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Big Ten slate features Indiana-Ohio State showdown and Penn State-Minnesota matchup Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference: No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP ) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon ET (Fox) This marks the 98th matchup between these two teams, but it's only the fourth time both teams have been ranked. Although Indiana is unbeaten, its soft schedule means the Hoosiers aren't assured of making the 12-team field if they lose this game. The only team with a winning record that Indiana has beaten is Washington (6-5). Ohio State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times since the Hoosiers posted back-to-back victories in 1987-88. No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) This is likely Penn State's biggest obstacle on its way to a potential playoff berth. The Nittany Lions' lone remaining regular-season game is a Nov. 30 home matchup with Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Minnesota has had an extra week to prepare this game since its 26-19 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 9, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Penn State and Minnesota have split their last four meetings, with the home team winning each time. Penn State DE Abdul Carter has multiple tackles for loss in each of his last three games. He ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision players in tackles for loss (17 1⁄2). Southern California RB Woody Marks rushed for a career-high 146 yards in a 28-20 win over Nebraska. Marks has six 100-yard rushing performances this season. Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai is the first Scarlet Knight to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ray Rice did it three straight years from 2005-07. Monangai has run for 1,028 yards this season and rushed for 1,262 yards last year. Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and had a game-clinching interception as the top-ranked Ducks won 16-13 at Wisconsin last week. He has 8 1⁄2 sacks this season to rank second in the Big Ten. Four of the top seven Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passer rating are from the Big Ten. Indiana's Kurtis Rourke is second, Ohio State's Will Howard is third, Penn State's Drew Allar is fifth and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel is seventh. ... Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. The only Power Four quarterback with a better touchdown/interception ratio while throwing at least 10 touchdown passes is Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Rutgers' three Big Ten wins matches its largest total since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also had three conference wins in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023. A victory Saturday over No. 24 Illinois would give Rutgers three straight Big Ten wins for the first time. ... Washington's 31-19 win over UCLA was its 20th straight home victory, representing its second-longest such streak in school history. The Huskies won 45 straight home games from 1908-17. ... Wisconsin heads to Nebraska this week having won its last 10 matchups with the Cornhuskers. Penn State justifiably is favored on the road against Minnesota, but Bet MGM's 12 1⁄2-point spread seems way too big. Expect this game to have a single-digit margin. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
CRIME SCENE Scene of the Crime Operatives from the Lanao del Norte police office examine the bullet-riddled car of Mark Orlando Vallecer II in Salvador town, where he was ambushed and killed on Monday. —PNP Lanao del Norte photo MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday condemned the separate killings of two acting municipal election officers in Lanao del Norte and Sultan Kudarat provinces, saying both murders were considered election-related. The Comelec said the death of the acting election officer of Nunungan town in Lanao del Norte on Monday was “not only a crime against a public servant but an assault on democracy itself.” Mark Orlando Vallecer II, 51, was ambushed by motorycle-riding gunmen while on his car in the town of Salvador, also in Lanao del Norte, on Monday afternoon. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds on the head and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Lala town. READ: Comelec exec in Lanao del Norte dead in apparent poll-related violence Vallecer drove ahead of a convoy of vehicles carrying Comelec personnel heading to the Salvador town proper for a conference when attacked. According to Nunungan Mayor Marcos Mamay, Vallecer received death threats during the conduct of the barangay and youth elections in October last year but had refused to have security escorts. “Violence has no place in a democratic society. Such acts spread fear, disrupt the electoral process, and undermine the values of justice and freedom that bind us as a nation,” the Comelec said in its statement. It added: “The commission remains steadfast in its mission to uphold free, fair, and peaceful elections. Violence will not deter us, and those who seek to harm democracy will face the full force of justice.” The poll body said it mourned the loss of a colleague “who served with courage and integrity,” as it extended its condolences to Vallecer’s family and loved ones. The commission also said it was in close coordination with law enforcement and “committed to ensuring that the perpetrators of this heinous act are swiftly identified and brought to justice.” “Measures are being taken to expedite the investigation, and we will work tirelessly to prevent similar incidents in the future,” it said. In an interview with reporters, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said the poll body considered election-related the death of Vallecer, as well as the killing last Saturday night of Janeco Allan Pandoy, the assistant election officer of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. Pandoy, who was assigned as the acting