Handle on Non-Lethal Force For Change

Following the recent Queensland multi-tased death arrest I have noticed a consistent representation of views on blogs and media comment pages that validates my concerns that the general populace would go along with this fear of crime thing. (manufactured consent?)

Image via Wikipedia

Much of it is predicated on drug myths. (much the same as crack, crank and meth led to up scaling from .38’s to .45 and to automatics).

1:1 meetings this week with local [National] MP’s only trot out more tough on behaviour, crime, tough on alcohol…. and meth. Despite all evidence to the contrary.

The BERL report(s) on drug harms released prior to the Law Commission discussion documents is a failure in due process as well as ‘failure in reason’ misstating the problem by orders of magnitude.

When can we expect someone factor in the benefits of ‘common civility’.

No Media in New Zealand has written critically of the implication of applied, and now law, Class D drug policy. No Member of the House has regaled.

Yet, like BERL’s reports, it’s a MoH issue. Drugs=Minister’s Warrant, Alcohol=Ministry’s Brief.

Public perception… Taser’d means drugged.
Where is the ‘legal’ sector on this.?
http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/lawsuit-filed-by-mother-of-man-who-died-after-being-tasered/113391/http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/children_zapped_by_stun_gun/25801/

Today’s Police arbitrary ‘handle on gun’ ownership issue even cites Napier’s ‘Molenaar’ incident while pot smoking was likely the very effective, safe and economic anti-anxiolotic scientific research shows it to be and, was by the perpetrators community actions, ‘mediating meth in the community’ no good story can be told.

More guns will be found to be ‘semi-automatic’ and the cycle begins again. Any gun elevates drug [prohibition] harm. Feeds fear. Allocates more Money for Failure.

Professor of Law, Jock Young had it right back in the seventies. “deviancy amplifying” all right! BERL’s economists wouldn’t know a benefit or a behavior if they fell over them and RH. John Key wouldn’t know a science adviser if one fell over him.

I recall a certain Minister of Health back in 1975 who, on enactment of the Misuse of Drugs Act, said that it ‘would give the Police powers to which they were not entitled’, how prophetic.

— Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Big Meth Con – Menace or Moral Panic? (mildgreens.blogspot.com)
• Safety fears over legal alternatives to class As (guardian.co.uk)
• New Scientist: Cannabis Kamatua Needed. (mildgreens.blogspot.com)
• New Zealand Ranked Most Peaceful Country in Global Peace Index (shoppingblog.com)
• Three Strikes, Prison Muster and RealCostofPrisons.org (mildgreens.blogspot.com)

Get Blairs Brain on Newsfeed…
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlairsBrain-CanvassingForOpinion

Police Powers – Nandor’s observervations

Former Green MP, Nandor Tanczos sent to my Bebo…..

Two pieces of ‘law and order’ legislation are being debated by parliament under urgency. The first is the Gangs and Organised Crime Bill. Going by the press release, it seems like a typical case of throwing good legislative time after bad. Justice Minister Simon Power says “”By doubling the sentence for participation in a gang we are reflecting the culpability of those gang leaders who organise the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, and we are addressing the low rate of successful convictions”.

Eh? It appears that selling P is a worse crime if you are a Mongrel Mob member than if you are an evil sociopath with no friends. Not quite sure why. Nor am I sure why doubling the sentence will increase the number of convictions. (The release says that “of 339 prosecutions there were only 19 convictions” which I guess highlights either how poorly thought out the original legislation was or how incompetent the police are).

They ARE lowering the threshold for the police to get warrants, from investigation of offenses attracting 10 years to ones attracting 7. Of course if this is about targeting P as the Minister claims then this is irrelevant because manufacture and sale of P has a maximum of life.

Actually, it is already very easy for police to get warrants if they have a scrap of evidence to base an application on. The police always moan to politicians that the reason why they can’t get on top of gangs is because they are hobbled by pesky laws protecting civil rights. So politicians give police more powers, and shortly thereafter the police are back with the same complaint. That is how civil rights are consistently and continuously undermined. Just have a look at the new campaign to give police yet more powers over boy racers.

All in all, much as it grieves me to agree with Mr Cosgrove, it looks like political theatre gone bad. Sir Graham Latimer got it right when he said that the quickest way to destabilise gangs is to legalise cannabis.

The other bill is about DNA samples.From the press release:

“It allows police to collect DNA from people they ‘intend to charge’, and to match it against samples from unsolved crimes. At present, DNA can be collected only with consent, by judicial approval, or by compulsion where people are suspected or convicted of an offence punishable by more than seven years’ imprisonment, or another specified offence”

So it is about giving the police the right to take DNA from anyone they wish (I intend to charge you….when I’ve got some evidence) and to use that for a fishing trip through the DNA database.

“And any misuse of profiles will be subject to the full extent of relevant law and civil rights protections, and the police will develop guidelines to avoid any arbitrary or unreasonable application of this power”.

Just like they did with Tazers, MoDA search without warrant powers, pepper spray right? Somehow I don’t feel comforted.

—
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Spokesperson on Climate Change, Environment and Associate ‘Shadow’ Law And Order.
http://www.Republicans.org.NZ

Social Ecologist ‘at large’
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219
Related articles by Zemanta

• UK DNA Database Found To Violate Human Rights (techdirt.com)
• Government to review DNA database (computeractive.co.uk)
• Police to trawl for DNA of serious offenders (telegraph.co.uk)
• Lords demand DNA database deletions (theregister.co.uk)

Get Blairs Brain on Newsfeed…
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlairsBrain-CanvassingForOpinion

Full-body Armour for WAR’rior Cops?

Police consider* full-body armour as assaults increase

(*for USA SWAT style warrant serving?, its those meth heads justifying our need to be safe! Yeah Right! )

10:00AM Monday July 28, 2008 NZH – Police culture

Increasing violence against police could result in officers being kitted out in full-body armour. Police headquarters has confirmed it is considering full-body protection for frontline staff, as the number of assaults on officers continues to rise.

They have yet to determine exactly what sort of armour would be used but The Dominion Post reported that the possibilities ranged from extra protection for arms and legs to an all-over suit – similar in appearance to that in the film Robocop.

The number of assaults against police increased to 2248 last year, the equivalent of one in four officers being assaulted. In 2006, there were 2123 assaults on police. Of the 2007 incidents, 88 involved a weapon, including a gun or knife. Police began a $10.4 million programme last year, to provide stab-proof vests to every frontline officer. There were delays because of size and heat problems. Police said discussions about new armour were at an early stage. Any upgraded protection would be reserved for police called to deal with disorder incidents. The Police Association said it had not heard of the proposal.

– NZPA

Recommended Read: With Aid Of Pentagon, Civilian Forces Acquiring Army-Style Look, Approach – “POLICE DEVELOP ‘MILITARY’ MIND SET” by Diane Cecilia Weber

/Blair

Get Blairs Brain on Newsfeed…
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlairsBrain-CanvassingForOpinion