Children questioned by Police for waiting for a bus!
Right, so last night something happened that made me so cross I’ve ventured into Martin’s Muttering territory for the first time. I’m not even sure I’m actually allowed to be here rather than the fluffy bunny areas of the site!
Last night Rebekah and three of her friends (aged 12-14) were waiting at the bus stop in Ryde (I’m told they were sitting and chatting relatively quietly) when they are approached by the police and asked where they were going. At this point my response might have been <sarcasm mode engaged > “on the bus.” However Rebekah with much delight told them they were going to a church youth group (in a kind of stick that in your pipe and smoke it manner internally if not externally). This wasn’t enough to satisfy the police who asked which church they were going to. One of the girls was about to tell them that her dad was the Street Pastor co-ordinator - they would have preferred to be stopped by the Street Pastors they might have got free chocolates and flip-flops!
You may think this was 11 o’clock or so and the police were worried about a group so young being out on the streets, but no it was 6 O’clock. 6 o’clock for goodness sake and they are getting questioned for going about their lawful business. Even worse I expect that the police are perfectly within their rights to ask them what they are doing and if they don’t like it tell them to go away under police dispersal powers.
So now not only can my children not walk around in the day time without the police stopping them because they are suspected of truancy they also can’t go out after school for fear that the police will stop them and question them about where they are going. When did it become okay in this country for the police to ask people what they are doing and why for no reason at all?
I naturally would have been bringing my children up to know that the police we’re the people who would be there to help you if you were in trouble, my children are learning all by themselves that the police are the people you avoid at all costs. I’m sure there is something wrong here.
(Police image courtesy of Darren Gange, used under the terms of a creative commons licence)
We'd rather be stopped by Street Pastors, they have chocolate!
I sympathise with your frustration and am in total agreement. You do, however, need to wise up in regard to the police. The police are a private security firm working for private business (which includes government). They are not there to uphold the law or to protect the citizen. They have targets to meet for arrests and so cruise the streets or sit and watch the CCTV or the internet looking for the slightest justification to carry out arrests whilst also causing themselves the least hassle or danger. Your children are in more danger of arrest than a gang of violent thugs because of this. You need to protect your kids by teaching them the danger they are in from this private security firm and how to conduct themselves if questionned. The police know that people who are innocent think they have nothing to hide and are usually more than willing to account for themselves. Because they are not savvy criminals they will always say something, usually many things that can and are used against them. Teach your kids they must never utter a word if they are arrested except to demand a lawyer. Teach your kids to keep clear of police officers. The more innocent they are, the more danger they are in.
I’m absolutely fuming on their behalf. Are you going to follow it up and complain?
I know, it was enough to make me practically swear in church when they arrived and told me.
My husband is a police officer and he has been on disciplinary charges for refusing to behave in this way, stopping and questioning people with no grounds at all for suspecting they are breaking the law (sitting at a bus stop is still legal, I am fairly sure!) and worse, being ordered to go out and provoke people into behaving angrily and aggressively towards them so they can be arrested for public order offences. It is disgusting and he has been made a real pariah and bullied and harrassed into a serious depression because he has the integrity to say no to this so-called policing!
Sarah this is the kind of thing the public needs to know. Do you have an anonymous blog where details of the disciplinary charges could be made public? Otherwise most people simply won’t believe this really happens. Don’t answer here but please do think about it and see here for how to do it http://www.eff.org/wp/blog-safely . Only whistleblowers can call time on this kind of thing.
Outrageous!
You’d have thought they’d have better things to do, the Police, not your daughter and friends! Without trying to sound too extreme, I have also experienced the Police being used politically, often on the side of business interests e.g. at Vestas and back some years at Wapping. You’ll no doubt have noticed that when the coffers are getting a little low the old speed trap comes out, but when there’s a massive queue waiting for the Red Funnel Ferry and clogging up East Cowes on Saturdays in summer, there’s not a copper to be seen. Yes, they have their place, but tread warily. Have I already said too much?