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HMIC Policing Protest Report Published - Police Tactics Condemned

cv | 25.11.2009 11:08 | G20 London Summit | Climate Chaos | Repression

From:  http://london.indymedia.org/articles/3186

The long awaited second report by Denis O'Connor, the chief inspector of constabulary, is critical of many aspects of public order policing which alienate the public and infringe the right to protest.

The report "Adapting to Protest – Nurturing the British Model of Policing" looked at the now infamous policing of the G20 protests in london as well as the Climate Camp protest at Kingsnorth and other mass demonstrations.

See Full Report:
 http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/special/adapting-to-protest/


In related news, campaigners from Climate Camp have won their legal battle to secure a full hearing for a Judicial Review around the brutal policing of the G20.

Responding to the publication of the report, people from the Climate Camp said:

"The HMIC report shows that there is some movement within the police force for change, but we'll be watching how things happen down on the ground at direct actions in the lead up to the Copenhagen climate talks.

Hundreds of british climate activists are going to be making their way to Copenhagen over the next few weeks - let's hope the police don't use this as an excuse for intimidation and monitoring.

When it came to the G20, the police behaved like violent thugs - and the granting of a Judicial Review to put the senior police officers involved under scrutiny will surely bring more of their mistakes to light. Let's just hope they learn their lessons in time. We're watching you."


Whilst the policing of the Climate Camp protest at Blackheath in London was indeed low key and drew almost no criticism at all, the recent cases of four climate campaigners detained and questioned under anti-terror legislation whilst on their way to a protest meeting in Copenhagen raises further questions about political policing.


MEDIA COVERAGE:

'Aggressive' policing of protests condemned in post-G20 inquiry
Senior inspector discredits heavy-handed approach and calls for return to 19th-century style of minimal force
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/25/police-could-lose-public-consent

British policing's wake-up call
Heavy-handed policing is drifting away from British 'soft' tactics
 http://www.politics.co.uk/news/policing-and-crime/british-policing-s-wake-up-call-$1342748.htm

Police methods 'could erode public support'
 http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/police+methods+aposcould+erode+public+supportapos/3437497

Police protest training in chaos, report finds
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6931097.ece

Police tactics 'risking loss of public support'
British police risk losing the support of the public if they confront demonstrators with tactics seen as aggressive and unfair.
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8377208.stm


cv

Comments

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CiF : A policing report worth backing

25.11.2009 11:19


See full article in CIF Guardian for all links within article:

A policing report worth backing
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 25 November 2009 11.00 GMT
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/nov/25/policing-report-g20-hmic

The G20 protests were dealt with badly and HMIC proposes a sensible route forward. But is there the will to follow it?

When the public start voicing anger at the behaviour of a public body, the authorities' usual response is to commission a report on the issue. Those feeling the heat then hope the public will be looking elsewhere when the report eventually appears, and business as usual can continue.

The furore following the police violence at the G20 protests seemed set to follow that same old pattern. However, today's Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) review, Adapting to Protest: Nurturing the British Model of Policing, might just be different.

HMIC is clear: the usual strategic policing objective "to facilitate lawful protest" is wrong. The correct legal starting point is the facilitation of peaceful protest. The rights of people to protest, and the rights of those not to be disturbed by protest, are to be balanced. Consider the G20 Climate Camp that was blocking a London road in the middle of the night – an unlawful, but nonviolent protest. Rather than being violently evicted by the police, this should have been allowed to continue in some form until its advertised finishing time the following day.

The concept of facilitating peaceful protest may appear challenging for many in the police who prefer the simplicity of lawful versus unlawful. Jane Gordon, former human rights adviser to the police in Northern Ireland, and adviser to HMIC, has clearly been successful in articulating both the necessity and the benefits of properly integrating human rights into the policing of protest. Even old-school cops should appreciate the fact that more proportionate methods of policing protest also cost a lot less.

HMIC is recommending introducing "core principles" on the use of force against the protesting public. The number of people with head injuries at the G20 (and indeed Ian Tomlinson's death) was the product of the unsafe environment created by lines of Robocop-style outfits wielding batons, and using shields not defensively but as weapons to inflict pain. These principles should enable the public's safety to be given the same attention to detail as that of the police.

Now the HMIC review is complete, it's up to the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) to ensure its recommendations are put into effect. However, bizarrely, Acpo itself is a private company formed by senior police officers, and is not a publicly accountable body. To counter this problem, HMIC recommends that Acpo be put on a statutory footing so there can be transparency and accountability. Acpo claims to agree but don't hold your breath as it is in the Home Office's hands.

