Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The police strikes that have reduced the number of small fines handed out by police in Vaud has come to an end, and while a similar slowdown in Geneva continues, talks between the city and its police force appear to be making headway.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - When Geneva’s police go on strike, they do it gently. Their slowdown dating to last week continues in protest against the canton’s decision not to pay them a Euro 2008 football cup bonus for overtime.
Euro 2008 tears for police
Geneva, Switzerland (Tribune de Geneve, Fre) - Police in Geneva, like their colleagues in Lausanne, have agreed to stop handing out fines for minor infractions in protest against the city’s decision not to pay them an expected CHF2,500 bonus for their Euro 2008 work.
Renens, Vaud, Switzerland (20 Minutes, Fre) - “Oups!” as the photo caption says: a police car in Renens went nose first into a large hole in the street, apparently when the area around underground piping collapsed.
Lausanne, Switzerland (24 Heures, Fre) - A cantonal commission is meeting today with the heads of the cantonal police and the gendarmerie to put an end to tensions and what 24 Heures describes as a quarrel between the two men that has been worsening over the past six years.
Politicians in the UK are arguing over whether Sir Iain Blair, the country’s top police chief, resigned because of political pressure from London’s conservative mayor, and whether or not the correct procedure was followed by Boris Johnson, the mayor. BBC
Lausanne, Switzerland (24 Heures, Fre) - Police and cantonal authorities met Wednesday and failed to reach agreement on pollice salaries as well as payment for the overtime officers put in during the Euro 2008 games. As a result, the refusal by police to issue minor traffic tickets, whose fines are an important source of cantonal revenue, continues.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - It’s not just investors who are having a bad money day: two thieves in Geneva were caught redhanded as they were rummaging through a woman’s bag they had stolen in a restaurant across from the Cornavin train station.
Lausanne, Switzerland (Le Temps, Fre) - Vaud’s police officers have taken off their badges, are refusing to hand out small fines or to check truck weights in protest over pay issues.
Geneva, Switzerland (20 Minutes/ATS, Fre) - Police in Geneva are billing the canton CHF12.1 million for their security work during the Euro 2008 games, a sum that covers more than three times the budgeted number of hours. Geneva had estimated that 40,000 hours of overtime would be needed; the police worked 125,000 extra hours, at 140% pay.
Geneva, Switzerland (20 Minutes, Fre) - A man apparently planning to jump from a Montbrillant bridge onto the train tracks was stopped by emergency services, with the police and fire brigades out in force, Sunday night. Police told 20 Minutes that the large suicide-prevention team’s involvement is justified when it comes to saving a life.
Switzerland (Le Matin, Fre) - The St Maurice A9 autoroute tunnel has irritated many drivers since major roadworks began in April 2008 because for several kilometres the speed limit drops to 80kph. Read more…
Bern, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) - The Swiss government has confirmed to TSR, public television, that it was aware of spies planted by Securitas, the security firm, in an anti-globalization group during the G8 summit in Evian, France in 2003. The confirmation from the Federal Police and Justice Department appears to refer to a case uncovered in early September by TSR. Read more…
