May 2008 21

Wasting police time3

Following a number of instances in which seemingly innocuous individuals have been stopped or even charged by police, there is growing concern that Section 5 of the Public Order Act is increasingly being used as a catch-all clause by overzealous police officers to disrupt perfectly legitimate protests. The latest case, that of a 15-year-old facing prosecution for holding a placard that labelled the Church of Scientology a "cult" is yet another example of this pointless practice. I’ve got no particular beef with Scientologists, but this is an opinion the person involved should be entitled to hold and express.

This is a serious problem. First, don’t the police and the CPS have anything better to do? There are far more serious – and far more criminal – acts committed every day than someone expressing an opinion. Worse, it is this kind of shenanigans that makes the law look like an ass. If people lose their respect for law enforcement then it can only be harmful socially and in terms of detection, crime reporting and so on. Taxpayers want the police catching muggers and driving down assaults, not throwing their weight around in religious arguments.

We hear – quite rightly – from the police that far too many people are making spurious 999 calls and wasting police time, which squanders taxpayers’ money and endangers those who really need the police to protect them from crime. Of course people should stop wasting police time – it would be nice if the police officer who nicked this individual would lead the way.

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  • Hardeep_Singh

    Yet Labour are pouring in more and more criminal acts into the system. Not just through the commons by debate and passage of bills but a general conveyance of what kind of opinion is acceptable and which isn’t.
    It’s the government that has led to the stiffling of debate except that of their liking (usually cheerleadeing for our Dear Great leader). You can damage property, assault people, ruin lives through personal recklessness but if you hold an opinion contrary to the popular left then you’re going to get hauled into court. That may well have some limited merit but it should be far lower in the league of priorities.
    Communism by the back door, disgraceful.

  • Johnbluk

    Mr. Wallace,
    I agree whole heartedly with your comments, but it should be noted that the police force in the UK are not merely an organisation, but an institution, with more than enough common sense regarding the wastage of time and resources. They do not need any government help in wasting time and monies.
    As for the 15 year old protestor, well he can count himself lucky they didn’t tazer him !
    The advances and successes the police within the UK make regarding crime prevention are often, and quite intentionally, undermined with trivial pursuits of this kind. And why you may ask?
    Indeed, why?
    Perhaps they are just bone idle lazy to detect anything or be concerned with any serious issues, (until they are “whipped” into shape for failures to do so).
    [sighs]… it appears such is, and has always been the case regarding the police in this country.
    What the police force really want, is every citizen name, address and DNA sample, carefully recorded on an (inter)national computer database – this makes their working day a whizz!….. back to the station with a cotton swab, and a cup of tea, and switch on the computer, (the real worker).
    On a more serious note, however, reliance upon this lazy attitude towards government targets, computer databases, and trivial “nicks”, will ultimately lead to a police force incompetent to detect anything. Crime prevention skills, like any other skills, need to be practiced and honed on a daily basis, or the skill base will be lost – and replacement PCMO’s required to fill gaps in services!
    I do notice the police are quick to act with regard to pay issues however, and it is still good to see Jacqui Smith getting a well deserved ribbing at today’s annual police conference.
    ;-]

  • Adam-

    Now that Margaret Thatcher no longer has to cope with angry miners waving placards with insulting slogans about her, we should repeal this particular piece of rotten legislation once and for all.