election officer of President Quirino town, was on his motorcycle and driving along the national road heading to his residence in President Quirino when he was shot on the head by one of two gunmen riding on a motorcycle. “Whenever somebody from Comelec is injured or have his life taken away, we always consider it election-related even if they say that there might be a personal reason. They will always be referred [in media] as election officer and election assistant, so for Comelec, that’s election related. Therefore, maybe no one has yet to be arrested at present, but it should really be traced that the performance of [their] jobs has something do with the violence done to [them],” Garcia said. The Comelec chief theorized that disgruntled politicians possibly offended by previous actions of the election officers that are perceived to be favoring a rival camp could be behind the killings. “Maybe they can’t face their political opponents, so what they do is to hurt our personnel. That’s cowardice,” Garcia said. He stressed that attacks against Comelec personnel would not cow the poll body. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “When you kill one of our personnel, do you think we would be afraid? We have lots to replace them with. And I will assure that the replacements will be strict and will make sure the election contest is fair in those towns and places,” Garcia added. —with a report from Richel V. UmelDETROIT — Fifty years later, a man who grew up in suburban Detroit tried to return a very overdue baseball book to his boyhood library. The answer: You can keep it — and no fine. Chuck Hildebrandt, 63, of Chicago said he visited the public library in Warren while in town for Thanksgiving, carrying a book titled “Baseball’s Zaniest Stars.” He borrowed it in 1974 as a 13-year-old “baseball nut” but never returned it. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago holds the book “Baseball’s Zaniest Stars,” which was due Dec. 4, 1974, at the Warren, Mich., library, on Dec. 10. “When you’re moving with a bunch of books, you’re not examining every book. You throw them in a box and go,” said Hildebrandt, who lived in many cities. “But five or six years ago, I was going through the bookshelf and there was a Dewey decimal library number on the book. ‘What is this?’” Inside the book was a slip of paper indicating it was due back at the Warren library on Dec. 4, 1974. Hildebrandt told The Associated Press he decided to keep the book until 2024 — the 50th anniversary — and then try to return it. He figured the library might want to publicize the long overdue exchange. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago shows the library slip in the overdue book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" on Dec. 10. He said he recently met library director Oksana Urban, who listened to his pitch. Hildebrandt said he hasn’t heard anything since then, though Urban told the Detroit Free Press that all is forgiven. “Some people never come back to face the music,” she said of patrons with overdue books. “But there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system.” So “Baseball’s Zaniest Stars” is back on Hildebrandt’s shelf. In return, he’s now trying to raise $4,564 for Reading is Fundamental , a nonprofit literacy group. The amount roughly represents a 50-year overdue library fine. Hildebrandt seeded the effort with $457. - Draft: 11th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 457 - Career stats: 214 wins, 3.15 earned run average, 1.08 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 75.0 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1990 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,499 - Career stats: 468 home runs, .303 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 85.3 - Draft: 48th overall pick in 1978 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,001 - Career stats: 431 home runs, .276 batting average, .788 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Aberdeen HS (Aberdeen, Md.) - Wins above replacement: 95.9 - Draft: 19th overall pick in 1983 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 709 - Career stats: 354 wins, 3.12 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 139.2 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 1989 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,322 - Career stats: 521 home runs, .301 batting average, .974 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.) - Wins above replacement: 73.8 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Catcher - Games played: 2,158 - Career stats: 389 home runs, .267 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Binger HS (Binger, Okla.) - Wins above replacement: 75.1 - Draft: 333rd overall pick in 1989 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,543 - Career stats: 612 home runs, .276 batting average, .956 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Illinois Central College (East Peoria, Ill.) - Wins above replacement: 73.1 - Draft: 8th overall pick in 1995 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,247 - Career stats: 369 home runs, .316 batting average, .953 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.) - Wins above replacement: 61.8 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 2004 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 518 - Career stats: 260 wins, 3.25 earned run average, 1.12 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) - Wins above replacement: 81.7 - Draft: 428th overall pick in 1988 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,103 - Career stats: 130 home runs, .299 batting average, .794 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 68.4 - Draft: 29th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,707 - Career stats: 317 home runs, .305 batting average, .857 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: El Segundo HS (El Segundo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 88.6 - Draft: 25th overall pick in 2009 - Position: Centerfielder - Games played: 1,518 - Career stats: 378 