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16-year-old killed in Southall stabbing named

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The victim of a fatal stabbing in Southall has been named as detectives continue to appeal for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

While formal identification is yet to take place, the victim has been confirmed as Rishmeet Singh, 16, who was from the local area. His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

A murder enquiry was launched after police were called to Raleigh Road at 21:07hrs on Wednesday, 24 November after reports of a stabbing that followed a fight involving a group of people.

Officers attended along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and found Rishmeet with stab wounds.

Despite the efforts of the emergency services, he died at the scene a short time later.

A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

There have been no arrests at this stage but enquiries are ongoing as part of an investigation being carried out by homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley, who is leading the investigation, said: “My thoughts and those of my team are with Rishmeet’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. I want to reassure them and the wider community that we are working around the clock to bring the person, or people, responsible for Rishmeet’s death, to justice.

“I want to take this opportunity to reiterate my appeal for anyone who was in the area around Raleigh Road just after 9pm on Wednesday and saw this incident to get in contact. You may have vital evidence that could help us progress this investigation.

“I would also ask local residents in the area, or road users who were around Raleigh Road at the time of this attack, to check any footage they may have captured on doorbell, dashboard or CCTV cameras. If you can help, please get in touch.”

Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, head of policing for Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon said: “Rishmeet’s family have been devastated by his death and my thoughts are with them. Specialist detectives continue to work at pace to find out who was responsible for this attack. I would also add my appeal to the public to get in touch if they have any information that could help the investigation.

“I know that this tragic incident will have understandably shocked the local community and our officers throughout the West Area share that shock. We remain committed to working with the local community to address any concerns they may have.

“Residents across Hounslow, Hillingdon and Ealing can expect to see an increased policing presence over the coming days and I would encourage anyone who has concerns to please speak to officers.”

A Section 35 dispersal order – which gives officers powers to direct people to leave an area – has been authorised until 14:29hrs on Sunday, 28 November in Southall Broadway, Southall Green, the Havelock Estate, Uxbridge town centre and Hayes town centre.

Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call the incident room on 0208 721 4266 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD 7200/24NOV. Alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Any young people who have information about violence, firearms or knife crime, can visit Fearless where they can pass on information anonymously – your I.P address will not be traced. Fearless is part of the Crimestoppers charity, and is also independent of the police.

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Man charged with six Terrorism Act offences

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man is due in court Monday, 28 November charged with terrorism offences.

Elias Djelloul, 21 (21.01.2002), of east London, was charged on Saturday, 27 November with six counts of dissemination of terrorist material (contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006).

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 28 November.

Djellou was arrested on Friday, 26 November by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

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It only takes a moment to make a report online. In an emergency, or if you need urgent police assistance, you should always dial 999. You can also report suspicious activity by contacting the police in confidence on 0800 789 321. Every year thousands of reports from the public help the police keep communities safe from terrorism.

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Appeal to identify man after Pitbull-type dogs fatally injure another dog

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police are appealing for help to identify a man after two dogs attacked and killed another dog in a park in Brent.

Between 10:30hrs and 11:00hrs on Sunday, 7 November, two Pitbull-type dogs were off their leads in an open space directly to the south east of the Fryent Country Park Car Park, known as ‘the amphitheatre’ off Fryent Way, Kingsbury, Wembley.

The two dogs, described as light brown/caramel in colour, with white patches, carried out a sustained attack on another dog, causing fatal injuries.

The dog’s owner, described as a man in his 20s, who was wearing a distinctive multi-coloured puffa jacket, with orange sleeves, a yellow top section and a dark green/blue body, left the scene without providing any details.

PC Will Jennings, the investigating officer, said: “I would appeal to anyone who knows the man pictured to contact police.

“The owner of the dog that was killed has been left extremely distressed by the loss of their much-loved pet. 

“We are also concerned the dogs that carried out the attack are aggressive and uncontrolled and want to stop this happening again in the future.”

Anyone who recognises the man pictured, or who has other information, is asked to call police on 101, quoting 4962/07NOV.

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Serial burglar who posed as a police officer jailed

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A serial burglar has been jailed after he gained entry into a dozen vulnerable and elderly people’s homes by tricking them into believing he was a police officer.