Acpo also oversees the Orwellian surveillance junkies known as the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (Netcu), which keeps close tabs on climate (and other) activists despite acknowledging that they pose no threat of violence. Netcu cheerfully equates protest with terrorism and brands anyone who dares to voice meaningful political dissent as a "domestic extremist". Netcu should be closed down. Its continued existence runs counter to HMIC's desire to rebuild confidence in the policing of protest. (Incidentally, it will be interesting to see how many more climate change activists will be stopped under anti-terrorism legislation while travelling to the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen next month.)

The HMIC recommendations – if implemented — could help put a stop to some of the worst policing tactics, reduce injuries from police violence, and increase their accountability. Let's hope that, just for once, a report of this kind isn't quietly shelved and forgotten.

RP


Report Precis

25.11.2009 11:23

The British model of policing must be nurtured. IT is time to reassert the principles of the traditional British model of approachable, impartial and accountable policing based on minimum force for major public order events, Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Constabulary says today.

He warned that public order events have exposed inconsistencies in the training, standards and leadership of public order policing, in particular:

1 An absence of clear standards on the use of force: Some forces train officers in defensive and offensive shield tactics (including the use of the edge of the shield against individuals) which are not nationally recognised.

2 Inappropriate use of public order powers such as stop and search and overt photography: Police use of overt photography and the retention of the images raise human rights issues.

3 Variation between forces in understanding of the law: This was seen at Kingsnorth Climate Camp, particularly in relation to stop and search.

4 Inconsistent equipment and tactics: There is no common standard for public order personal protection uniform and different approaches to training - 19 forces train with intermediate and round shields, 2 with long and round shields and one with all three types.

5 Out dated training and guidance: The current tactics training manual was written in 2004 and has not been revised since.

Mr OConnor added: The world is changing and policing needs to change with it. Public order policing needs to evolve as we move towards the London Olympics in 2012 and beyond. This will protect the rights of protesters and the wider public as well as protecting the integrity of the British policing model.

The report makes a number of other recommendations, including:

1 The adoption of a set of fundamental principles on the use of force which run as a golden thread through all aspects of police business.

2 Codification of public order policing to ensure consistency in public order training and use of equipment, tactics and police powers.

3 Clarification of the legal framework for the use of overt photography by police during public order operations and the collation and retention of photographic images by police forces and other policing bodies.

4 Review of the status of the Association of Chief Police Officers to ensure transparent governance and accountability structures, especially in relation to their quasi-operational role of the commissioning of intelligence and the collation and retention of data.

more


change our tactics, too

25.11.2009 13:39

we, as activists, should be changing our tactics, too, not just relying on the state to "help us out".
For example, where has the tactic of being padded up on the front lines gone? I saw one, just one solitary girl at the g20 demo's with padding on under her jacket. In 2000, 2001, padding was all the rage and the pigs could do nothing but whack with their truncheons against folded up plastic and sponge!!
I saw the look in pigs faces as they whacked to no avail!! It was more than a little frustrating for them, put it that way.
So where has this tactic gone now?
I read that some people are planning a reinforced banner for the anti-edl demos in Notts soon...maybe the police will see what its like when the tactic is put to good use against their kettles and batons?
I hope so.......bring back the wombles (White Overall Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles)!

This police report wont change shit.....by the way. if they were cracking heads at the bean field in 84, why are they going to stop now, especially with the tories looking to take power next year? come on people, dont be led down the path........

plastic spastic


Register: Police Intelligence May Be Thing of the Past

25.11.2009 15:38

Police Intelligence may be a thing of the past

*Insert your own joke here.*

By John Ozimek
Posted in Policing, 25th November 2009 13:41 GMT
 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/25/police_protest_intelligence_report/

The days of police unlawfully collecting and holding personal information on individuals exercising their legal right to protest may be drawing to a close.

That, at least, is the conclusion of protest groups who have themselves been the object of police surveillance in the past – and judging by the response from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), they may well be right.

A key report – Adapting to Protest – was put together by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Dennis O’Connor, and published today. It criticises Police forces that have failed to move with the times when it came to dealing with major political demonstrations, and raises a number of issues with which El Reg readers will be familiar. These include "an absence of clear standards on the use of force" and "inappropriate use of public order powers such as stop and search and overt photography".

Criticism is also levelled at differences between forces in their understanding of the law, inconsistent equipment and tactics and outdated training and guidance.

However, it is in the area of surveillance and data collection that this report may have its most far-reaching effect. It adds, almost as afterthought, that there should be a "Review of the status of the Association of Chief Police Officers to ensure transparent governance and accountability structures, especially in relation to their quasi-operational role of the commissioning of intelligence and the collation and retention of data".

