RCDT ENEWS/EVENTS LISTING 13 November 2007
From
ENews/Events
Listing compiled and edited by Sean Creighton, RCDT
A short edition
inc. CCPGL’s request for views on its position
statement on the Stockwell Shooting verdict
and the Met Police Commissioner
Wednesday 14 November -
Sunday 13 January
RESIDENT – a new ‘exhibit’ outside Gasworks
Gasworks has invited Brazilian artist Renata Lucas to respond to its
building and its relationship to the local setting.
Using the residency period as a basis for research and development,
the resulting project creates a double continuity: one between
Gasworks and the neighbouring boundary wall in
Wednesday 14 November
RESIDENT; Preview at Gasworks – see above
Monday 19 November 6.45 for
LIBRARY LORE
For those who love
literature, libraries are equivalent to churches – but the
traditional library is under threat. Peter Conrad’s talk will be a
fond tour of some
favourite libraries, with a detour to look at the way writers use
libraries as settings in 20th-century fiction. His latest book is
Creation: Artists, Gods & Origins. He is also a feature writer/
/book reviewer for The Observer. Friends of Durning Library.
Durning Library, 167
Kennington Lane.Light refreshments.
Everyone welcome. No admission charge, but £2 donation
invited.
Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 November
BOOKSTALL
Secondhand, remainder, some new. Particularly
fiction, politics, history, biography, gardening,
Saturday 24 November
THERE AND BACK AGAIN
International Fellowship artists Gail Pickering, Declan
Clarke, Ben Judd, Melanie Jackson, Rachel Reupke, David Blandy, and
Mark Aerial Waller host an afternoon of discussion, screenings and
performance at Gasworks,
Saturdays 1 & 8 December
GASWORKS LOCAL HISTORY TOURS
Join local historian Sean Creighton and Renata Lucas for
tours of the local area, highlighting architectural histories and
curiosities. The tours will start at Gasworks (no booking
necessary).
The tour of Saturday 8 December will finish at an offsite
performance by residency artists
Juan Linares & Erika Arzt. Throughout their residency at
Gasworks, they have been making informal appearances in and around
Kennington Park Estate, conducting playful research about the uses
of public space. Participants of varying ages have been airing their
views both visually and verbally, which has been the source of
inspiration for a fictional script which is to be performed as a
culminating event in Kennington Park Estate Community Centre. For
Tours meet at
Gasworks,
Monday 10 December. 6.45 for
GIN AND CHRISTMAS PARTY
Desmond Payne, master distiller, runs Beefeater in Kennington, the
last
December
Start of IntoUniversity
Lambeth
project at Centenary Hall,
Cottington St. IntoUniversity runs learning centres for young people
providing sustained academic support, motivation and encouragement
to give all young people a fair chance to realising their potential.
Local centres offer an innovative programme that supports young
people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attain either a university
place or another chosen aspiration. It offers an integrated
programme of out-of-school study, mentoring, aspirational coaching,
personal support, and in partnership with universities,
specially-devised FOCUS weeks, days and weekends. IntoUniversoty:
020 7243 0242.
rcahel@intouniversity.org. www.intouniversity.org
STOCKWELL SHOOTING REPORT.
James Tothill of Community Police Consultative Group for Lambeth
writes: ‘We have now had time to read the Independent Police
Complaints Commission's Stockwell 1 Report of the investigation of
the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. You can find the report
here: http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/stockwell_one.pdf.
CPCG's Board has produced the attached position statement. We are
keen to gauge the view of Lambeth residents and this email gives you
the opportunity to give yours. If you agree with
the statement, you can click this link and simply send a blank
message:
agree@lambethcpcg.org.uk. If you disagree
with the statement, you can click this alternative link and simply
send a blank message:
disagree@lambethcpcg.org.uk . In either case, of course, you can
use the email to give your views at length, should you with, using
either email address.’
Community/Police Consultative Group for Lambeth
STOCKWELL ONE
–INDEPENDENT POLICE COMPLAINTS COMMISSION
(IPCC)
REPORT INTO THE SHOOTING OF JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES
We have now read and studied the IPCCs Stockwell One Report,
published today, which follows the guilty verdict of the Health and
Safety court case last week. Now, the Community-Police Consultative
Group for Lambeth (CPCG) Board is circulating the following
statement to its members in order to canvass their views before the
Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) meets next week:
Our considerations are based upon working alongside the Latin Front,
listening to the views of Lambeth communities and maintaining a
dialogue with the IPCC, whose Chair Nick Hardwick has kept faith
with Lambeth; attending CPCG public meetings on four occasions since
2005, the last time being in July this year to discuss the Stockwell
Two Report. We have also maintained close contact with the
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) throughout, both at borough level
and at New Scotland Yard.
Although the Inquest has yet to be held, the CPCG Board feels that
there are three key issues at this stage:
1.
It is now clear that a catalogue of failures by the
MPS resulted in an innocent man being shot dead. If their suspicions
had been correct the MPS permitted a possible armed terrorist to
travel through the centre of Lambeth with the ability to kill and
maim at will. While at the same time, the real suspect was still at
large and free to cause another atrocity.
2.
Some of the failings identified in the IPCC’s
report were undoubtedly systemic, and some could have been
anticipated. Londoners need to be convinced that the MPS and the MPA
are as shocked as we are by what these reports have revealed, and
that the MPS has the capacity to rectify these deficiencies and
restore our confidence. Regrettably, in spite of his many
contributions to policing in the capital, we do not feel that Sir
Ian Blair is now the best person to lead this. His attempt to
exclude the IPCC from the investigation delayed their start until 27
July, resulting in loss of evidence. Subsequently, the MPS (under
Sir Ian’s leadership) continued to smear Jean Charles de Menezes’
character and reputation up to and during the court case.
3.
The picture painted by the IPCC’s Stockwell Two report was of a
senior command structure in disarray, with senior officers feeling
little compunction to keep the Commissioner informed of the emerging
tragedy for an individual and his family, and also for the standing
of the MPS with Londoners. Sir Ian’s response to the Health and
Safety verdict and the judge’s comments was peremptory, pugnacious
and disingenuous; he appeared to view the trial’s outcome as a
vindication rather than a reprimand. Similarly, his performance
before
4. We believe the recommendations contained in the Stockwell One
Report will, if implemented, serve to improve the capacity of the
MPS to police terrorism. We remain unconvinced by the MPS and others
who argue that the police will be impeded in carrying out their
duties by the Health and Safety verdict. We do, however, accept the
requirement to systematically review the consequences of the verdict
including, if necessary, the need for an explicit legal framework
for the corporate accountability of police forces.
Meanwhile, we are glad that the IPCCs Stockwell One Report has drawn attention to the positive impact in Lambeth of effective police and community working.
Unless stated
editorial comments do not reflect the views of the RCDT Board
RCDT is supported by London Development Agency, and part-funded by Pedlar’s Acre Trust (Lambeth Council)