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BriefingforKettlingPolicePowersConference

Sunday20May2012

BishopsgateInstitute NETPOLNETWORKFORPOLICEMONITORING

Policing and the OlympicsDispersal ZonesAthreemonthdispersalzoneintheStratfordareabeganon27April,exactlythreemonthsbeforethe

Olympicsopeningceremony.ItcoversStratfordTownCentre,includingtheMagistrates'Court,themain

transporthubsinStratfordandtheareasalongWestHamLanecommonlyknownastheWestQuadrant".

Thepolicesaythatattheendofthecurrentperiod,theywill"reviewtheintelligencegatheredandwill

considermakingapplicationtoNewhamCouncilforathreemonthextension",butitisprettyobviousthat

anextensionwillhappenautomatically.

Dispersalzonepowersarecoveredbysection30oftheAntiSocialBehaviourAct2003,whichsaysthata

policeofficer

or

Police

Community

Support

Officer

has

the

power

to

order

agroup

of

two

or

more

people

to

leavetheareaand,iftheydon'tlivewithinit,tobanthemfromreturningforupto24hours.Refusingto

complywithanofficer'sdirectionornotfollowingtherulesofthedispersalordercanleadtoarrestand

charge,withaconvictionpotentiallyleadingtoamaximumpenaltyofthreemonths'imprisonmentand/ora

fineof5000.

Curfew Powers

Inaddition,officershave'curfew'powers:youngpeopleagedunder16areeffectivelyprohibitedfrompublic

spaceswithinthedispersalzoneovernight,from9pmto6am,unlesstheyareaccompaniedbyaparentora

responsibleadultover18yearsofage.

Anofficer

has

the

power

to

remove

anyone

within

this

age

group

that

they

find

during

these

hours

to

their

placeofresidence,unlessthereare"reasonablegroundsforbelievingthatthepersonwould,ifremovedto

thatplace,belikelytosuffersignificantharm."

Anti-Terrorism Stop & Search Powers

Part4oftheProtectionofFreedomsAct2012hasenshrinedinlawatemporaryprovision(section47Aof

theTerrorismAct2000)introducedin2011aftercontroversyovertherepeatedmisuseofantiterrorism

stopandsearchpowers(especiallyagainstphotographers,whichgeneratedendlessadversepublicity).

TheActsaysthataseniorofficercanspecifyastopandsearchareaifheshouldreasonablysuspectthatan

actofterrorismwilltakeplaceandconsidersthat(i)theauthorisationisnecessarytopreventsuchanact;

(ii)thespecifiedareaorplaceisnogreaterthanisnecessarytopreventsuchanact;and(iii)thedurationof

theauthorisationisnolongerthanisnecessarytopreventsuchanact.ThevicinitiesofOlympicsvenuesare

almostcertaintobeauthorisedasstopandsearchareas.

Onceauthorisationhasbeengiven,itgivesanyconstableinuniformthepowerto:

Stopavehicleinthespecifiedareaorplaceandtosearch,thevehicle,thedriver,anypassengeroranythinginoronthevehicleorcarriedbythedriverorapassenger.

StopapedestrianinthespecifiedareaorplaceandtosearchthemanythingtheyarecarryingOfficerscanonlylookforevidencebutthereisnorequirementtohavereasonablesuspicion:theActsays

thatpowersmaybeexercisedwhetherornottheconstablereasonablysuspectsthatthereissuch

evidence.

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Blanket Section 60 Searches

Section60oftheCriminalJusticeAct1994isapowerputinplacebyanInspector,andconfirmedbya

Superintendent,thatallowsapoliceofficertosearchanyoneinaspecificareaforoffensiveweapons.The

orderlastsfor24hoursbutcanbeextendedbyaSuperintendent.

Thisshould

not

be

confused

with

Section

60

AA,

of

the

Criminal

Justice

Act

1994,

which

is

an

order

that

allowsapoliceofficertodemandthatanyitemyouarewearingthatismainlyusedtoconcealyouridentity

isremoved.Youdon'thavetobewearingthisitematthetimeforittobeseized.Section60andSection60

AAaredifferentpowers,andcanbeusedindependently.

Can I Be Stopped For Wearing An Anti-Olympics T-Shirt?

IthasbeenwidelypublicisedthattheLondonOlympicGamesandParalympicGamesAct2006includes

strictregulationsthatapplyto"advertisingofanykind"inthevicinityofLondonOlympicevents,even

leaflets,posters,announcementsornoticesof"anoncommercialnature".Section22doesgiveaconstable

orenforcementofficerthepowertoenterlandorpremisesonwhichtheyreasonablybelieveanillegal

advertisementhas

been

placed

and

remove,

destroy,

conceal

or

erase

any

infringing

article.

However,theLondonOlympicGames(TradingandAdvertising)(England)Regulations2011providesan

exceptionfordemonstrations.Therestrictionsdonotapplyto"advertisingactivityintendedto

demonstratesupportfororoppositiontotheviewsoractionsofanypersonorbodyofpersons"orto

"publiciseabelief,causeorcampaign".

Mobile Police Stations

Itisanticipatedthattherewillbeatleastonemobilepolicestationwiththecapacitytodetainpeopleonthe

OlympicsiteandfacilitatevideolinkappearancestoMagistratesCourtsbutnoinformationhasbeen

releasedyet.

Assurancesweregivenin2010thattheMetropolitanPolicesMusterDeploymentandBriefingCentreon

WansteadFlats,nearForestGate,wouldnotbeusedfordetention.Thesepromisesmay,however,be

broken.

Court Arrangements

StratfordMagistratesCourtwillbeoperatingdifferentlyduringtheOlympicswithnoyouthcourtsittingsand

custodytrialcasesbeingdealtwithatHighburyCornerinstead.Thereisapossibilitythatoverflowcasesmay

bedeployednationally.Itisyettobeseenwhetherbailwillalsobeextendedonindividualcasesinresponse

topotentialhigherarrestrates.

Always Remember the Basics

Ifarrested nocomment:Youdonotneedtotalktothepoliceaboutanything,althoughgivingyournameandaddresswillspeeduptheprocessofbeingreleased.

Don'tusetheDutySolicitorhaveanemergencynumberwithyou Don'tgiveyournameandaddresstopoliceifyouarestoppedorsearched Avoidlettingthepolicephotographyou theyhavenopowertoforceyoutocomplywith

beingphotographedorfilmedunlessyouarebeingprocessedatthepolicestation.