David Kerrigan, 38 (14.03.83), of no fixed address, was sentenced to nine years and 10 months’ imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 26 November.

He pleaded guilty at the same court on Tuesday, 2 November to 12 counts of burglary and one count of racially aggravated harassment.

The court heard that between, Tuesday 4 April 2020 and Sunday, 2 August 2020, Kerrigan carried out a spate of distraction burglaries where he posed as a police officer in a bid to gain his victim’s trust and access their home. Kerrigan targeted elderly and vulnerable victims between the ages of 61 and 96 across London.

On each occasion Kerrigan wore dark coloured clothes and produced a fake warrant card and told the elderly victims that he was a police officer. He would then tell them a fabricated story about two people being arrested nearby with stolen property and would ask to go inside to check if any of the items had been stolen from their house.

His victims fell for the rouse and invited him in, allowing him free reign of their home where he would search the rooms for anything to steal. Sometimes he would ask the victims where they kept their cash to make the job of stealing it even easier.

In total, he stole wallets and purses which contained approximately £4,000 in cash as well as jewellery and watches. He also stole bank cards which he then used in local shops spending below £35. He was caught on CCTV in the shops using the cards. None of the property was ever recovered.

Detectives from the North East area’s CID, which covers Newham and Waltham Forest, were investigating burglaries in the boroughs when they noticed a few of them had the same motive – a man posing as a police officer with the same bogus story.

They then looked at crimes across the Met and found a series across London that all used the same technique. Detectives were now confident that the same man was responsible for them all, they now just had to work out who that man was.

Detectives from six Basic Command Units across the Met where Kerrigan offended worked together to carry out comprehensive enquiries, including reviewing CCTV and previous cases.

It was a historical case from 2013 in Hertfordshire that Detective Sergeant Keith Faris remembered that gave the team their breakthrough when they were able to find a familial link to Kerrigan. Detectives then reviewed the CCTV from the shops and the victims’ homes which confirmed the suspect was Kerrigan.

With enough evidence collected, officers arrested Kerrigan on 12 August 2020 and took him to a north London police station to interview him.

Kerrigan refused to go to the interview room and as a result was interviewed about the offences in his cell. Kerrigan remained silent throughout the interview, lying awake on his bed, until he suddenly jumped up and threatened the interviewing officer telling her she had ‘two seconds to leave the cell, or else.’

The officer left the cell and advised Kerrigan the interview would continue through the wicket.

Kerrigan then shouted racist abuse at the officer and he was subsequently further arrested for racially aggravated public order.

He was charged on Friday, 14 August and convicted as above.

The burglaries he was convicted of took place in Golders Green, N16, Gunnersbury, W4, Chiswick, W4, South Tottenham, N15, East Ham, E6, Kensington, W11, Acton, W3, Leyton, E17, Brent Park, NW10 and Walthamstow, E17.

Detective Sergeant Keith Faris, who led the investigation, said: “This was a fantastic effort by my team, whose hard work resulted in Kerrigan having no choice but to plead guilty due to the overwhelming evidence they uncovered.

“Kerrigan preyed upon the elderly and vulnerable and abused their trust by posing as a plain clothed police officer to walk away with their hard earned money and valuables. We will not tolerate this type of offending and we will robustly target and bring to justice those who think they can take advantage of the vulnerable and elderly.

“Once Kerrigan had been caught, he vented his frustration by racially abusing an officer. While police officers appreciate that an unfortunate part of their job is being subject to verbal abuse, racism is never acceptable and we will robustly deal with anyone who racially abuses officers or members of the public.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to remind the public to be vigilant against distraction burglars, who often prey on the elderly and vulnerable.

“Distraction burglars pose as someone with fake ID or a uniform to gain your trust and access your home under a false pretence to steal.

“They could say they need to check your meters, fix plumbing leaks, or virtually any official reason to enter your home – including posing as a police officer.

“Utilise your spyhole or door chain where possible and always remember to ask for an ID badge or paperwork. If you are in doubt, call the official number for the company they say they are from – do not call a number they give you – or contact the police.

