More evidence we're heading towards a police state?

[HillyHugger]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/01/stop- and-search-terror-law

With the possibilities of terror attacks you could expect the figures to go up but seems a wee bit excessive to me . It's just the old 'Suss' law under a different name

[paraffin]

Okay, Gromit, we'll do it your way: All operational Police Officers throughout the UK to be withdrawn permanently to Police Stations. (Well you started it).

PS: Yes, we all know that we never see enough Police on the streets anyway. (Just before we get the obvious replies!)

[HillyHugger]

paraffin , I'm sure we would have heard if they had .

[Gromit]

paraffin

When

Trainspotters

Climate change protestors

and

Conservative MPs

find themselves arrested under anti terror laws, it is a clear sign that the laws are being mis-used. I repeat, I am fully in favour of terrorists being rooted out, I just don't want the police to irresponsibly use their new powers for purposes they were not intended for.

I do not believe that 124,000 people were genuinely suspected of terrorist offenses and were stopped and searched for a valid reason. You apparently do.

I hope we have a much more targeted approach than that.

[rov1200]

As the target for the police stop and searches are predominantly in areas where there is trouble and not in specific black areas how could anyone complain?

[Kromovaracun]

I'll admit I'm not an expert on this, but on the occasions that the police have foiled terrorist plots, it seems to have usually been the result of intensive police work. Ergo, long-term investigation, parts of which the anti-terror laws have accomodated (e.g. phone-tapping) - and parts of which are simply old-fashioned police-work.

However, there is absolutely no question (as Gromit has demonstrated) that these laws have been frequently and unacceptably abused by those who are trusted with them. There is a point where you can say 'well, it's only human to make mistakes' but with a body that requires trust as much as the police, there's only so far you can justify misuse of powers. If people don't trust the police, then that's not just bad news for anti-terrorism, but for law and order in general.

[naomi24]

^^ Sounds about right to me - and the final sentence is spot on.