home runs, .299 batting average, .991 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Millville Senior HS (Millville, N.J.) - Wins above replacement: 86.1 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 425 - Career stats: 210 wins, 2.48 earned run average, 1.00 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Highland Park HS (Dallas, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 79.7 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 1973 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,856 - Career stats: 251 home runs, .285 batting average, .772 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: William Howard Taft Charter HS (Woodland Hills, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 77.4 - Draft: 55th overall pick in 1969 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 692 - Career stats: 287 wins, 3.31 earned run average, 1.20 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 94.5 - Draft: 295th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 807 - Career stats: 324 wins, 3.19 earned run average, 1.25 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Alvin HS (Alvin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 81.3 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1992 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,747 - Career stats: 260 home runs, .310 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Central HS (Kalamazoo, Mich.) - Wins above replacement: 71.3 - Draft: 96th overall pick in 1976 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 3,081 - Career stats: 297 home runs, .279 batting average, .820 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 111.1 - Draft: 30th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,404 - Career stats: 548 home runs, .268 batting average, .908 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) - Wins above replacement: 106.9 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,986 - Career stats: 762 home runs, .298 batting average, 1.051 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 162.8 - Draft: 86th overall pick in 1977 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,573 - Career stats: 28 home runs, .262 batting average, .666 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 76.9 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1993 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,784 - Career stats: 696 home runs, .295 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Westminster Christian School (Miami, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 117.6 - Draft: 402nd overall pick in 1999 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,080 - Career stats: 703 home runs, .296 batting average, .918 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 101.4 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 2006 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 1,986 - Career stats: 342 home runs, .264 batting average, .804 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 58.6 - Draft: 4th overall pick in 1986 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 486 - Career stats: 211 wins, 3.28 earned run average, 1.22 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.) - Wins above replacement: 67.8 - Draft: 17th overall pick in 1995 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 416 - Career stats: 203 wins, 3.38 earned run average, 1.18 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Arvada West HS (Arvada, Colo.) - Wins above replacement: 64.2 The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever. These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country. Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the players on this list were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections. There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers. Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are " slightly more likely " than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally. To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft pick by each franchise using data from Baseball Reference . The players were ranked using career wins above replacement , so not one recent choice was named. The amazing Mike Trout, a 32-year-old selected in 2009, is the youngest player. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024. - Draft: 31st overall pick in 1984 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 744 - Career stats: 355 wins, 3.16 earned run average, 1.14 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Valley HS (Las Vegas, Nev.) - Wins above replacement: 106.6 - Draft: 76th overall pick in 2007 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,589 - Career stats: 417 home runs, .258 batting average, .874 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 44.3 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 1985 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,976 - Career stats: 284 home runs, .303 batting average, .880 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Miss.) - Wins above replacement: 56.5 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 618 - Career stats: 303 wins, 3.29 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 101.1 Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!The AI revolution has seen some significant players, and Palantir Technologies has emerged as a standout. Once priced at a low of around $6 during the 2022 bear market, the software company’s stock has skyrocketed over the past two years, multiplying its value more than 12 times. But as 2025 approaches, there’s uncertainty about whether this impressive growth can persist. While predicting the future is always challenging, examining Palantir’s business and financial health provides some clues. Palantir’s Growth Drivers The engine behind Palantir’s recent success is largely AI-driven efficiencies. Its platforms, Gotham and Foundry, have long utilized AI, but the launch of the generative AI-driven Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) in 2023 took it to new heights. After