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National News Londons new Skorpion squads ....

Marked Ox said:
Seems a good idea to me considering the level of crime and type of crime that they are targeting.
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agree ....at least at the moment

My concern is Skorpion ram squads start being used for 'ordinary' / 'lesser' traffic infringements sometime down the line

They've (Skorpion squads) be bought in to deal with specific offences/ offenders..... there are a number of other laws specifically bought in to takle a specific, that eventually have been mis-used to deal with much lesser offences.

Hypothetically theres a scooter or motorcycle rally taking place, local busybody/nimby calls 999 to complain about noisey hooligans on two wheels, up rocks the local Skorpion squad, just as some of the rally goers are heading off on a (marshalled) group ride out. Skorpion squad all fired up on a call out, with adrenaline pumping decide to intervene, as Mr busybody Nimby is loudly complaining . Again. This time claiming all manner of exaggerated noise, public order, and breaching of the peace offences taking place simultaneously. Demanding that the police 'do something' Result, something similar to tenpin bowling, with Skorpion sqaud as the ball , two wheel rally goers on a marshalled, group ride out as the skittles. Which would be a grossly over the top misuse of a particular law IMO

I think, as football supporters, most of us are only too aware that ( certainly in the not too distant past), the police can, (an have been known to) over react excessively to what are non incidents in some circumstances!

Didnt someone once say power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely ?

As it stands Skorpion squad introduction is (probably) a necessity, to deal with a specific type of offence .
I hope safe guards are in place to stop any future misuse & abuse of this new law in the near future.
 
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I can see it now, the yellow army marching through scumdon town centre after innocently trashing it and accidentally smashing any scummer in their way, when the Scumdon Skorpion Plod Squad steams in and sends everyone flying, it’ll end in tears I tell you...
 
Sarge said:
agree ....at least at the moment

My concern is Skorpion ram squads start being used for 'ordinary' / 'lesser' traffic infringements sometime down the line

They've (Skorpion squads) be bought in to deal with specific offences/ offenders..... there are a number of other laws specifically bought in to takle a specific, that eventually have been mis-used to deal with much lesser offences.

Hypothetically theres a scooter or motorcycle rally taking place, local busybody/nimby calls 999 to complain about noisey hooligans on two wheels, up rocks the local Skorpion squad, just as some of the rally goers are heading off on a (marshalled) group ride out. Skorpion squad all fired up on a call out, with adrenaline pumping decide to intervene, as Mr busybody Nimby is loudly complaining . Again. This time claiming all manner of exaggerated noise, public order, and breaching of the peace offences taking place simultaneously. Demanding that the police 'do something' Result, something similar to tenpin bowling, with Skorpion sqaud as the ball , two wheel rally goers on a marshalled, group ride out as the skittles. Which would be a grossly over the top misuse of a particular law IMO

I think, as football supporters, most of us are only too aware that ( certainly in the not too distant past), the police can, (an have been known to) over react excessively to what are non incidents in some circumstances!

Didnt someone once say power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely ?

As it stands Skorpion squad introduction is (probably) a necessity, to deal with a specific type of offence .
I hope safe guards are in place to stop any future misuse & abuse of this new law in the near future.
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The Police have powers to use tactical force with cars on cars they are chasing but that is hardly ever used when you think how many chases happen.

Also, I suspect it would be illegal for a traffic cop to do what you suggest with regards the rally.
 
At least the little miscreants know what can happen, whereas before they knew that they could drive off and not be pursued - any criminal activity only ceases when the punishment for being caught exceeds the benefit of the criminal act and there is a realistic chance of being caught.

30 years ago New York was rife with crime from vandalism and shop lifting through to armed street robbery and murder - the subway was a no go area after dark. Rudy Giuliani flooded the streets with police and introduced a zero-tolerance policy for any crime; jay-walking - you're nicked; graffiti a wall - you're nicked; dodge a fare -you're nicked; and so on. Now you could say the Britain is equally tough on litter louts and speeding motorists, but our version of zero-tolerance is to fine these people and let them go. Giuliani had these people investigated after arrest and they found that the people picking pockets in the day were the armed robbers of the night, the guy who drives off without paying for fuel is also the guy that steals cars.

It took good few years and a considerable amount of cash (not just for the enforcement, but for social programs that grew up alongside them). but NY is now one of the safest cities in the world.

Would it work here......
 
Oxymoron said:
At least the little miscreants know what can happen, whereas before they knew that they could drive off and not be pursued - any criminal activity only ceases when the punishment for being caught exceeds the benefit of the criminal act and there is a realistic chance of being caught.

30 years ago New York was rife with crime from vandalism and shop lifting through to armed street robbery and murder - the subway was a no go area after dark. Rudy Giuliani flooded the streets with police and introduced a zero-tolerance policy for any crime; jay-walking - you're nicked; graffiti a wall - you're nicked; dodge a fare -you're nicked; and so on. Now you could say the Britain is equally tough on litter louts and speeding motorists, but our version of zero-tolerance is to fine these people and let them go. Giuliani had these people investigated after arrest and they found that the people picking pockets in the day were the armed robbers of the night, the guy who drives off without paying for fuel is also the guy that steals cars.

It took good few years and a considerable amount of cash (not just for the enforcement, but for social programs that grew up alongside them). but NY is now one of the safest cities in the world.

Would it work here......
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I doubt whether the pc bring game or the righteous would allow........but if they suddenly became victims of these miscreants as you call them ( I would call them something else ) then maybe it would passes as law, who knows
 
This ramming of bike thieves by the Police is only going to end one way.
They are going to get sued.
This policy is doomed and the sooner they find another way to combat this kind of crime the better.
I suspect that it is all just a publicity stunt anyway.
 
Perhaps if bike thieves were also sued for damaging a police vehicle in the execution of it's duty, then we could get somewhere?

Or would this be a step towards the dystopian state which Sarge eludes to in the original post........
 
Oxymoron said:
Perhaps if bike thieves were also sued for damaging a police vehicle in the execution of it's duty, then we could get somewhere?

Or would this be a step towards the dystopian state which Sarge eludes to in the original post........
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That sort of thing, at least a similar type of thing, HAS been happening already, and for some time @Oxymoron

my grandad was unfortunate to skid on black ice (on an untreated road in Oxford) the result being a lot of damage to his car at the time, a minor bit of damage to himself ...plus a bill for damage, from Oxford City Council, to a street lamp-post that his car skidded into from an untreated road that Oxford City Council (at the time) were responsible for! Common sense eventually prevailed, though it went to court before said common sense was applied!

That was over 30 years ago, (my grandad died 26 years ago)
 
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