Spit Hoods To Be Trialled, What Do We Think?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37286499

[Mamyalynne]

I thought they were already in use, maybe not across the Country then?


I feel they absolutely must not be abused and used as a 'just in case' precaution.

[ummmm]

As long as they are used only when necessary.

[mallyh]

my oh was a detention officer and was spat in the face several times ,not a pleasant thing for anyone to have to put up with .

[-Talbot-]

Should only be used a a necessity. If they try to put then on from the offset then I suspect they will face far more violence than they already do.

[-Talbot-]

if a necessity ^

[whiskeryron]

What's wrong with using anti smog masks which fit across the mouth ?

[Gromit]

They are already widely used. There are calls for them to be banned.

// Provincial police forces are under pressure to stop hooding detainees after it emerged that the practice has been used hundreds of times despite being banned by Britain’s biggest police forces.

Official figures obtained by the Guardian show that spit hoods have been used 513 times since last year by a handful of provincial police forces.

The practice of placing a tightly meshed hood over a suspect’s head has been criticised as breaching human rights law and investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in at least two high-profile cases this year.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that eight rural forces continue to use the practice – including on children as young as 13. //

I can see instances when they may be useful, but I suspect they would be over used if the figure above is anything to go by. Also, they will be used on innocent people so it seems over the top.

[ummmm]

Harder to put on when you're restraining someone.

[ToraToraTora]

they should not be the default for all arrests that would be wrong but if the situation calls for it then fair enough.

[1rovert]

It should be, break the law, and loose your rights.
If you cannot behave yourself, suffer the costs.

[Old_Geezer]

Ha ! I spit on your spithood !
(And break wind in your general direction. )

[Mamyalynne]

Nice.

[agchristie]

Gromit > Also, they will be used on innocent people so it seems over the top.

No pun intended of course!

[vulcan42]

This was discussed on the radio this morning. An interesting different point of view from a policeman, he said the police should wear the hood not the criminal.

[agchristie]

Well,if Spitting Image is anything to go by Roy Hattersley wouldn't have stood a chance.Poor man had a lisp.

[Gromit]

How can the police tell who is going to spit?

They can't.

So two scenarios present themselves. The Police will discriminate and say we will use an hood because of some spurious criteria (they are young, we don't like their haircut or it's Tuesday).

Or the hood will be used after someone has already spat, by which time it will be too late.

[Gromit]

In the recent case ilighted by AOG, an 18 year old black boy had a hood put on him. He was apparently arguing woth his girlfriend (if you see the video, maybe they should have put it on her).

In this case, the boy was already restained on the floor and surronded by police officers. In the video he has not spat, though he might have done before filming started. It looks like it is being used as a capture and subding technique, rather than a preventative measure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrcAbvdKKH8