Monday, February 09, 2015

Even Clouseau Was Better Than This

This is an outrage.

For one thing it is the sort of thing that the Stasi used to specialise in, and for another what the hell is going on in the command structure of this police force?

16 comments:

  1. The very freedoms we hold( held) so dear are being erroded on a daily basis as we are frightened by the state about our enemies. Soon the country that so many have died for will be gone as we come under the 1984 cosh of intrusive surveilance.

    It's time for Joe public to raise his or her voice.

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    1. I entirely agree.

      I note en passant that the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 introduced new limits on the retention of fingerprints and DNA samples, but came with a sting in the tail, in that the Government in its infinite wisdom decided to restrict to District Judges (Magistrates' Courts) ONLY the handling of a request by the Police to hold on to these for longer than the specified periods.

      I wondered how many DJs would denounce as openly as you abuses such as the case you highlight here, and can but conclude that Government feels that DJs might be more biddable. It is however another breach in the unicity of the bench, and has no rational justification of complexity, duration, or nature of legal argument.

      The person seeking to blame the newsagent is barking up the wrong tree. There are specific exemptions for the police to obtain data in many circumstances. But then, hey, let's blame the little guy/gal, so much easier.

      Kate Caveat
      PS I wish this lady were my Gran!

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  2. To be fair, the alternative explanation offered, that said bobby was concerned to warn relevant people to be vigilant, is plausible. The boys in blue are not all geniuses (would a genius do that job, anyway ?). Its only the rare rotten apple that is malicious, like any profession.

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  3. I think what's more outrageous than the police requesting this information is the newsagent supplying it. Does he not realise he's bound by the Data Protection Act 1988?

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    1. Only if the newsagent is keeping records on a computer; if he's written them down on paper then they're not covered.

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    2. You're a bit out of date on that one Richard.

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  4. The day before the attack, I am quite certain that you would have been prosecuted for selling the magazine, if it had cone tithe attention of the police. Arrested at least.

    In a few months things will return to "normal" - someone will be arrested for selling or possessing a copy of Charlie H.

    Perhaps you have missed dancing retort from the editor regarding hypocracy of those who now rush to their defends - who were trying to make their publication (or similar) illegal a short time before?

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  5. I was struck by the comment of Anonymous regarding use of DJs(MC) only for some matters. It is a noticeable trend.

    Readers should look up what the Surveillance Commissioner has said recently about Magistrates not receiving training in relation to warrants applied for by local authorities. It is carefully worded by not complimentary. Those responsible these days for Magistrates Training ought to be ensuring that they receive proper training when new powers are introduced. It is not enough, in my opinion, to say that the legal advisers will advise. Without training for the Magistrates (who are the legal decision-makers) then the LAs might as well simply tell the Magistrates when to nod !

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  6. I'm afraid it's now "command structure of these forces" - three in total.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/10/police-several-forces-seek-details-charlie-hebdo-readers

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  7. "A noticeable trend" indeed as Obiter J posts, and a trend that goes back many years. In some courts, matters involving "celebrities" however low in the alphabetic list, police officers, lawyers, politicians (however lowly) were reserved for DJs as were the vast majority of cases involving alleged rioters in the 2011 disturbances. Whether the latter because DJs were more biddable, one can't be certain.

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  8. Command structure for what? Police forces nationally were provided with a list of newsagents ordering Charlie Hebdo by the distributors. This was on the basis of fears that newsagents selling the magazine with the image of Mohammed on the front may be subject to reprisals from extremists. Some forces used the information to task their local officers to go and speak to the newsagents concerned, check they knew who to call if they had any concerns and to brief them on what the potentially expect. It seems in a couple of areas police officers acting on their own initiative decided they needed details of the purchasers to assist with this task. Police officers aren't robots, they all interpret a request to do something slightly differently.

    The references to the Stasi and 1984 are plainly ridiculous. It's easy for people to just resort to bashing the police but like everything else if something had gone wrong, and a newsagent attacked or shop fire bombed or the like, the hindsight brigade would have been out in full voice and pomp moaning that the police never even bothered to find out who was selling the magazine so as to pro-actively offer them advice.

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  9. I don't think DJs are more biddable than lay mags though they might be a little more clinical in the way they work.

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  10. Its a PCSO who thought he'd do the right thing and popped into his local newsagent. Get over yourselves.

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  11. DJ(MC) - 2011 disorder cases - Senior Presiding Judge at the time stated that the cases should be handled by DJs

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  12. Who in his right mind buys anything like that from any retailer who knows his identity?

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  13. I think in many cases you had to place a pre-order for this issue so it could be imported. That might require a name and address.

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Posts are pre-moderated. Please bear with us if this takes a little time, but the number of bores and obsessives was getting out of hand, as were the fake comments advertising rubbish.