Fine for Man found with Buzzard in his Freezer!

A warrant executed at an address in Devon resulted in the finding of a dead Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in the freezer of Mr Saleem ALI. Mr Ali claimed that the bird had been given to him by a friend, a claim that could not be disputed as the 'friend' had recently died. The Buzzard was seized and WCO PC Sarah Evans took up the investigation. X-rays showed that the bird had been shot and two pellets were still lodged in its skull. Mr Ali eventually pleaded guilty at the first court hearing on the 11th September 2014 to the offences of Possess live/dead Schedule 1 wild bird and/or its parts and one other firearms offence. He was fined £100 for each offnce and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge and £85 costs. He was also ordered to forfeit and destroy the bird AND his gun!

 

D&C Widlife Crimes Group attend the North Devon Show

 

1000s of birds’ eggs surrendered in Merseyside

Amazingly, this 'Victorian hobby' still exists amongst a small minority! See full story here:

http://www.nwcu.police.uk/news/nwcu-police-press-releases/1000s-of-birds-eggs-surrendered-in-merseyside/

Devon & Cornwall Police Lead Fight Against Wildlife Crime

World Animal Protection (formerly WSPA) has praised Devon and Cornwall Police for being one of the leading forces in the country tackling wildlife crime.

Officers have recently been trained to combat bat persecution and have made significant arrests in an investigation into dog-fighting. Devon and Cornwall are also one of the leading forces in the UK feeding intelligence back to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Vitally, this provides an accurate perspective of wildlife crime intelligence across England and Wales. Read the Full article HERE.

Sgt Dave Knight Retires (Finally!!)

SERGEANT DAVE KNIGHT FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE HAS FINALLY RETIRED AFTER YEARS OF THREATENING TO DO SO.

In 2013 Dave was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to tackling wildlife crime. Dave joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 1989, and has been a wildlife crime officer for more than 15 years. He has been involved in a number of significant cases including one concerning the illegal trade of raptors. He was presented with the lifetime achievement award, which was sponsored by WWF and the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW), at the 25th UK National Wildlife Crime Conference. The award also recognised Dave’s work to engage staff on wildlife crime issues and his efforts to promote a clear understanding of the legislation around wildlife crime. His area of specialism is [or was] Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species the (CITES). He’s going to be a hard act to follow.   

 

Dave writes “I have been working here for over 15 years, investigating wildlife crime offences since 1998, and am very grateful to Devon and Cornwall Police for giving me the opportunity to be a wildlife crime officer. I have met many dedicated PWCO’s from across the UK and have many happy memories from the conferences I attended. I wish you all well in your endeavours to raise the profile of wildlife crime.”

 

Daves post will be filled by Sgt Paul Freestone.