Me! At least, it could have been so, in an almost-hilarious nearly-got-arrested moment. I got stopped by a police sergeant in Lime St who was doing a random spot-check under the Terrorism Act (2000). Very politely he asked if I was able to undergo an ID check & bag examination, though when I asked if I could refuse he said in that case you’re classed as under suspicion and detained anyway, so I thought better of it. Informed me I was his random tenth person, which seems a reasonable way of proceeding if the other option is picking on dodgy looking characters, though a more cynical person than me might point out that there’s no record of him counting. Here’s the relevant section of the Act (44(2)):
There are also powers to stop and search vehicles and their occupants (44(1)) and pedestrians (44(2)) in an area, if a senior police officer authorises it, to prevent acts of terrorism.
For these three powers, the officer does not have to have reasonable grounds to suspect the individual stopped or searched of carrying dangerous instruments or offensive weapons or of involvement in the anticipated violence or terrorism. However these powers may only be used by police officers in uniform.
I should say that the whole process was properly done (but then, I’m an easy guy to stop and search) – the sergeant friendly, respectful and not at all enamoured of the authority he was exercising. But when he called up for an ID check he misread his own writing and asked for a check on a completely different name at my address. Moral of this story, citizens, is be vigilant about what policemen write in their notebooks!
PS happy new year, guys! Resolution is to keep the blog alive in 2008…