introducing this technology through exclusive boot camps, clients reported significant productivity boosts. Notably, an equipment rental firm saw a 12-fold increase in its average revenue retention, leading many industries to secure seven-figure contracts with Palantir. The company’s government contracts have also flourished, especially with the introduction of TITAN, a cutting-edge intelligence ground station. Financial Upsurge The financial implications of Palantir’s advancements are notable. Over the first nine months of 2024, the company experienced a 26% revenue increase, reaching $2 billion. Yet, its operating expenses grew modestly at 9%, while net income surged 229% year-over-year to $383 million. Despite raising its revenue forecast for 2024 to over $2.8 billion, concerns about overvaluation remain. With a trailing P/E ratio of about 368, some investors are wary of the stock’s high price-to-sales ratio. Looking Ahead While Palantir’s software likely promises ongoing growth, the current stock valuation may discourage new investors. The prediction game is risky, but potential buyers might want to observe rather than purchase at this time. Is Palantir Technologies’ Stock Surge Sustainable? An In-Depth Analysis As Palantir Technologies continues to ride the wave of AI-driven growth, investors and market analysts are keenly anticipating the company’s trajectory towards 2025 and beyond. With its stock witnessing an exponential rise from its $6 low in 2022, understanding the factors at play and what the future holds is crucial for both current and potential stakeholders. Key Features and AI Innovations A significant catalyst behind Palantir’s ascent is the expansion and maturation of its AI platforms: Gotham and Foundry. However, it was the introduction of the generative AI-driven Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) in 2023 that truly revolutionized its capabilities and market appeal. Clients engaging in AIP-exclusive boot camps have reported drastic improvements in productivity. Among the notable successes, an equipment rental firm achieved a staggering 12-fold increase in average revenue retention. Moreover, Palantir’s government contracts have been bolstered by TITAN, its sophisticated intelligence ground station, enhancing its reputation and securing long-term partnerships in both public and private sectors. Financial Performance and Market Evaluation Palantir’s financial health has mirrored its technological breakthroughs with robust growth indicators. From the first nine months of 2024, the company saw a 26% rise in revenue, reaching $2 billion. Operating expenses showed a modest increase of 9%, while net income skyrocketed by 229%, climbimg to $383 million. Yet, the significant growth has been met with concerns over valuation metrics like the exorbitant trailing P/E ratio of approximately 368, sparking caution among investors regarding the stock’s high price-to-sales ratio. With a raised revenue forecast exceeding $2.8 billion for 2024, Palantir still faces the challenge of balancing its ambitious growth targets with investor expectations of sustainable valuation. Trends and Insights Palantir’s stock price and market position are at the center of a broader tech-industry trend driven by AI integration and innovation. As more industries pursue digital transformation, Palantir’s comprehensive AI solutions have placed it in a compelling position. However, its high market valuations are closely scrutinized. Investors are likely to observe market trends meticulously before making new commitments to the stock. Predictions and Future Outlook Despite Palantir’s promising growth trajectory, the uncertainty of future valuations suggests potential buyers proceed with caution. The AI sector’s rapid evolution requires continuous innovation and performance to maintain its momentum. Market analysts might advise observing how Palantir navigates these dynamics before making investment decisions. For more insights on Palantir Technologies, visit their official website here .
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Caitlin Clark hits back at Megyn Kelly attacking her over 'white privilege' comments in WNBA success READ MORE: Caitlin Clark is named the TIME athlete of the year for 2024 By JACK BEZANTS Published: 20:40, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 22:29, 12 December 2024 e-mail 34 shares 70 View comments Caitlin Clark has doubled down on her comments about experiencing white privilege, despite being criticized in some corners for her remarks. The WNBA star addressed the issue in an interview with TIME, who named her Athlete of the Year for 2024 in response to her breakthrough year with Indiana Fever. The 22-year-old Clark said the WNBA has 'been built on' black players and that 'as a white person, there is privilege'. It sparked an angry response from Megyn Kelly , who said Clark was apologizing for being white , while Jason Whitlock turned on her in a wild meltdown by saying she had turned ' woke '. But Clark, speaking in New York at the Year in Time event, had no regrets about her comments when asked about the Kelly comments in a conversation with Maria Taylor. 'I grew up a fan of this league from a very young age,' Clark said. 'My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league was about. And like I said, it's only been around 25-plus years. Caitlin Clark has no regrets over her controversial 'white privilege' comments this week Clark was asked about Megyn Kelly criticism at a TIME event in New York this week 'So I know there's been so many amazing black women that have been in this league. And continuing to uplift them, I think is very important. That's something I am very aware of. 'I feel like I've always had really good perspective on things that have happened in my life - whether that has been good or whether that has been bad. 'Coming to the WNBA, like I've said, I feel like I've earned every single thing that has happened to me over the course of my career. 