Quote:
Last June, Police Scotland told MSPs it would abolish consensual stop-searches for children under 12.
But the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has now written to MSPs insisting the searches increase public safety and it defended the right of officers to carry out consensual stop-searches on children.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have also have announced they are to bring forward legislation to make consensual stop and search illegal.
But Calum Steele, general secretary of the SPF, which represents 98% of Scottish police officers, has sent an open letter to MSPs which claimed ministers were in danger of acting unlawfully if they banned the searches.
He added: "Many smoke from their pre-teen years, many more drink and yes occasionally some also carry weapons and drugs. No amount of wishing it wasn't so changes the fact that it is so and no amount of hand wringing changes the fact that police officers have to deal with thousands of calls every year involving pre-teenage youngsters. Stop and search can be a vital tool in combating crime and protecting the public. Searches by the police have led to taking dangerous weapons like knives out of the hands of misguided young men and women who wouldn't think twice about using them - sometimes resulting in tragic consequences." |
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-31318543
New York teas.
Dumb, I thought police were supposed to have an actual reason before searching people. I guess they do things differently in Scotland.
It says they are searching for "dangerous weapons like knives"... what? I always have 2-3 knives on me. Have they never heard of a pocket knife? A knife intended to be kept in a pocket? I guess they would try to confiscate them from me.
It's alarming they are still doing this.
weapons.