“If they say they are a police officer, ask to see their warrant card and ask for their name and warrant number. If you are still in doubt, call the police on 101 to clarify what they are telling you is the truth or get the lone plain-clothed officer to use our new system, which they will be aware of, to video call a uniformed supervisor in one of our police operations rooms to provide verification and properly record the encounter (news.met.police.uk/news/changes-to-how-lone-officers-identify-themselves-to-lone-women-435974). Any genuine police officer there for legitimate reasons would not mind you doing this, and would in fact encourage it.”

Top tips to protect against distraction burglary.
 Always:

– Check who is at your door through the window or spyhole

– Use the door chain if you do not recognise the person

– Ask for ID or documents – genuine employees will have these

– If unsure – call the company the person says they are from and ask them to confirm employment

– Anyone claiming to work for the Metropolitan Police Service will have a warrant card and can be confirmed by calling 101

– If you suspect a crime – call 999 or 101

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Coast Guard searches for possible migrants in the water, following rescue of 10 Haitians from disabled vessel near Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Source: United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard searches for possible migrants in the water, following rescue of 10 Haitians from disabled vessel near Mona Island, Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard cutters and helicopters crews continue to search for possible migrants in the water Friday, following the rescue of 10 Haitian migrants Wednesday from a disabled vessel near Mona and Monito Islands, Puerto Rico.

At this time, search efforts have revealed no signs of people in the water.

Coast Guard watchstanders received a VHF marine radio communication on Channel-16 at 3:28 p.m. Wednesday from the fishing vessel Jerimar, reporting the sighting of a possible migrant vessel two nautical miles north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico.  Watchstanders at Sector San Juan directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless to search.

Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard aircrew located the migrant vessel disabled and adrift, and vectored-in the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless to its position.  The crew of the Dauntless safely embarked 10 migrants from the disabled vessel, one man and nine women.  The migrants, who were tired, fatigued and cold, from voyage, reported their vessel became disabled after striking the rocks in the area near Mona Island.  Following the allision with the rocks, eight of the migrants and the smuggler reportedly jumped from the vessel and tried to swim to shore.   The survivors also reported that two other migrants, wearing heavy clothes, fell from the vessel and could not swim.

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

Coast Guard crews are working with local authorities and the U.S. Border Patrol to investigate if any of the migrants from this case safely reached shore on Mona or Monito Islands.

Coast Guard assets involved in the search are:

  • Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless
  • Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle
  • MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Borinquen

The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Pensacola, Fla., while the cutter Joseph Doyle is a fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

-USCG-

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Coast Guard rescues 12 Venezuelan migrants from a disabled 18-foot skiff, approximately 20 miles southeast of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Source: United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard rescues 12 Venezuelan migrants from a disabled 18-foot skiff, approximately 20 miles southeast of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands


Editor’s note: Click on image to download.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard surface and air units combined efforts to locate and rescue 12 migrants from a disabled 18-foot skiff in waters southeast of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The rescued migrants reportedly were traveling with two other migrant vessels, when their vessel became disabled and separated from the group.

“Thanks to the quick response and great coordination between fellow partner agencies, our watchstanders and Coast Guard responding units, all 12 lives were saved in this case,” said Chief Petty Officer Luis Cabrera, Boat Forces Detachment St. Thomas chief supervisor. “Despite the successful rescue, we cannot lose sight of the dangers associated with illegal migrant voyages. These voyages most often take place aboard grossly overloaded vessels with little or no lifesaving equipment.  For anyone considering taking part in an illegal voyage, don’t take to the sea! The risk is just not worth it and not doing so could just save your life.”

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a call at 4:53 a.m. Thursday from a 911 Emergency Service operator, who relayed a report from local police that multiple agencies had apprehended 30 migrants, mostly Venezuelan nationals, from two vessels that made landfall at Bolongo Bay in St. Thomas.  The apprehended migrants reported there was a third migrant vessel disabled and adrift, approximately 20 miles southeast of St. Thomas.

Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of a MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen and two 33-foot Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement from Boat Forces Detachment St. Thomas to search for and rescue any survivors.  Approximately four hours later, the crew of the Coast Guard helicopter located the disabled vessel with the migrants safely onboard and vectored-in the Coast Guard boat crews to their position.  The migrant survivors, 10 men and two women, were safely embarked aboard the Coast Guard vessel and transported to St. Thomas.

