"Airport-style scanners on London streets"

[[R-MOD]Saobh]

After the Porta-Potty we now give you the Porta-Scanner

Well the Londoners on these forums will give us their impressions on it soon enough.

A surge in violent knife crimes has prompted London police to introduce a new program that will rely on mobile, airport-style scanners and hand-held metal detectors for use against people suspected of carrying concealed weapons.
A similar scheme was introduced in the northern city of Liverpool last year.

A similar scheme was introduced in the northern city of Liverpool last year.

The new program, called Blunt 2, started this week in one borough and should be in place in all 32 London boroughs within the next few months, said a Metropolitan Police spokesman, who asked not to be identified in line with police rules.

The scanners have been in use by police for several years, but many more have been purchased and they will now be used much more aggressively under a law that gives police the right to search people without having to demonstrate beforehand that there is reasonable cause to believe they are committing a crime, the spokesman said.

"We've put it in under Section 60 of the Public Order Act, which is slightly more in your face," the spokesman said. "We can give officers on the ground the powers to go ahead and do it. We've got 550 metal detector wands and 244 search arches that can be used. If there's a problem, we can place them outside a row of shops or a shopping center and check people going in."

The spokesman said it will be possible for police officers to take the mobile wands onto buses and check passengers for weapons.

He declined to name the borough where the program started.

London's reputation as a generally safe city has been rocked this year by a marked increase in stabbings, with more than 100 reported in the capital so far this year. Most have not been fatal, but the slaying Monday of a 22-year-old man outside a McDonald's in the busy Oxford Street shopping area generated gruesome headlines.

The victim, who had been facing charges for rape and other serious crimes, was killed after an argument between two groups of young people that took place during the evening rush hour, when Oxford Street is usually filled with thousands of pedestrians.

Airport-style scanners on London streets - CNN.com

[Canadian4206]

I am not a Londoner, but I do have family in Belfast, Ireland that I go visit. Which is Northern Ireland.

I think that as long as these are on the public streets, and not invading any privacy then I think it's a great idea. I mean, can't really invade privacy as they are only set on the streets and anything you would do on the streets that would be private would be a invasion of privacy anyways with, or without it there as anybody would be watching anyways.

As long as it catches criminals, I think it serves its purpose. If other countries had them, then a lot of crimes would be stopped.

[DOAW]

So, basically they're going to be funneling people through metal detectors on the street, and stopping buses to wand everybody? Sounds like fun.

[Spaz]

Welcome to the police state?

[Top_Cat_AxJnAt]

Sounds like Labour and a sounds like FAIL!

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

Originally Posted by Canadian4206

I am not a Londoner, but I do have family in Belfast, Ireland that I go visit. Which is Northern Ireland.

I think that as long as these are on the public streets, and not invading any privacy then I think it's a great idea. I mean, can't really invade privacy as they are only set on the streets and anything you would do on the streets that would be private would be a invasion of privacy anyways with, or without it there as anybody would be watching anyways.

I'm sorry but the Public Order Act gives police the power to stop anybody they like, without the requirement for probably cause. They don't need to suspect you're likely to comit a crime, or have just commited one... they can pull you over and search you.

Should you not comply with the search, they can then arrest you. Joy.

I'm not a paranoid nutjob who thinks that the police are going to take control of the state or anything like that... I just object to police being given powers that allow them to do that kind of crap.

Using metal dector wands on people they do have probable cause for, great. Got no problem on that. No problem with using them occasionally in specific problem areas. Being able to yoink anyone off the street and subject them to it = step too far.

[ArmedDrunk&Angry]

We have "stop-n-frisk" and I wish they would add this to it as well.
I do fear the government but I fear some dirtbag with a 9mm more.
The tech allows it to be a less intrusive search and as time goes on the "detectors" will simply be built into more things.

But it does beg the question, if the UK is so safe because of their gun laws, why the need to stop and search people for weapons on this kind of basis ?

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

Ask a simple question, get a simple answer...

Because they're not looking for guns, they're looking for knives?

No-one has ever claimed that removing guns stops knife crime. Removing guns goes some way to stopping gun crime though, which is why handguns were banned.

[TheOldDog]

Originally Posted by ArmedDrunk&Angry

But it does beg the question, if the UK is so safe because of their gun laws, why the need to stop and search people for weapons on this kind of basis ?

Because a knife can be used to shoot bullets?

[TheOldDog]

Because in a society where guns are uncommon evil-doers have to more commonly fall back to using the steak knife they last ate their dinner with, whereas in a society where guns are common no one really gives a rats about knives or even machetes?