Tag: Metropolitan Police

Theresa May: I will change the law if police do not halt the ‘excessive and inappropriate’ use of them
Police condemned for using stop and search powers on 300 children aged under five
- Nearly 300 children under the age of five stopped and searched across UK
- Metropolitan Police stopped and frisked 184 under-fives in last five years
- Scotland Yard said several children often stopped for being used by adults
- Adults known to stash drugs, weapons or stolen goods on child or in pram
Nearly 300 children under the age of five have been stopped and searched by police over the last five years, it has emerged.

According to Emma Glanfield on Daily Online, Officers across the UK have been condemned for using their powers to stop and search toddlers on suspicion of a host of offences including drug or knife crime, possession of weapons and terrorism.

Police said that in nearly all cases, officers had carried out the searches after believing the child had been an innocent party who had been used by adults to conceal drugs, weapons or stolen goods.

Police can stop and search children under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which states that there is no requirement for an adult to be present during the search of under-10s.

Officers from Metropolitan Police, the largest force in Britain, exercised their powers against under-fives the most – but Scotland Yard said it was because children are ‘among the most vulnerable in society’ and needed ‘safeguarding’.

One former Met Police officer, who worked at border control at Heathrow Airport, said he believed stop and search powers on children were used only in exceptional circumstances.

He said that on one occasion his team had firm intelligence that a couple with a baby were trying to transport drugs into the UK. However, when nothing was found on the two adults, officers decided not to search the child for fear of being condemned.

He told The Sunday Times: ‘Can you imagine the headlines if we had searched the baby’s nappy and found nothing?’

In total, Met Police officers in London have stopped and searched a total of 184 children under the age of five over the last five years.

Greater Manchester Police was found to be the next prolific at stopping and searching children, with 45 toddlers frisked.

While nearly 300 children aged under five have been stopped and searched across the UK during the last five years, a total of 612 children under the age of 10 – below the age of criminal responsibility – have also been searched.

Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt the ‘excessive and inappropriate’ use of them.

Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured) announced plans last month to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt using them in an ‘excessive and inappropriate’ manner

Ms May warned officers that she wanted to see a dramatic improvement in figures, which recently revealed that only one in every 10 of the searches ends in arrest.

Stop and search has been frequently blamed for inflaming tensions between the public and the police.

A recent report by the police watchdog found that more than a quarter of police stop and searches were ‘unlawful’ and risked promoting ‘major disorder’.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary said that, in 27 per cent of cases, police failed to show they had reasonable grounds to carry out the search.

Enver Solomon, director of evidence and impact at the National Children’s Bureau, told The Sunday Times: ‘The police should review how they deal with children and ensure they are always treated as having district separate needs from adults.’

Releasing the figures for London, Scotland Yard said the majority of searches on children were to dectect and defer adults using youngsters to conceal weapons or drugs.

A spokesman said: ‘The stop and search of individuals under 10-years-old represented only 0.02 per cent of total MPS stop and search activity in both 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

‘Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. It is therefore vital that the MPS considers how best to safeguard them and promote their welfare in everything we do. ‘There are occasions when young children are concerned in crime and anti-social behaviour, and it is necessary for officers to undertake searches to allay or confirm suspicions without exercising their powers of arrest.

‘Any young child or baby being searched will be as a result of it being suspected that they are in some way the unsuspecting and innocent assistant in a criminal act.
March 15, 2015
UK: MP Arrested After House Of Commons ‘Bar Fight’

According to Sky News the MP Eric Joyce has been arrested after an alleged fight in a bar in the House of Commons, Sky sources say.

The independent Member of Parliament for Falkirk was held after the incident at the Sports and Social Club bar.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called shortly before 10.30pm this evening to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons.

“Officers attended and a man aged in his 50s was arrested in connection with this incident.

“He remains in custody and inquiries continue.”

March 15, 2013
Kurd who posed as Turkish assassin jailed

A Kurdish delivery driver posed as an assassin targeting Turkey’s ambassador to Britain and two community leaders cost the Metropolitan Police £60,000 after a two day surveillance operation was launched.

Idris Savas was jailed for three-and-half-months as a result of his ”fantasy” claims followed news that Kurdish [ ethnic racist narco terrorist ]1 leader Abdullah Ocalan had been arrested after 14 years of [ethnic racist narco terrorist]2 warfare in south-east Turkey.

(1. and 2. are corrected by Tolga Cakir under Terrorism Act 2000 and the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001)

Alexandra Felix, prosecuting, said his detention caused ”political turmoil” and resulted ”in both civil unrest in Turkey and attacks in the UK on Turkish premises”.

London’s Southwark Crown Court heard the 37 year-old defendant, long troubled by feelings he was ”invisible” in society, was not only concerned about the developments back home but felt this was an opportunity to ”make himself feel important”.

So he picked up his pay-as-you-go mobile and first rang Sener Saglam, the head of Federation of Turkish Associations in London. He claimed he was part of an assassination squad set up by rebel Kurdish [ ethnic racist narco terrorist ]3 PKK to kill both the community leader and Turkey’s ambassador Yigit Alpogan.

(3 is corrected by Tolga Cakir under Terrorism Act 2000 and the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001)

He then called Dr Yasar Colak, an embassy official and head of the Turkish Religious Foundation, and said he, too was on the death list.

He spoke of picking up weapons in Chingford, Essex, before adding: ”I am an assassin. I have been hired to kill you.”

He also insisted he had been forced to take part and ”needed help”.

The barrister said the calls were taken ”very seriously” and both the Met’s anti-terrorist and Diplomatic Protection squads were alerted, triggering an intensive two-day surveillance operation.

Off-duty officers were called in and all leave was cancelled, leaving police with a £60,000 overtime bill.

A dedicated operations room was also set up and potential victims moved to ”safe houses”.

Savas, of Kenninghall Road, Clapton, east London, was eventually identified, arrested by armed police and subsequently admitted one count of making telephonic communications ”for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety”.

Jonathan Green, defending, told the court: ”This is a peculiar offence. Clearly it has resulted in enormous expenditure in terms of the amount of police time and money. It boils down to Mr Savas representing himself as some sort of hit man and being part of an assassination group.”

He said he accepted his client, a heroin addict for many years, had caused ”some anxiety and stress”, but insisted: ”It was clearly entirely fantasy.”

The barrister continued: ”He was a powerless, ineffective man who felt he was invisible. This was an attempt to make himself feel important. These phone calls were an attempt to glamorise himself. It was misguided and he is now extremely sorry for it. He realises the massive disruption he caused.”

Sentencing, Judge Deborah Taylor said: ”It is said on your behalf that these calls were made under the influence of drink and drugs. But it appears your addiction problems began a long time before the period of these calls.”

”Furthermore, the fact the calls had been made over a period of time … demonstrates an element of pre-planning. This was a course of conduct of a very serious nature. Whilst it is said on your behalf this was a cry for help from you it is clear it caused anxiety to those concerned due to the high-profile nature of the targets and the public cost was considerable.

”In my judgment this was towards the top of the scale for this type of offence.”

The Telegraph

September 3, 2009