For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

-USCG-

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Seeking Information Regarding Bank Robbery in Pembroke Pines, Florida

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

The FBI is seeking information regarding a bank robbery that took place today, November 24, 2021, at approximately 1:10 p.m. at a Chase Bank branch located at 710 N. University, Pembroke Pines, Florida.

A robber entered the bank and demanded money from a bank employee. There were customers in the bank at the time of the robbery; there were no injuries. The amount of money taken will not be released at this time.

The FBI issues press releases for matters of public safety and/or requests for public assistance/information.

Anyone with information about this robbery or an FBI investigation is urged to call (754) 703-2000.

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Women in STEM: Enhancing the Nuclear Safety Culture

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Maria Josefa Moracho Ramirez, Senior Safety Officer, takes the floor at the Technical Meeting on EPREV (Emergency Preparedness and Response Peer Review Service) in October 2019. (Photo: IAEA)

“The concept of a ‘safety culture’ is something that I identified for myself as very important, early on in my career,” says Maria Moracho Ramirez, Senior Safety Officer at the IAEA. “It relates to a culture of behaviour, and if you’ve been a trainer, you know that training for influencing behaviours is very complicated.”

In organizations dealing with nuclear and radioactive material, a strong safety and security culture helps to prevent accidents, as well as intentional acts that could lead to theft of nuclear material and/or harm the facility. It refers to the way in which safety and security is perceived, valued, prioritised and integrated into organizations. It involves leadership and other human factors. “Developing effective training to influence culture and change behaviours is challenging,” Moracho Ramirez says, “because it is quite different from explaining, for example, the design of a nuclear power plant, which follows a more straight-forward flow and can also be demonstrated physically.”

Not one to back away from a challenge, at the IAEA Moracho Ramirez has pioneered the concept of the IAEA’s first-ever IAEA International School on Nuclear and Radiological Leadership for Safety. The school focuses on fostering a culture of safety and on demonstrating the links between leadership and safety. Since its launch in 2017 it has attracted more than 200 early to mid-career nuclear professionals.

“Before the school, safety publications tended to relate more to ensuring effective management systems, rather than the role of leadership in effective nuclear safety. With the School we introduced this focus, and combined it with interactive, experiential learning, based on real life nuclear related scenarios,” she says.

From physics to nuclear

Moracho Ramirez has spent nearly 30 years working in the nuclear field, but it wasn’t nuclear technology itself that first captured her interest in science and technology. Her real passion, since childhood, was for applied physics. “Physics is very connected to nature, and I liked to observe, gather information and use it to build patterns,” she says. “While mathematics was, for me, a bit too disconnected from nature, I had the feeling that physics would help me understand the ‘why’ of natural phenomena around me.”

She was first introduced to nuclear technology while studying applied physics at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). “I was particularly fascinated by nuclear energy because of our ability to produce such a huge amount of energy,” she says. Moracho Ramirez went on to complete a master’s degree in nuclear engineering and in 1993 joined Spain’s Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) as an assessor and inspector in Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSAs) of nuclear power plants.

Her interest in the way in which machine and human interaction impact nuclear safety began in 1995, when she moved to Norway as a guest scientist at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency to conduct research on human and behavioural factors influencing complex human-machine interactions. “There was a nuclear power plant simulator, and I worked with a group of scientists, professors, psychologists and senior regulators carrying out scenario-based experiments, for example, nuclear power plant accidents, to determine the interaction among the people involved and see the kind of linkages between human and machine actions, and how they could be more effective,” she says.

In 1999, Moracho Ramirez joined the European Commission as the scientific secretary of the former European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group and contributed to the nuclear safety evaluations within the framework of the EU’s enlargement negotiations with several countries that had nuclear power plants. In 2003, she returned to the CSN in Spain, to focus on gathering operational experience feedback in nuclear installations and collaborate with the Reactor Harmonisation Working Group of the Western Nuclear Regulatory Authorities (WENRA).

Joining the IAEA

Moracho Ramirez joined the IAEA in 2006 as a Nuclear Safety Officer and spent a number of years carrying out nuclear installation safety training for regulators. “My job was very much related to building regulatory knowledge and competence in countries looking to embark on nuclear power programmes,” she says. “So my attention was on effective training – not just presenting the IAEA’s safety standards, but identifying the gaps between the book and the application.” Over the past 15 years, she has conducted 55 nuclear safety workshops and assistance missions all over the world, promoting the safety requirements and facilitating knowledge transfer.

