Shoes off!

[ICEMANSAV]

Now this is probably just media propaganda but do you think thast it is acceptable that house raids on suspected terror houses that our armed response service have to remove their shoes before entering a muslim house to make arrests? I just find the image of several pairs of Doc Martins or whatever on the doorstep quite amuing, as to avoid being disrespectful to the house occupants. This was reported in the express yesterday I think!

[georgit79]

what?! is this for real? they're conducting an armed raid and they have to stop to take their shoes off first? no wonder we're in a mess....

that's just too outrageous to be anything but true.

[ICEMANSAV]

they also have to avoid stepping on prayer mats and not look at muslim women who have not got their face covered indoors.

[Loosehead]

where's you read this ICEMAN ? Seems incredible.

[andy hughes]

I think it's absolutely fair.

Last time I looked, we lived under a principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' so it would simply add insult to injury to trample (literally) over the religious belioefs of innocent people. Add to that the fact that there are going to be innoncetn uninvolved people in the house - why should their culture and traditions be trashed in this way? Justice comes from evidence and trials, not from going into a house mob-handed and ignoring cultural and religious sensitivities.

[ICEMANSAV]

Sunday express I think

[ICEMANSAV]

Andy thats all and well, but I can't see the police taking off their shoes to go into any other groups house. i.e an Old woman who has a new carpet with a drug dealing son living at home! ( example only ). Surely with the terror alert that this country is suffering, taking ones shoes off is absurd.

[reportmonkey]

Why should they be treated differently?  In my house I would like people to take there shoes off, why are my wishes very unlikely to be met... personally I would also dissapprove of police officers looking at my wife as well.  And when they leave the house everything must be left tidy.  Can you imagine the situation.....

A police swat team is called to a house suspected of housing terrorist suspects and they have to take there shoes off, tiptoe round the prayer mats and avoid knocking over any religeous symbols or crosses.  Wouldn't they therefore lay serveral prayer mats all the way down the hall so that they couldn't get in for fear of offending someone

[georgit79]

andy- it's all very well to respect religious beliefs, but if they're conducting a raid, doesn't it hold them up a little?

[acw]

I'm with Andy Hughes who, as ever appears to be the voice of reason here! :-)

This country works on a premise of "innocent until proven guilty".  People should be treated with respect also. 

Christians would be up in arms if policemen were treading on Bibles in order to arrest someone ON SUSPICION of doing something wrong.  Imagine if police stamped on a rosary on the way to arrest someone in a Catholic household!?

I agree the image is a little amusing, but given the vital principle of innocent until proven guilty, I think it is necessary. 

[londondave]

yes this is stupid and true, nor can they touch holy books, use camers or videos, use sniffer dogs or enter a occupied bedroom or bathroom all in the name of respect. Where was the respect they had for the people killed injured in the bombings.

[acw]

I think when they conduct a raid they tend to cover all exits georgeit79.  I can't see that people would run away.  If we're going to be trite about it - they'd have to run away without their shoes and that might be painful and slow them down too.

Seriously though - police cover all exits in a raid, and they'll be enough of them that evidence can't be destroyed.  Perhaps, in light of this knowledge, police will take their shoes off BEFORE bashing the door open.  You're laughing perhaps - but it would be one solution. 

[acw]

The bombers didn't have respect - that it true Londondave.  But innocent people wrongly suspected by the police (and we know it happens, think of the Brazilian guy) and also the families of people, whether the person in question is innocent or not, they deserve respect!!!

[reportmonkey]

So having 20 police officers burst through your front door at 3am wouldn't offend you?  It would offend me, i'm sure the police response would be 'so what?' so why this tiptoing and political correctness!

Religion should not prevent the course of the law though!  This is something this country has fought hard to protect and it is why the Anglican Church is under direct control of the monarch and subject to the laws of that monarch. 

[Oneeyedvic]

I have in previous posts been critical of th police and supported liberal policies. However this is plain ludicrous for armed police.

If armed police are present, there would be a dire threat or high suspicion. It would make a mockery of the system if a policeman could not enter the building, looking for threats but check where he is stepping. He could not look at who may be wanted in case he is looking at a woman. I mean - come on.

 

On the other hand - if it is a 'normal' enquiry, then as such, I would expect the same courtesy as everyone gets. If you invite a policeman in to 'aid them with their enquiries' I am sure they would take of their shoes if asked.

 

To be honest, i would agree that this is probably media hype

[ursula62]

That's nothing.... in this year's Uncle John's Bathroom Reader (a US Calendar) there is an allegedly  true story about the Met Police being sued by a householder because during a search of the premises a policeman broke wind and didn't apologise to the householder.

[ludwig]

I'm with Andy Hughes and acw on this. I've just started a religion that says no policeman should ever enter my house unless they're stark naked and wearing a bowler hat. Obviously I expect them to fully respect my religious beliefs. What nonsense.

This story comes from the daily express? It sounds like boll0x to me.

[mystress]

You guys really BELIEVE what you read in the Express?!

Remember the old maxim:~ "Believe nothing that you read,and only half of what you hear"

& you won't go far wrong!

[MargeB]

Insist on no shoes on the one hand, then let pork into your house on the other....tut tut.

[mullein1]

ordinary police do remove their shoes when going into a muslim house if asked to do so..the armed response dont..and why should they as they are their to get a job done as fast as possible..i know this is true as i have just asked mr mullein and he is a police officer..i shall have to check his socks now i didnt know he took his shoes off..i can just imagine him going in a muslim house with his toe poking out his sock..

[ICEMANSAV]

mystress the question read " Now this is probably just media propaganda...." so no I don't believe everything I read in the express, or any other paper for that matter. If it is true then i am expressing an opinion that it is crazy. If I was a muslim fanatic I would place millions of drawing pins around all the entrances!! Also its ok guarding exits but if a sucide bomber blows up the house then there will be f**k all exits ( and police ) left to guard!