Suddenly..lots of policemen

[Reginald]

In my reading of articles relating to the policing of the arms fair currently being held here in the UK, I find a number of questions spring to mind.

Firstly the number of police is estimated (by the BBC) to be around 2,000. I find this quite frankly, amazing. It's long been a bone of contention in the UK that there are insufficient police "on the street". Yet 2,000 officers can be found to guard an event like this.

Secondly, the police are opperating under "Anti-terrorist" regulations, which gives them greater powers, certainly powers which can be used to stop people without any real suspicion of crimial behaviour. I am, in general in agreement with these anti-terrorist legislations, however, I feel I must share the concern of those who have questioned the need to invoke these at this time and at this venue.

This "step-up" has to be authorised by the Home Secretary, I wonder when he will next see fit to do so. Maybe a trades union march? Maybe an industrial despute at a "sensitive" production facility?

We are in danger in my opinion, of taking a well meaning piece of legislation (how often I feel this happens!), created in extremis, to be used in same, and converting it to the norm. Despite my inherant distrust of Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin, I feel he is right when he says.....

"Terrorism Act powers should be invoked only in genuine cases of national emergency"

Time to wait and see what happens from this point on.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Reginald
Firstly the number of police is estimated (by the BBC) to be around 2,000. I find this quite frankly, amazing. It's long been a bone of contention in the UK that there are insufficient police "on the street". Yet 2,000 officers can be found to guard an event like this.

Secondly, the police are opperating under "Anti-terrorist" regulations, which gives them greater powers, certainly powers which can be used to stop people without any real suspicion of crimial behaviour. I am, in general in agreement with these anti-terrorist legislations, however, I feel I must share the concern of those who have questioned the need to invoke these at this time and at this venue.

"Terrorism Act powers should be invoked only in genuine cases of national emergency"



Agreed on most of this. I think we should be carefull of the slippery slope thingy but I do think that the DSEi is probably a rather high risk event in terms of the possibility of attracting terrorists or just plain old violent 'anti-capitalist' cumrags. Mayhap those officers could be used somewhere else but if the ***** hit tha fan and a bomb was detonated inside, wounding or killing foreign dignitaries, rest assured everyone would be bleating about the lack of police protection for an event such as this.

This event isnt even very unique in attracting squllions of officers from out under their mossy stones- look at how many were involved last year with all the royal funerals and other bollocks. Well, at least the arms trade is worth a few £billion. The royal family on the other hand are just a bunch of doll spongers.

[Dragon]

Our rest days were cancelled yonks ago for this event. No extra money for that (unless you have to work a long day) - just the day off some time in the future.

The big worry is that the demos could be used as cover for a terrorist attack. The main question about an attack on London is "when", not "if".

BBC link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3097150.stm)

[Dragon]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london


..
This event isnt even very unique in attracting squllions of officers from out under their mossy stones- look at how many were involved last year with all the royal funerals and other bollocks. Well, at least the arms trade is worth a few £billion. The royal family on the other hand are just a bunch of doll spongers.
Jon this is the most stupid thing I've seen you write.
If many thousands of people are turning up for an event such as a Royal funeral it doesn't matter what you, I or anyone else think about it. The people are there. The event needs an appropriate number of cops.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Dragon

Jon this is the most stupid thing I've seen you write.
If many thousands of people are turning up for an event such as a Royal funeral it doesn't matter what you, I or anyone else think about it. The people are there. The event needs an appropriate number of cops.

Phew... lucky you dont read my posts much ;)

Awww I was joking. A bit.

[Reginald]

Well firstly I was mistaken.....(gulp). The home secretary does not have to approve the use of these powers.:eek:

Now that I find even more alarming. Yes, he can (and is) demanding a report as to why it was considered to be appropriate.

I wonder how many more years the excuse that "We approach the anniversary of 11/09" is going to be trotted out as some kind of reason for (IMO) security "Overkill".

It's been said before and I've no doubt will be said again. If we are forced by terrorists to live in a cage, albeit a cage of our own making and for our own protection, then the terrorists have in principle achieved what they set out to do.

[Dragon]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london


Phew... lucky you dont read my posts much ;)

Awww I was joking. A bit.

I do, as it happens. It all goes in my notebook. :wink:

The "mossy stones" bit irked a little, especially as my days off have been mucked up this week.
Looking at the latest on the Beeb etc it could be that some of my colleagues have been a bit over-zealous in their exercise of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Alternatively some individuals might be putting them in a position where they felt they had to do something. I've just heard a bloke being interviewed on Radio 4 who was searched under this power, apparently because he was filming delegates to the DSEi. He called himself (IIRC) an "independent media activist" - now what does that mean?