What is Operation Poncho, why not to trust street ... - The Pavement

10 / The Pavement, September 2007
News-in-brief
All you need to know from the Capital, the UK and the World
The City feels Operation
Poncho
City of London police officers,
along with the City’s Drug Action
Team and St Mungo’s, have been
approaching rough sleepers in the
Square Mile to check their welfare.
Since May 2007, the three
groups as part of ‘Operation
Poncho II’ have made contact with
343 rough sleepers in the area.
The official aim of Operation
Poncho is, ostensibly, to check the
welfare of anyone sleeping rough
in the City and to ensure access
to housing and services before
the colder winter months arrive.
A spokesperson for the City of
London Police claimed that, as a
result of this operation, a number
of rough sleepers had taken up
offers of accommodation.
Luton Sinfield, community services
manager for St Mungo’s, said:
“We welcome any initiative that
will help homeless men and women
off the street and into appropriate
accommodation and support.
“Rough sleepers are among
the most vulnerable people in
our society and we are committed
to working in partnership
with all necessary agencies
to aid their recovery.”
However, readers might be
forgiven for failing to thank some of
the people on the Operation Poncho
patrol, as one reader contacted The
Pavement to inform us that the
check ups were taking place at the
very early hours of the morning.
The reader, who was approached
while he slept near St Paul’s, said:
“At approximately 4am, I had a visit
from two police officers informing
me that I could expect to be
woken every day this week because
I was sleeping rough in the City.”
Naomi Glass
Pele’s arms stolen
A young homeless man in
Salvador, north-eastern Brazil, chose
the wrong bronze statue for his
attempt to profit from selling the
increasingly expensive material.
People in the city were unlikely
to miss the arm of the bronze
statue of one of the world’s most
acclaimed footballers and the
country’s home-grown hero, Pele.
For sawing off the arm of the
statue in June this year and stealing
the replica World Cup trophy that
the figure was holding, 19-year
old Jackson Conceicao, could face
four years in prison. Mr Conceicao
sold the material to a scrap metal
yard after stealing it and the
local police said that the metal
made him 100 reals or £27.50
pounds. The life-sized statue of the
footballer, once stood outside the
Fonte Nova stadium in Salvador,
celebrated Brazil’s 1971World
Cup victory against Mexico.
While Mr Conceicao awaits his
trial, the statue will be restored
and moved inside the stadium.
Police are still looking for another
man who would have helped
Mr Conceicao in the theft.
Carlo Svaluto Moreolo
Staffordshire fire claims
two
Two homeless people died during a
fire at a disused factory in Hanley,
Staffordshire, in early July.
The bodies of Jessica Beech
and Darren Asher, both 26, were
found by the local constabulary
one week after the blaze.
It was feared other bodies may
have been found as the building
was known to have been used
by rough sleepers, but forensic
experts said no trace of any
other bodies has been found.
Ten people have been arrested
and bailed during the police investigation
into the fire. “Seven people
were since released, while three
remain on police bail. They are
juveniles aged 17, 13 and 11,” said
Neil Spencer, of Staffordshire police.
Detectives investigating the
death of Jessica and Darren
are appealing to the occupants
of a dark-coloured car seen in
the area to come forward.
“We are keen for the occupants
of the car to come forward
as they may have relevant
information and we can eliminate
them from our enquiry,”
Det Insp Guy Titchener said.
The dark saloon car was seen
where the disused factory was
located, with the headlights on,
for approximately 20 minutes,
before vanishing as fire engines
started to arrive at the scene.
Anyone with any information, is
asked to contact the incident room,
based at Water Street, Newcastle,
on 01785 232800, or Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Clara Denina