'I just try to be real and authentic and share my truth. I feel like that is very easy for me. I am very comfortable in my own skin and that's kind of been how it is my entire life.' Kelly had bemoaned Clark's so-called 'self-flagellation' in response to her TIME interview. 'She’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation,' Kelly wrote on social media. 'The “oh pls pay attention to the black players who are REALY the ones you want to celebrate.” Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad.' Clark found herself at the center of a race storm during her first season in the WNBA amid accusations that she was the victim of jealousy and bullying . Kelly was furious that Clark, 22, was 'all but apologizing for being white' in her interview Jason Whitlock also turned on Clark too in a furious meltdown on his YouTube channel In one moment that captured the attention across the nation, the Fever star was shoved to the ground by Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter. Some figures, meanwhile, have also claimed that black players are not given the recognition they deserve. 'It doesn't matter how hard I work,' said A'ja Wilson, of the Las Vegas Aces, in May. 'It doesn't matter what we all do as black women, we're still going to be swept underneath the rug.' New York Caitlin Clark Megyn Kelly WNBA Share or comment on this article: Caitlin Clark hits back at Megyn Kelly attacking her over 'white privilege' comments in WNBA success e-mail 34 shares Add commentEXCLUSIVE Three-quarters of police forces are failing to hit 999 call response time targets - so how does YOUR area fare? By RHODRI MORGAN, DATA REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE Published: 13:41, 22 December 2024 | Updated: 13:58, 22 December 2024 e-mail 44 View comments Three-quarters of police forces are failing to meet 999 call time targets, MailOnline can reveal today. Current guidelines state handlers should pick up 90 per cent of calls within ten seconds. Yet just ten of the 43 forces in England and Wales hit this goal over the entirety of the last 12 months. Calling 999 can be a matter of life and death, ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel said. During her time in the role, forces were made to publish 999 answering times because the public 'deserve to know that their local police force will be at the end of the phone, ready to leap into action at seconds’ notice to protect them from harm'. Lincolnshire Police Force topped MailOnline's league table, achieving the sub-10 standard on 93.8 per cent of its 108,000 calls in the 12 months ending October 2024. Gwent Police in Wales and Sussex Police came joint second (93.3 per cent). Leicestershire (92.5 per cent) and Kent (92.3 per cent) rounded out the top five. Your browser does not support iframes. At the other end of the league table ranked West Mercia, which answered little over three-quarters of its calls in within the standard. It was followed by Durham (79 per cent), Essex Police (80.3 per cent), Dyfed-Powys (80.4 per cent) and Wiltshire (80.8 per cent). MailOnline's audit shows there has been a slight improvement from the 12-month period in March 2023-2024, where not a single police force was averaging a sub-10 second answer rate. Call answering time is the time taken for a call to be transferred from BT to a force, and the time taken by that force to pick-up. Between four and seven per cent of all calls are categorised as non-priority and are not connected by BT to a force call handler. Instead, they are are placed in a waiting queue with the caller's consent. Stuart Lister, professor of policing and criminal justice at the University of Leeds, said that forces are struggling to keep up with the volume of call traffic. He told MailOnline that forces have implemented 'various initiatives to try to manage' the demand, which he said was partly fuelled by austerity depleting staffing numbers. He said: 'Police staff re-route non-emergency calls, use automated switchboards, deploy police officers on light-duties to take incoming calls, and have featured in public information campaigns and working with repeat callers. 'These latest figures, however, suggest forces still have some way to go to meet the national standard.' Your browser does not support iframes. Marc Jones, police commissioner for Lincolnshire, told MailOnline the recruitment process is also no friend to turning the numbers round quickly. He said: 'It obviously takes time to recruit and bring new handlers up to speed and it takes at least six months to train up a new handler once employed.' Mr Jones said that his team have specially-trained operators who only answer 101 calls – but not all forces have the capacity to do this and so performance could suffer. He said: 'It’s about prioritisation and it’s about the amount of calls the force are receiving... the online reporting system is still very clunky and needs to be improved. 'This is really about the government waking up and realising there is a significant crisis of funding in policing. 'This isn’t about not being efficient, we have been efficient for many years. Read More EXCLUSIVE How some UK areas now only have one neighbourhood police officer for every 12,000 residents 'We need to invest in the right technology to free up officer and staff time. This is about not doing the job to the standard the public need.' The analysis comes on the back of growing downward pressure across all facets of the UK's police forces staff numbers, operational capacity and prison space. In wake of the far-right riots through August, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that 'disrespect for law and order' in the UK had grown and that many feel that crime no longer 'has consequences'. Rates of visible policing or 'bobbies on the beat' have fallen to near extinction levels in parts of England. Fewer than 10 per cent of the 147,000 workforce are neighbourhood police. Rick Muir, director of the UK's policing think tank, Police Foundation, told MailOnline that the lack of central policing strategy exacerbates regional problems. He said: 'The big challenge is the lack of clarity about what the government wants police to do, because obviously what they have to do varies from place to place. 'To fix response times, the government must prioritise that and make it a clear national goal. 'The police feel that they are being asked to do everything all at once and there is no prioritisation.' Data Wales BBC Priti Patel Share or comment on this article: Three-quarters of police forces are failing to hit 999 call response time targets - so how does YOUR area fare? e-mail Add comment
