly, and in Europe's small spaces there is little room for new ones. The problem has made it imperative for European nations to cut their waste. By 2020, the European Union will require member nations to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills to 35 percent of what it was in 1995. It has already begun severely restricting and reducing the use of landfills, aka garbage dumps, because of the host of health and environmental problems they produce. But none of this will be easy. Italy, Spain, Greece and Britain each still send more than 60 percent of their garbage to landfills. A recent study found that they, as well as Ireland and France, are unlikely to meet those long-term landfill targets. In 2006, the United States sent 55 percent of its waste to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Responding to the „inconvenient truth of impending waste management collapse will require changes in individual and social behaviours. In turn, such changes will require motivation, perhaps based on the exercise of incentives, encouragements to compliance or forms of regulation. This is necessary because finding workable and palatable alternatives to mass consumerism and hence mass waste production is harder and less attractive than engaging in denial and employing techniques that help us to neutralise – at least psychologically – the scale and significance of the problem (Sykes and Matza, 1957). However change is also difficult for other reasons, not least because waste disposal is highly profitable big business and attractive to both legitimate and illegitimate enterprises. In short, waste generates „dirty capitalism" and „toxic crimes"

An Assessment of Tonry and Farrington?s Four Major Crime Prevention Strategies as Applied to Environmental Crime and Harm

To apply the findings and debates arising from the “mainstream ” literature on crime prevention to the increasingly urgent issue of crimes and harms that damage the environment. This is also a missing dimension in the rapidly growing field of green criminology. Design/Methods/Approach: The method is literature review, including analysis and synthesis of earlier summaries and typologies. Search and selection was aimed at identifying different forms of and strategies for crime prevention that might then be applied to environmental harms and crimes. This leads to a discussion of key findings and models in relation to the theoretical and practical concerns of green criminology. Findings: Examining theory and practice concerning the prevention of environmental crimes and harms opens up important new questions and projects for criminology. The framework explored holds promise but in the future a passive prevention approach will need to be supplemented by active interventions to discourage environmentally damaging behaviours. Research Limitations/Implications: The process of studying prevention of environmental crimes and harms is still in its infancy and requires further work. It is clear that there are obstacles both to further research and to implementation of measures, however, due to the fact that powerful commercial and political interests may not wish to draw attention to such crimes and harms, may prefer light-touch systems of regulation, and may contest attempts to publicise or prosecute offences. Practical Implications: Measures taken to protect persons and property have a long history but a focus on how to prevent individuals and groups from committing crime is more recent. Green criminologists frequently extend their concerns beyond crime and harm covered by existing (criminal) law and, as such, the preventio

An Analysis of the Identification and Management of Frequent Users of Urgent and Emergency Healthcare.

Background There is a dearth of literature available that examines the characteristics of frequent users of urgent and emergency healthcare. Most research and literature explores this population by focusing within one clinical service rather than throughout the whole urgent and emergency healthcare system in England. The aim was to examine how frequent users of: Out of Hours General Practitioners; NHS 111; Ambulance Services; and Emergency Departments are defined, what thresholds are used to identify them and what approaches are used to manage this population. Method A systemic mapping exercise was undertaken to capture a wide range of data to gain a comprehensive understanding of how these services are currently working with regard to frequent users. The search provided 5094 articles which were screened against the inclusion criteria, leaving 156 articles to be analysed. Data was extracted and thematic synthesis created four main themes: typology with regard to definitions assigned; threshold variance; separation of the main population into subgroups; and case management approaches. Results The systematic mapping exercise revealed that diverse definitions and thresholds were being employed by all services; the language used to describe these individuals was often negative and subjective. A single definition of High Intensity User (HIUs) has been selected and advocated for standardisation within all services. This transposable terminology and identification process will aid in supporting and managing patients within all these services. A taxonomy of HIUs has been developed from this research to sub-divide the main heterogeneous group into 5 main classification groups. This meets a gap in current knowledge. Conclusions The standardised identification process and taxonomy will facilitate interoperability and clarity between clinicians, thus benefitting the patient and their outcome. The support and management of HIUs will become more comparable between all urgent and emergency services and within the research community

Improving rejection rates for amendments received from regional vital records offices -- CPM Project

This projects focuses on records management and improving the systems within the Division of Vital Statistics in the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Specifically, the Vital Records Certification team is tasked with the housing and issuance of accurate legal certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce records