Police stopping cyclists in Preston

[Silver Fox]

Room for another one?

Excuse me lads, just squeezing in next to you

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Excuse me lads, just squeezing in next to you

Good , the more people there are over "there" banging their heads, the less are cheering on the police whilst they randomly stop cyclists,motorists,teenagers,blacks,jews,people they don't like the look of, people who have been lippy in the past, people whose politics the Daily Wail doesn't like ....( Pick your favourite)

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionist,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jew,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

​

Pastor Niemoller


If the police want to target cycle crime they need to target the criminals, not randomly stop innocent people.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Care to share what happened.

I would suggest the answer to that should be the same one I proposed giving to Preston police...

 

[MissTillyFlop]

This could be bad if I'm in an episode, as I probably ask them to prove that the car was theirs and try and drive it away if they couldn't

 

[Cubist]

Good , the more people there are over "there" banging their heads, the less are cheering on the police whilst they randomly stop cyclists,motorists,teenagers,blacks,jews,people they don't like the look of, people who have been lippy in the past, people whose politics the Daily Wail doesn't like ....( Pick your favourite)

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionist,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jew,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

​

Pastor Niemoller


If the police want to target cycle crime they need to target the criminals, not randomly stop innocent people.

Way to go Little Yellow Brompton, have you written to the Home Secretary and shared this utter gem?? Ever since 1850 or so the police have got it completely wrong,harassing people like you, when they could have been simply targeting all the people who are criminals.

One small question.

How can the police tell who is a criminal, and who is Little Yellow Brompton et al without stopping them and asking them to account for themselves? ?

 

[Cubist]

I would suggest the answer to that should be the same one I proposed giving to Preston police...

What? From Bridgend? On a folder?

You stay where you are love, Preston can manage without you.

 

[User482]

Way to go Little Yellow Brompton, have you written to the Home Secretary and shared this utter gem?? Ever since 1850 or so the police have got it completely wrong,harassing people like you, when they could have been simply targeting all the people who are criminals.

One small question.

How can the police tell who is a criminal, and who is Little Yellow Brompton et al without stopping them and asking them to account for themselves? ?

Quite obviously, the police haven't got it completely wrong. Nor have they got it completely right, as the targetting of young black men showed.

The point is that this policy is open to abuse, intentional or otherwise.

 

[Dan_h]

I really don't mind if the police want to ask me questions about my bike, bikes are one of my favourite things to talk about!! Also I would be quite pleased if my bike got nicked and they randomly stopped the thief!

 

[Cubist]

Quite obviously, the police haven't got it completely wrong. Nor have they got it completely right, as the targetting of young black men showed.

The point is that this policy is open to abuse, intentional or otherwise.

Agreed, every "policy" is open to abuse. There are however checks and balances in place as well as a transparent and accountable complaints system. In our force for example we hold a scrutiny panel every quarter where our Stop and Search performance is held under intense scrutiny by a representative lay panel.

The targeting of black men is not the most current of examples though, and is difficult to equate with an initiative to reduce the theft of pedal cycles during daylight hours, surely?

Things have moved on massively over the last couple of decades. Every single officer I know, without exception, winces at the way "sus" was used. It led to massive amounts of distrust in the service, and a legacy which, apparently, is taking some shaking off. Some people make an awful lot of noise about how terrible the police are, and how badly they behave. I have spent twenty five years of my working life trying to redress that balance, and on the whole I am much prouder of what we do and how we do it now, than I was in 1987.

 

[PK99]

Way to go Little Yellow Brompton, have you written to the Home Secretary and shared this utter gem?? Ever since 1850 or so the police have got it completely wrong,harassing people like you, when they could have been simply targeting all the people who are criminals.

One small question.

How can the police tell who is a criminal, and who is Little Yellow Brompton et al without stopping them and asking them to account for themselves? ?

Tut, tut Cubist! You are missing the point!

We are cyclists and can therefore, by defintion, do no wrong. We have every right to demand that the police crack down on cycle crime (500,000 bikes stolen each year in the UK) without ever stopping any of us who have not stolen bikes to ask a few probing questions. We have every right to demand that the police develop psychic powers to be able to spot the criminal POB with 100% accuracy every time.

Personally, if some scrote is seen on my £2,500 titanium beauty, I'd very much like a plod to have a word or two and if the scrote clearly knows nothing about the bike they are riding to make a few other pertinent enquiries. If I'm stopped I'l happily "prove" ownership by telling Plod what size tyres, what gearing and whose makers label appears on the hand built wheels.

 

[Cubist]

Tut, tut Cubist! You are missing the point!

We are cyclists and can therefore, by defintion, do no wrong. We have every right to demand that the police crack down on cycle crime (500,000 bikes stolen each year in the UK) without ever stopping any of us who have not stolen bikes to ask a few probing questions. We have every right to demand that the police develop psychic powers to be able to spot the criminal POB with 100% accuracy every time.

Personally, if some scrote is seen on my £2,500 titanium beauty, I'd very much like a plod to have a word or two and if the scrote clearly knows nothing about the bike they are riding to make a few other pertinent enquiries. If I'm stopped I'l happily "prove" ownership by telling Plod what size tyres, what gearing and whose makers label appears on the hand built wheels.

Yep, good point.

Any room over there on the wall? I'm wearing my Thudguard.

 

[User482]

Agreed, every "policy" is open to abuse. There are however checks and balances in place as well as a transparent and accountable complaints system. In our force for example we hold a scrutiny panel every quarter where our Stop and Search performance is held under intense scrutiny by a representative lay panel.

The targeting of black men is not the most current of examples though, and is difficult to equate with an initiative to reduce the theft of pedal cycles during daylight hours, surely?

Things have moved on massively over the last couple of decades. Every single officer I know, without exception, winces at the way "sus" was used. It led to massive amounts of distrust in the service, and a legacy which, apparently, is taking some shaking off. Some people make an awful lot of noise about how terrible the police are, and how badly they behave. I have spent twenty five years of my working life trying to redress that balance, and on the whole I am much prouder of what we do and how we do it now, than I was in 1987.

It's not so long ago that the Met was described as institutionally racist. So I'm less relaxed than you about discrimination in the force, though I accept fully that the police are making a considerable effort to improve.

Regarding the abuse of policies - some are more open to it than others. That is my concern with this particular one. For example, my bikes were all hand built by me, using parts from a variety of sources for which I have no receipts. Two of my frames have had resprays, filling in the frame number. I have also been known to pop to the shops, wearing a hoody and no helmet.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Way to go Little Yellow Brompton, have you written to the Home Secretary and shared this utter gem?? Ever since 1850 or so the police have got it completely wrong,harassing people like you, when they could have been simply targeting all the people who are criminals.

One small question.

How can the police tell who is a criminal, and who is Little Yellow Brompton et al without stopping them and asking them to account for themselves? ?

I have a good idea, why don't we all have numbers tattoed on our forearms, or can see you see a problem with that ?

 

[MacB]

It's not so long ago that the Met was described as institutionally racist. So I'm less relaxed than you about discrimination in the force, though I accept fully that the police are making a considerable effort to improve.

Regarding the abuse of policies - some are more open to it than others. That is my concern with this particular one. For example, my bikes were all hand built by me, using parts from a variety of sources for which I have no receipts. Two of my frames have had resprays, filling in the frame number. I have also been known to pop to the shops, wearing a hoody and no helmet.

I agree but my gut feel, from what I've been reading, is that your ability to describe your ride would be more than ample to offset any risk of confiscation. Yes there is the risk that you have a 'personality clash' with an officer and they become rather over zealous...but is it a big risk?

 

[User482]

I agree but my gut feel, from what I've been reading, is that your ability to describe your ride would be more than ample to offset any risk of confiscation. Yes there is the risk that you have a 'personality clash' with an officer and they become rather over zealous...but is it a big risk?

Yes, yes, but all you need is one police officer rather less fair-minded than Cubist, and we have a problem. Remember that they only need a "reasonable suspicion" which would be a pretty good cover for discriminatory or over-zealous behaviour.