This brings together two issues that have been increasingly troublesome to those who feel that the Police have been exceeding their brief in recent years and even acting unlawfully.

At present, surveillance of demonstrations and the collection, retention and dissemination of information is managed by three units, with an estimated spend of £9 million, set up and managed within ACPO. The largest of these is the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU), which runs a central database containing details of thousands of so-called domestic extremists.

Information is fed into this system from Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT), run by individual police forces – and fed back out again to police forces in various formats, including "spotter cards" which provide local police with a handy "I-spy" guide to potential troublemakers.

In addition, ACPO runs the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU), which advises companies on how to manage political campaigns, and the National Domestic Extremism Team (NDET), which pools intelligence gathered by investigations into protesters across the country.

Concerns over the legality of this data collection have been raised by the Information Commissioner. A spokesman for his office told The Register: "We do have genuine concerns about the ever increasing amounts of information that law enforcement bodies are retaining.

"Organisations must only collect people’s personal information for a proper purpose. We will need to talk to ACPO to understand why they consider it is necessary to hold lawful protesters’ details in this way, before considering whether this meets the terms of the Data Protection Act."

This is on top of criticisms regularly levelled at ACPO that, as an ad hoc body set up to provide co-ordination across the Police Forces of England and Wales, it sits in a curious legal limbo, highly influential in setting police policy and tactics, yet not subject to specific controls.

Attempts by members of the public to elicit information on the development of police policy on a number of core issues are now effectively thwarted by the fact that the policy development took place within ACPO – and was therefore beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act.

The HMIC report appears to acknowledge these issues, as does ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde, whose first public interview since taking office included an acknowledgement of public disquiet over the way his units are gathering data and agreed that the scheme "can go tomorrow", although some form of monitoring of protesters would need to continue, with independent regulation.

Whilst expressing his continued belief in the virtues of the British model of policing, Chief Inspector Denis O’Connor warned that it could be undermined if formidable public order uniform and tactics are perceived to dominate, the law is misused, the police appear to take sides or thoughtless acts of aggression are perceived to have occurred.

He said: "British police risk losing the battle for the public’s consent if they win public order through tactics that appear to be unfair, aggressive or inconsistent. This harms not just the reputation of the individual officers concerned but the police service as a whole."

Val Swain, an activist for FitWatch, who actively monitor police surveillance tactics in this area, welcomed the HMIC report, but felt it could go further.

She said: "While we welcome this first step, we need to go much further than HMIC’s recommendations. What we need is an actual change in the culture of public order policing. The way the police behave in relation to protest, public order situations, and indeed the public generally, must differ from what has gone before."

for ref


acab

25.11.2009 16:55

from  http://shiftmag.co.uk/?p=275

The problem to us seems to be one of criticism and critique. We see a whole lot of criticism of policing operations, of police tactics and of the behaviour of officers on the ground. But criticism, when adequately addressed, can only serve to reinforce the image of the police as the legitimate protector of property and law and order. Outrage at police violence, while from the perspective of the peaceful protester entirely understandable (and by no means do we want to condemn the anger felt when brutalised and humiliated by a force more violent than us), can only mean that ‘proportionate’ and ‘peaceful’ policing would be acceptable (or even possible).

A critique of the police (and with it of its relationship to the state and to capital) would be something entirely different. For a start, we would have to ask questions of ourselves: how can we deal with contemporary policing of demonstrations in the UK without resorting to the help of the corporate media, the IPCC or the legal system? And in the public realm we have to push an analysis that regards the police riot on 1 April as the very self-evident and expected role of those forces of the state that try to regulate, manage and control the status quo.

We have to be careful that the good deal of bad publicity that the Metropolitan Police receives from the Guardian and other newspapers will not have a de-radicalising effect. If liberal capitalist democracy is seen to be working – i.e. media scrutiny, police accountability, judges and politicians that punish police brutality – then where is our platform for attack? By (only) criticising the actions of the police we are appealing to the status quo, not condemning it.

acab
- Homepage: http://shiftmag.co.uk/?p=275


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What it actually says........

26.11.2009 08:26

Recommendation 10: Clarification of the role of Forward Intelligence Teams
HMIC recommends that the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency should clarify the precise role of Forward Intelligence Teams (FITs). Public order training should include guidance on the function of FITs and the specific tactical parameters under which FITs should be deployed in public order operations.

Recommendation 11: Accountability of ACPO
HMIC recommends that the position and status of the Association of Chief Police Officers should be clearly defined with transparent governance and accountability structures, especially in relation to its quasi-operational role of the commissioning of intelligence and the collation and retention of data.

Make your own conclusions having read the actual words.....

The Report


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