Having seen the footage of the London police effectively murdering another passer-by, I feel ashamed to be living in this city. Something fundamental is wrong with the british society.
Response pt1saturdays_boyApril 10 2009, 12:01:30 UTC
> it is important to realize that the police are not a single entity, the force is made up of individuals, > one clearly made a poor > choice on this occasion and unlike in many countries, this is now being investigated.
Of course the Police isn't a uniform unit of thuggishness. For instance the Met (which effects me directly) were measured as followed in 07/08 by the IPCC:
The proportions of allegation categories recorded remained fairly stable compared to last year. Across all forces, the Metropolitan police recorded the second highest proportion of allegation category 'Discriminatory Behaviour' (5%) and accounts for the highest proportion of allegations of 'Breach of Code A PACE on Stop and Search' (3%).
I also think it is worth pointing out that it's almost impossible to find any coverage of the recent G20 policing or the Kingsnorth climate camp policing that suggests actions are from single individuals making poor choices rather than a general systemic change in policing. Abuse of terrorism powers particularly seems widespread. I'll come to this later.
> i'd be interested in examples that 'stop and search' powers are being 'abused', particularly any information > that shows these are being applied less fairly than the past
Whilst it is difficult to find qualitative on the rise in 'unfairness', perhaps the IPCC complaints statistics for the Police as a whole show some trends we should be concerned about:
05/06: Code A PACE breaches: 336 Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3018 Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2199
06/07: Code A PACE breaches: 434 Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3270 Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2454
07/08: Code A PACE breaches: 536 Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3174 Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2573
The PACE code sets out principles governing stop & search. Here are sections 1.4 and 1.5: 1.4 The primar y pur pose of stop and search powers is to enable officers to allay or confirm suspicions about individuals without exercising their power of arrest. Officers may be required to justify the use or authorisation of such powers, in relation both to individual searches and the overall pattern of their activity in this regard, to their super visor y officers or in cour t. Any misuse of the powers is likely to be harmful to policing and lead to mistrust of the police. Officers must also be able to explain their actions to the member of the public searched. The misuse of these powers can lead to disciplinary action.
1.5 An officer must not search a person, even with his or her consent, where no power to search is applicable. Even where a person is prepared to submit to a search voluntarily, the person must not be searched unless the necessar y legal power exists, and the search must be in accordance with the relevant power and the provisions of this Code. The only exception, where an officer does not require a specific power, applies to searches of persons entering spor ts grounds or other premises carried out with their consent given as a condition of entry.
> one clearly made a poor
> choice on this occasion and unlike in many countries, this is now being investigated.
Of course the Police isn't a uniform unit of thuggishness. For instance the Met (which effects me directly) were measured as followed in 07/08 by the IPCC:
The proportions of allegation categories recorded remained fairly stable compared to last year. Across all forces, the Metropolitan police recorded the second highest proportion of allegation category 'Discriminatory Behaviour' (5%) and accounts for the highest proportion of allegations of 'Breach of Code A PACE on Stop and Search' (3%).
I also think it is worth pointing out that it's almost impossible to find any coverage of the recent G20 policing or the Kingsnorth climate camp policing that suggests actions are from single individuals making poor choices rather than a general systemic change in policing. Abuse of terrorism powers particularly seems widespread. I'll come to this later.
> i'd be interested in examples that 'stop and search' powers are being 'abused', particularly any information
> that shows these are being applied less fairly than the past
Whilst it is difficult to find qualitative on the rise in 'unfairness', perhaps the IPCC complaints statistics for the Police as a whole show some trends we should be concerned about:
05/06:
Code A PACE breaches: 336
Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3018
Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2199
06/07:
Code A PACE breaches: 434
Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3270
Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2454
07/08:
Code A PACE breaches: 536
Oppressive conduct or harassment: 3174
Unlawful/unnecessary arrestor detention: 2573
The PACE code sets out principles governing stop & search. Here are sections 1.4 and 1.5:
1.4 The primar y pur pose of stop and search powers is to enable officers to allay or
confirm suspicions about individuals without exercising their power of arrest. Officers
may be required to justify the use or authorisation of such powers, in relation both to
individual searches and the overall pattern of their activity in this regard, to their
super visor y officers or in cour t. Any misuse of the powers is likely to be harmful to
policing and lead to mistrust of the police. Officers must also be able to explain their
actions to the member of the public searched. The misuse of these powers can lead
to disciplinary action.
1.5 An officer must not search a person, even with his or her consent, where no power to
search is applicable. Even where a person is prepared to submit to a search
voluntarily, the person must not be searched unless the necessar y legal power exists,
and the search must be in accordance with the relevant power and the provisions of
this Code. The only exception, where an officer does not require a specific power,
applies to searches of persons entering spor ts grounds or other premises carried out
with their consent given as a condition of entry.
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