A MOTHER launched an official complaint against the police after officers used the Terrorism Act to take her daughter's details under false pretences.
Katherine O'Neil, 17, of Park Avenue, Wanstead, had her details recorded along with two of her friends on Wanstead High Street by Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) claiming to be doing a survey on terrorism.
The officers, from Wanstead Safer Neighbourhoods Team, took the names, addresses, dates of birth and descriptions of the sixth-formers from Wanstead High School before handing them a piece of paper and telling them they were free to go.
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It was only later that evening when they looked at what they had been given, that the three students discovered they had been stopped under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
Katherine's mother Maggie O'Neil made an official complaint to the police and asked for her daughter's details to be removed from their database.
She said: "I don't mind myself or my daughter being stopped for the Terrorism Act and having our bags searched, because that's what makes it a safe place, but don't pretend it's something else.
"The reason I am annoyed is because they were dishonest and I think perhaps they were just saying this because they need to have records that they stop a certain amount of people daily."
Section 44 of the Terrorism Act allows police to stop and search anyone without a legitimate reason, but concerns have been growing about the abuse of powers after a series of incidents, such as a woman in Dundee who was arrested for walking in a cycle lane and a cricketer who was questioned at Kings Cross station last year for possession of a bat.
Insp Bob Tachauer, from Wanstead Safer Neighbourhoods Team, has apologised to the O'Neil's and promised to take all the students names off the database.
He said: "We don't, as a rule, do surveys on terrorism, but we do stop people under the Terrorism Act.
"The PCSOs were not instructed to do this and to pretend they are filling out surveys is totally wrong."
New training will now be given to officers on how to use anti-terror powers and Mrs O'Neil said she is very happy with how the police have responded to her complaint.
Posted by: technomist, walthamstow on 3:59pm Fri 9 May 08
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
Posted by: Morris Hickey, Chigwell (Redbridge) on 4:33pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]technomist[/bold] wrote:
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.[/quote] Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?
technomist wrote:
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
Posted by: joe schmoo, elsewhere on 8:16pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]Morris Hickey[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]technomist[/bold] wrote:
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.[/quote] Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?[/quote] a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them
Morris Hickey wrote:
technomist wrote:
This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?
a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them
Posted by: Observer (original) on 10:58pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]joe schmoo[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Morris Hickey[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]technomist[/bold] wrote: This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.[/quote] Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?[/quote] a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them[/quote] Could you possibly make it Asda? I'm a Morrison shareholder!
joe schmoo wrote:
Morris Hickey wrote:
technomist wrote: This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?
a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them
Could you possibly make it Asda? I'm a Morrison shareholder!
Posted by: Frank Delaney, Hainault on 12:54am Sat 10 May 08
Judging by her name it is obvious she would not be engaged in terrorism. Why don't the Police stop the people that are planting the bombs. The Islamists who bombed the tube, failed Glasgow bombings etc..
Judging by her name it is obvious she would not be engaged in terrorism. Why don't the Police stop the people that are planting the bombs. The Islamists who bombed the tube, failed Glasgow bombings etc..
Posted by: joe schmoo, elsewhere on 7:33am Sat 10 May 08
[quote][bold]Observer (original)[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]joe schmoo[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Morris Hickey[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]technomist[/bold] wrote: This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.[/quote] Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?[/quote] a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them[/quote] Could you possibly make it Asda? I'm a Morrison shareholder![/quote] my apologies
they do a nice brekkie in morrisons
Observer (original) wrote:
joe schmoo wrote:
Morris Hickey wrote:
technomist wrote: This is just another example of the lack of professionalism on the part of PCSOs which causes many people to wish they were all replaced with properly qualified and trained police offices. PCSOs as a body have little enough credibility in the public's eyes without individuals misusing legislation and going around lying about it to the public. I hope the officers concerned are disciplined.
Disciplined as in dismissed perhaps?
a life collecting trolleys in morrisons beckons for most of them
Could you possibly make it Asda? I'm a Morrison shareholder!
Judging by her name it is obvious she would not be engaged in terrorism. Why don't the Police stop the people that are planting the bombs. The Islamists who bombed the tube, failed Glasgow bombings etc..
O'neill is an irish name and the IRA did terrorise with a campaign of bombings for over 20 years! You cant judge by looks or names. But clearly the PSCO's were just using the act as an excuse in this case
Judging by her name it is obvious she would not be engaged in terrorism. Why don't the Police stop the people that are planting the bombs. The Islamists who bombed the tube, failed Glasgow bombings etc..
O'neill is an irish name and the IRA did terrorise with a campaign of bombings for over 20 years! You cant judge by looks or names. But clearly the PSCO's were just using the act as an excuse in this case
Posted by: Mr Khalid, walthamstow on 7:16pm Mon 12 May 08
this psocs policemans idots becose loking like stupids parsons walk 3 togeter streets and no do no think for the pepal and no is stopeded the inocants chidrens and take nubers them?
this psocs policemans idots becose loking like stupids parsons walk 3 togeter streets and no do no think for the pepal and no is stopeded the inocants chidrens and take nubers them?
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