A controversial measure announced on Monday will allow officers to stop and search people without reasonable grounds. Police chiefs say they did not ask ministers for such changes.
And I think we all know the answer, don't we?
The government announced that changes to stop and search without suspicion, so-called section 60 stops, would now be made permanent.
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) told the Guardian: “While we have regular conversations with government about our powers, this was not directly asked for by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that we balance tackling crime with building trust and confidence in our communities, learning from instances where we have not always got the balance right.”
We've seen the way some 'communities' behave when faced with laws they think shouldn't apply to them and if you think you can 'build trust and understanding' with them, perhaps Professional Standards should check what you've been smoking...
Compared with when David Cameron and Theresa May were in power, the current Conservative government believes police should do more stops and with fewer restrictions, citing thousands of weapons taken off the streets as a result.
Good. It's about time.
So now they are calling themselves "chiefs"? They have already renamed SOCO to fit a TV programme, so why don't we Americanise them fully? Make the buggers face regular reelection: then we might see some real results instead of a steady stream of woke placeholders.
ReplyDelete“William Roper: “So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!”
ReplyDeleteSir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”
William Roper: “Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!”
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!”
The Police have more than enough powers, that they illuse and abuse them and most often, don't actually know the Law, suggests to me that this is a bad idea. More concerning for me. is the statement that PCSO's are to be given Tasers, now that is really going to be a shit shambles!
LFB_UK
"A controversial measure...will allow officers to stop and search people without reasonable grounds."
ReplyDeleteA few years ago the police had set up camp in a village layby pulling vehicles over and inspecting them for faults. I don't think that they had reasonable grounds for any of those stops.
"without reasonable grounds"
ReplyDeleteThe real problem is that there are eminently reasonable grounds in certain circumstances, if applied to you or me, but just not to certain 'special' people, when it automatically becomes an -ist or -ic act of one type or another.
Just once I'd like TPTB to acknowledge, and target, the actual specific people causing the problem instead of making everyone suffer, at worst, or mealy mouthed skirting around saying something everyone knows to be true, at best (and then still targetting everyone 'but' the guilty).
We all know why this is being pushed, but the simple fact is without a root and branch change of the entire 'Justice' system it's guaranteed that whatever the aim, it will still be you and me being stopped, whilst the known scrotes and 'ethnics' are excluded and pandered to (speaking as someone who regularly gets stopped to explain my 'need' for my (well officer I fall over if I don't have it) walking stick, whilst staring pointedly at the passing ethnics carrying their 'cultural' swords - I kid you not. I wont mention the kerfuffle when I, white and 50 mumble, law-abiding citizen, pulled out my 2" 'assault' penknife to open a sandwich packet at the local coffee shop, in contrast - armed response anyone?).
My money is on plod being thick enough to take the rope.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should stop and search taxis carrying under-age girls about cities like Rotherham - it would be a much better exercise.
ReplyDeleteLet me clear up a few points here.
ReplyDeletePCSO's are not getting tasers, stupid Daily Mail story and i'm disappointed that sensible people fall for their anti-police crap. Patel wants Special Constables to have them, still a stupid idea as they are not trained properly in normal patrolling. Also until full-time officers all get them, they will be at the back of a very long queue.
As for the vehicle stops, we don't need reasonable grounds. Sec 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 allows constables to stop vehicles to check for document offences and defects at any time.
Re stop and search powers being extended-the govt can give us all the powers in the world but it's up the individual officer how he/she uses them. Once the vermin start rioting again then the govt will be rowing for shore once more.
Jaded.
"...so why don't we Americanise them fully?"
ReplyDeleteI ... don't think that's a very good idea, given the woeful performance of the Texas cops.
"The Police have more than enough powers, that they illuse and abuse them and most often, don't actually know the Law, suggests to me that this is a bad idea."
I have no doubt that if they do, there'll be video of it on the net withing microseconds.
"I don't think that they had reasonable grounds for any of those stops."
It wasn't a layby near a traveller encampment, then? No. Of course not. Silly me.
"Just once I'd like TPTB to acknowledge, and target, the actual specific people causing the problem instead of making everyone suffer, at worst, or mealy mouthed skirting around saying something everyone knows to be true, at best (and then still targetting everyone 'but' the guilty)."
So would I. But that way lies, well, the opposite of promotion for them.
"Once the vermin start rioting again then the govt will be rowing for shore once more."
Surely you're not suggesting our 'conservative' government has no balls and no spine?