I'm not worried about the terrorists. It's the "chavs" that need educating and sorted out and hopefully these extra police powers can help with that
The police have all the powers they need to deal with chavs. But because chavs answer back, don't show up in court, claim police brutality, make a nuisance of themselves in the police station etc, the police prefer to use their powers on people who are not really committing crimes, like the pensioner cautioned for criminal damage for pruning his neighbour's tree, the kids cautioned for criminal damage to a tree whilst building a tree-house in a park, etc.
It's all to do with nu-Labour's "targets".
When Robert Peel set up the modern British police force, he set out 9 principles by which policing should be carried out. The last of them was:
"The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it."
Nu-Labour know better, of course, and introduced targets. Every police officer has to carry out x number of "detections" in a month. A detection is a solved crime, but it doesn't matter what the crime is. A solved case of a man pruning his neighbour's tree is exactly the same as a solved murder, as far as the government is concerned. The result is, the police make up minor crimes they can solve, so that they can prove to the government they are doing their job.
But if you are being victimised by real criminals, say kids vandalising cars, burglars, shoplifters etc, then the police do not want to know. Too much effort, too few "detections" (the beauty of "detecting" the most minor crimes is that there won't be a prosecution, thus saving police time preparing a case, appearing in court etc.)
In my opinion its not down to the police to stamp out bad behaviour in todays youth its their parents and the schools.
On the other hand, the police are increasingly giving up on investigating shoplifting and burglary, which it is most definitely down to them to stop.
They are becoming increasingly powerless/not bothering because of the amount of watermelon they have to deal with.
That's the problem. And to keep the numbers up, they are instead focusing on people they know won't give them chit.
If the UK slips towards a police state so be it. Discipline is needed.
But who are the police going to stop and question? The chavs walking down the road screaming abuse at people and spitting at cars? No, just like now they'll stop the sort of respectable person they know won't answer back, won't spit at them, and who'll tell them his real name and address.