With no house to call home as temperatures plummet, Richard Tremblay and his dog are attempting to weather another winter without a home. For the past two years, Tremblay, who lives with diabetes, and his dog, Fergus, an American Eskimo, have called his 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe home, and its back seat their bedroom. “I’ll take any chance I can to get into a place in just about any condition, but those don’t exist, at least that I’ve found,” said the 46-year-old former machinist from Welland, who is preparing to hunker down to eke out another season in the vehicle. Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch took up Tremblay’s case in a letter sent to Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday, two days before Ford’s government introduced changes to give municipalities and police more money immediately and powers in legislation to help find shelter and services for homeless people — and punish scofflaws. With homelessness rising and growing numbers of encampments, the province is earmarking an additional $75.5 million for shelters and affordable housing and toughening up trespassing laws . “Enough is enough,” Ford said Thursday. “This has to stop and it will stop. Families deserve to play in and enjoy their parks without fearing for the safety of their kids. “These encampments are taking over public spaces with illegal drug use happening out in the open, creating huge safety risks for people and communities,” said the premier, as critics warned he’s seeking to criminalize homelessness that has grown worse under his watch. Burch’s letter outlined homelessness situations like Tremblay’s, criticizing the premier for “giving mayors permission to tear down tents and move desperate people along,” while offering no real solutions. He chided Ford’s approach to homelessness that suggested people “get an application and drop it off at one of these companies and start working.” Burch said that’s not feasible for unhoused people, who lack the simplest necessities to get a job. “He’s (Tremblay) one of those people who shouldn’t be homeless and if he needs financial assistance to get him through a rough period, it should be enough so he can house and feed himself while he finds a job,” said Burch. People like Tremblay, living in their cars, on friends’ couches or in temporary accommodations without long-term housing stability are considered hidden homeless, and about 15 per cent of unhoused people in Canada are part of that population. Tremblay has experienced ups and downs over the past few years, including multiple hospital stints due to ketoacidosis, complications of diabetes and homelessness. His unhoused journey started in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. After losing his job, he quickly fell behind on rent, resulting in eviction. The premier said his government will earmark an additional $75.5 million on shelters and ensure Tremblay lost most of his possessions when that happened, including sentimental items left by his father. “I lost 80 per cent of everything I owned including all my tax files, all the stuff my mom had given me from my dad when he passed away, things I can’t get back,” he said. Since then, Tremblay has struggled to find accommodations, due to limited employment, help or money, resulting in him taking to his car to survive. It’s tough to find a job, as it requires housing and housing requires having a job, he said. “Ultimately I have no income to support or be a feasible renter in a (landlord’s) eyes,” he said. Tremblay said his 78-year-old mother has helped him, despite his protestations, as he only receives basic needs from Ontario Works of about $350 a month to survive on. Living in his car has impacted his mental health, causing him to isolate from people he knows. “If I’ve recoiled from friends, it’s because they think I’m living in my car by choice because it’s been so long, but that’s not by choice,” he said. In his desperation, Tremblay considered going to a shelter, but was told he would have to leave his dog, as most shelters do not accommodate animals. “There’s no point in me calling any of them, because they will not accept someone with a pet, that’s ridiculous,” Tremblay said. “Pets bring people comfort, half the time they mean more to people than other people, you can understand why they’re called man’s best friend.” Looking for help, Tremblay approached Burch’s office. “Richard is, unfortunately, a fairly typical example of homelessness and an example of how many people are falling through the cracks who may not have ended up homeless in the past, but it’s becoming all too frequent,” said Burch, the NDP’s municipal affairs critic. As wages and social assistance rates stagnate, Burch said more people are having to take drastic measures just to survive. “It’s an example of the connection between housing and homelessness because things have become so bad in Ontario with a lack of affordable housing and options such as co-operative housing, social housing, rent geared to income and those kinds of housing developments,” he said. “So, we’re seeing that connection more between lack of housing and people becoming homeless and living in poverty.” People like Tremblay are falling into a “vicious cycle,” said Burch. “When someone is homeless through no fault of their own, it’s impossible for them to find a job, like the premier seems to think, as they’re spending all their time trying to survive and there’s no time to devote to finding a job.” — With files from the Toronto Star
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