Since taking on the role of Senior Safety Officer at the IAEA in 2015 and launching the leadership school in 2017, Moracho Ramirez’ role has broadened to include coordinating work to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of IAEA peer review and advisory services.

“Maria’s excellent analytical skills, diligence, strategic and innovative thinking are remarkable qualities that support a number of activities,” said Shahid Mallick, Acting Director of the IAEA Office of Nuclear Safety and Security Coordination. “Her role in the IAEA School on Nuclear and Radiological Leadership for Safety – which she conceived, developed and brought to implementation in just six months – was nothing short of an excellent feat, and the course is recognised and admired by our Member States as a significant support in the area of nuclear safety.”

For her part, what Moracho Ramirez enjoys most about working at the IAEA is the global nature of the work. “I love working in an environment where we can look at aspects related to nuclear safety from a global perspective and to be able to give guidance based on the wealth of knowledge we have gathered from hundreds of experts with different perspectives, from across the globe,” she says.

The IAEA’s commitment to gender equality

The IAEA strives to increase the representation of women both in the nuclear field in general and in the IAEA in particular, having committed to achieving gender parity – 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women – in the Agency’s professional and higher categories by 2025. Read more about the IAEA’s work on gender equality. Click here to see current IAEA vacancies.

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IAEA Mission Sees Safety Commitment by Russia’s Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant, Encourages Continued Improvement

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said the operator of Russia’s Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) demonstrated a commitment to safety in areas such as severe accident management training and the promotion of safety culture. The team also identified areas for further enhancement, including proposals related to the plant’s operating experience programme, maintenance and operation.

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) concluded on 25 November an 18-day mission to the Kalinin NPP, which is located about 330 km north of the capital Moscow. The mission was requested by the Russian Government. Kalinin NPP is operated by Rosenergoatom and consists of four 1000-megawatt electric (MWe), VVER-type light water reactors which started commercial operation in 1984, 1986, 2004 and 2011 respectively.

OSART missions aim to improve operational safety by objectively assessing safety performance using the IAEA’s safety standards as a basis and proposing improvements where appropriate.

“The OSART team witnessed a strong commitment to safety by plant management and staff,” said team leader Ronan Cavellec, IAEA Senior Nuclear Safety Officer. “After the review of safety operations at the plant, the team identified several areas of improvement for plant management aimed at further enhancing operational safety.”

The 10-member team comprised eight experts from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Slovak Republic, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and two IAEA officials.

The review covered the areas of leadership and management for safety, training and qualification, operations, maintenance, technical support, operating experience, radiation protection, chemistry and accident management.

The team identified a number of good practices that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

  • The operating organisation strengthens stress management and decision-making skills of staff by involving two psychologists during severe accident management exercises.
  • The operating organisation promotes safety culture among all personnel by encouraging staff to act as “safety culture ambassadors” who proactively communicate and seek feedback on safety related topics.

The mission also made several proposals to improve operational safety, including:

  • The plant’s operating experience programme should enhance the identification of root causes of events and the verification of the effectiveness of corrective actions to prevent the recurrence of events.
  • The plant should consider improving the preventive maintenance arrangements for important non-safety equipment.
  • The plant should consider enhancing its practices for equipment labelling.

“We consider international peer reviews to be an important element in improving nuclear safety. Exchanging best practices and learning from other plants is highly valuable for all of us in the nuclear industry. The overall outcomes and areas for further development from this OSART review will be included in the continuous improvement program of the Kalinin power plant operations.” said Victor Ignatov, the Kalinin Plant Director.

The team provided a draft mission report to the plant’s management. The Rosenergoatom plant management and the Russian Federal Supervision of Nuclear and Radiological Safety (Gosatomnadzor), which is responsible for nuclear safety oversight in Russia, will have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. These will be reviewed by the IAEA and the final report will be submitted to the Government of Russia within three months.

The plant management said it would address the areas identified for enhancement and requested a follow-up OSART mission in about 18 months.

Background

More information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA Website. An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant’s overall safety status.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.