Should Police Officers Apologise...

[agchristie]

For stop and searches that reveal nothing on the person?

Would officers carry out searches that are 'unwarranted' or 'unreasonable'? Is this proposal casting doubt on officer's integrity?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-officers-could-have-to-give-facetoface-apologies-for-unwarranted-stop-and-searches-10459653.html

[retrocop]

Peter Pendant @ 2251
The stop and search under this act should be conducted with a cause or reason as the act shows here:



66

Power to police constables and persons aggrieved to apprehend certain offenders.
.
[F1Any person found committing any offence punishable either upon indictment or as a misdemeanor upon summary conviction by virtue of this Act, may be taken into custody without a warrant by any constable, or may be apprehended by the owner of the property on or with respect to which the offence shall be committed, or by his servant or any person authorised by him, and may be detained until he can be delivered into the custody of a constable to be dealt with according to law;//// and every such constable may also stop, search and detain any vessel, boat, cart, or carriage in or upon which there shall be reason to suspect that any thing stolen or unlawfully obtained may be found, and also any person who may be reasonably suspected of having or conveying in any manner any thing stolen or unlawfully obtained . . . F2] ////

Reason to suspect is the key phrase here. I cannot comment on the manners of the police at that time,however you state you were not told the reason for the stops so you cannot say it was conducted without cause or reason unless you read minds.

[Cloverjo]

I know it's not quite the same thing, but I was held in a shop because the cashier and his supervisor didn't believe my £50 note was genuine. They called the police and I was late for work because I had to wait so long. The police turned up and said it was a real note. An apology would have been nice, but I didn't get one. I don't go to that shop any more.

[ukbod2015]

In my experience police officers make their choices based on experience, knowledge and instinct. In that way they are the same as the rest of us in our work. If a policeman gets it wrong i hope he would thank the person for their time and both parties would go on their way peacefully. All of us make mistakes so why not discuss when a train driver or bus driver gets is wrong and causes an accident. I know there are bad apples in the police as there are in every other employment but lets not forget they are the people who protect us and usually the first we call when we suspect a crime has been committed.

[anotheoldgit]

woofgang

/// so all police officers are whiter than white, ///

No, not all of them. :0)

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/455/Black_police_officer.jpg

[woofgang]

fair point aog, I should have used a different phrase.

[Davemano]

It is unfortunate that some people tend to judge ALL the police only by watching the television, which are only part realistic, or by the odd personal experience. However this this is only a spin off from the main point in issue. I should say than an annoying part of any police series is that the actors are paid more than the people actually doing the job.

[woofgang]

I agree about TV Davemano, but how else are we to judge anything except by what we know and have experienced ourselves?

[Davemano]

woofgang Slight delay in responding - have been 'working' The point I was trying to make is that it is wrong to tar everybody with the same brush because of the odd personal experience, which I do know happens. This thread is really asking asking views regarding the after effects of stop and search, and I did say I had deviated from the main point in issue. You are quite right in that you can only judge from what you know, but not to generalise, if that's the right word.

[agchristie]

Davemano

" It is unfortunate that some people tend to judge ALL the police only by watching the television, which are only part realistic"

The Bill or The Met? ;)

[Davemano]

a/c I meant series like the Bill, surely you've heard adverse quotes about the police from people who have watched these kind of programmes. Cannot comment on the Met, have never seen it. D

[agchristie]

True Davemano.

I've seen many programmes where the stopped person has denied anything suspicious on him/her or in their vehicle, only to be found out by having weapons, drugs, etc.

[Davemano]

a/c I fully appreciate what you are saying and this does happen, but can't see how this relates to my comments and the main topic of your post. Just as a matter of interest, I am on the proper side of the law.

[agchristie]

Davemano, just replying to your comment I put in quotes.

Anyway, I won't deviate further ;)

[Davemano]

The first class post by New Judge 13.05 on Tuesday answers all.

[agchristie]

Correct. That is my intended BA.