Recently in Police and Crime Category

The NO2ID Campaign organised Mayoral hustings meeting yesterday 8th April 2008 at the Friends Meeting House opposite Euston Station was interesting.

From left to right:

Jenny Jones (Green - deputising for Siân Berry), Lyndsey German (Left List / Respect), Boris Johnson (Conservative) NO2ID moderator Christina Zaba - brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat), Gerard Batten (UK Independence Party).

The arrogant authoritarian incumbent Labour candidate Ken Livingstone, refused to turn up to this hustings meeting. Neither did he send a deputy, nor did he or his spin doctors dare to send any Answers to the 4 Questions which NO2ID had sent to each of th invited Candidates beforehand.

His malign "database state" influence was represented by a Cardboard Cut Out Ken, to much amusement from the audience.

Boris Johnson said that this absence confirmed Ken's identity as a chicken.

We have waited in vain for any clear explanation of the extraordinary Operation Vulture

Were the Operation Clydsdale rules of engagement in effect during today's shooting of a suspect during the dawn raid on the alleged "bomb factory" today in Lansdown Road?

The Guardian August 20, 2005

"the lesser-known Operation Clydesdale, which covers tactics on a planned raid against a suicide bombing suspect and which also authorises officers to shoot to to kill."

The premises are being searched by people in Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear protection suits, but on Sky TV News there are lots of people milling around in the vicinity completely unprotected.

A 5 kilometre air exclusion zone is in force.

One person is in hospital, but does not appear to have life threatening injuries, but, neither does it seem that he has been arrested.

A second man has been arrested.

Are Sir Ian Blair and the Metropolitan Police going to mess up the media reporting of this incident, just like they did after the Jean Charles de Menzes shooting last year ?

A local resident interviewed by the BBC points out that there had been a previous police raid involving several van loads of police, in the area several months ago, on the same day that suspected terrorists were arrested in Luton.

The BBC are claiming that 250 police officers were involved in this raid - which seems to be overkill.

This report in the Sunday Telegraph almost beggars belief. It claims that Sir Ian Blair misled the Metropolitan Police Authority meeting last Thursday, about the cost of the removal of long term peace protestor Brian Haw's banners and posters etc. from Parliament Square last Tuesday morning. On Thursday the costt was reported to be a staggering £7,200 - £3000 for overtime, £4,200 for transport and catering, for an incredible 78 Police Officers to deal with one protestor at 2:45am in the morning.

However, it now appears that the sum wasted on harassing this lone protestor is an astonsihing £27,754 !

Sir Ian told the Metropolitan Police Authority on Thursday that the cost of removing a peace camp from Parliament Square, which involved 78 officers, was £7,200.

The following day, the issue was discussed by the Met's management board. Within hours, details of the meeting were passed to a journalist, who contacted Scotland Yard for a comment. That afternoon, Sir Ian admitted that he had misled the authority, as the true cost of dismantling the anti-war protester Brian Haw's placards, including officers' pay, was £27,754

£27,754 represents about about £60 an hour for 6 hours for the 78 Police Officers involved - 50 on the raid itself, with 24 on standby elswehere, presumably with some senior officers milling around as well.
Why were they not raiding a drugs den or a human trafficking sex slave brothel instead ?

Even if you accept that the Metropolitan Police are in a cleft stick with regards to the draconian and illogical Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 Section 132 Designated Area around Parliament Square and beyond, this excessive, heavyhanded and wasteful Police operation must be strongly condemned. We want our money back !

Londoners should demand an explanation from the Metropolitan Police Service, via a complaint to their local member of the Metropolkitan Police Authority about this misleading report on Thursday, and on the utter waste of public money.

David Mery. who was falsely arrested and had his home searched last Jully 2005, although entirely innocent, is due to ask the Commisioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair a Question on this Thursday 25th May 2006, at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority

A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) will be held in meeting room 1 (ground floor), 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1 on Thursday 25 May 2006 at 10.00 a.m.

The public and the media are allowed to attend, but space is obviously limited..
The nearest Tube station is St. James' Park - see the MPA location map

David Mery's Question and the Proposed Response:

‘To be a Londoner these days is to feel one is considered guilty until proven innocent. The overreaction of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to the horrific terrorist attacks of last July has resulted in many innocent Londoners suffering from the long-term effects of having been arbitrarily detained and/or arrested. Another consequence of this worsening policing of London is intimidation, increased mistrust and even fear of the MPS. This has not enhanced our security, to the contrary.

What is the MPA doing to ensure that police powers are more balanced and checked so they are not further abused against innocents Londoners? Is the MPA actively consulting with the innocent Londoners that have been arrested and released without further action? What actions are taken by the MPA so that Londoners can stop being paranoid about which aspect of our behaviour or clothing, or which picture we take will be used as an excuse for detainment, arrest or shooting by the MPS? How does the MPA plan to restore trust in the police?’

There is already a Proposed Response to this Question: