Drug scanner checks public

[xoxoxoBruce]

According to the Oxford Mail, our socialist friends across the pond are saying.... sure, why not?

Scores of pub-goers in Bicester were tested for traces of illegal drugs during a police operation aimed at tackling violent street crime.
Police used the force's new drugs itemiser - which scans people for traces of banned substances - at the Litten Tree pub.
It was the first time the new technology, which detects traces of drugs from heroin to cannabis, had been used in the town.

Police officers tested 150 revellers as they arrived at the pub in Sheep Street between 10.30pm and midnight on Friday.
The pub managers barred anyone refusing to co-operate with the test from entering.

Det Sgt Steve Duffy, of Banbury CID, said two people tested positive and were searched but not found to be in possession of drugs.
The pair were then banned from entering the pub, but not arrested.

[Vizzini] Inconceivable!! [/Vizzini]

I can think of several reasons, why not, but I doubt if they would understand why I feel that way.

Good night, did they goose-step to the pub?!

[Undertoad]

sorry for the pileon

Big Brother Britain: Government and councils to spy on ALL our phones

Officials from the top of Government to lowly council officers will be given unprecedented powers to access details of every phone call in Britain under laws coming into force tomorrow.

The new rules compel phone companies to retain information, however private, about all landline and mobile calls, and make them available to some 795 public bodies and quangos.

The move, enacted by the personal decree of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, will give police and security services a right they have long demanded: to delve at will into the phone records of British citizens and businesses.

But the same powers will also be handed to the tax authorities, 475 local councils, and a host of other organisations, including the Food Standards Agency, the Department of Health, the Immigration Service, the Gaming Board and the Charity Commission.

The initiative, formulated in the wake of the Madrid and London terrorist attacks of 2004 and 2005, was put forward as a vital tool in the fight against terrorism. However, civil liberties campaigners say the new powers amount to a "free for all" for the State snooping on its citizens.

So funny how, when everyone was telling me, it would stop at quieting the BNP and the like... "just so we won't be like 'them".
Then the cameras...
ALWAYS, once you open that door, it never closes.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Ontario has a new law.
Officer Law, stopping you for 30mph over the limit, which isn't hard when you exit a high speed highway and the limit suddenly becomes 25mph, may without appeal or hearing, suspend your driver's license on the spot for 7 days, impound your car for the same amount of time and hang you with a minimum fine of $2000.00. The fines can go as high as $10,000.00 and the license suspensions are up to 2 years on a 1st conviction and up to 10 for a subsequent one.

You don't have to be speeding, either.... same consequences for spinning your tires while turning, have someone in your trunk, making an improper lane change, cutting off another vehicle, tailgating and not driving to suit the conditions, such as going over the speed limit in a snowstorm, and a host of other indiscretions.

Basically they have taken the courts out of the loop and let the cop be judge and jury.
Canada, you're going the wrong way.... but I suspected that when you accepted sharia law.

[TheMercenary]

Don't really have a problem with it. If we want/need to legalize pot, fine, so be it, but if the shit is illegal deal with it, or change the law. For the rest of it, crack, coke, etc., go fuck yourself. You are killing people.

So you piss a cop off all they have to do is "say" you did anything on the list...
That is screwed-up, serious Big Brother shit there man.
I would not blame anyone for leaving.

[DanaC]

Regarding the mobile phone regulations: I don't see that it's all too different from many of the provisions in America's Patriot act.

I don't agree with it as a move, but it is following the same path that many western countries are following in their War on Terror.

rk, this is nothing whatsoever to do with the rules regulating the messages that political parties or individuals can put into the public domain. This is about 'homeland security' and is a response to having buses bown up in London. Again, I stress, I disagree with the move. I also stress, again, that your country and many others have instituted measures that other countries consider draconian: many of the security measures in air-travel for example, or the right to monitor email communications.

Regarding the drugs testing: again, not the way I would tackle the problem. What that is unlikely to be, however, is a top-down operation. Police forces are managed regionally and locally and in order to do that effectively, most hold regular 'Police Community Forums'. These are bi-weekly, or monthly meetings held in local community venues where residents from the local community can come along and air their grievances, get to know their local team, keep the Police uptodate on where trouble spots are developing and recieve feedback on police activity.

The police force which decided to utilise this testing method will have done so, in al probability because that particular pub had been mentioned regularly by residents as a source of fear and concern and will also have been a place of regular call-out activity. This is a local response to a local situation. It is no more of a 'Big Brother' move than State legislation which disallows under 21s from drinking, or Town bye-laws that won't allow people to drink alcohol in parks.

There is no difference between what those police have done and a police officer going to a known dealers pub and shaking people down....and that's been going on for as long as there've been dealers in pubs.

[Undertoad]

Drug prohibition kills more people than illegal drugs ever could.

[DanaC]

I agree. Personally I'm for legalising, and then regulating drugs. Heroin only really became the dangerous drug it is when it was taken out o fthe hands of doctors and pharmacists and into the hands of smugglers and dealers. Absolutely no need to go sitting in a dangerous bloke's house buying stuff that's had God knows what added to it, when you can go spend five minutes in a doctor's surgery and get a prescription for the drug. Same goes for licensed bars. There should be places you can go to buy and consume your drug, safe in the knowledge that the product has been quality tested and with it costing far less, even with tax added, than if you were buying stuff that's been smuggled in and sold by people risking lengthy prison terms.

[piercehawkeye45]

Why do you guys think illegal drugs haven't been legalized yet? No politician wants to risk votes by saying they are for it? The feds won't let them? Both? Other?

I am assuming that illegal drugs is huge business for the feds so I am guessing there is a lot of pressure from them to keep it illegalized.

[HungLikeJesus]

In 2005, Denver voters passed a law to legalize small quantities of marijuana (up to an ounce), but it's still against state and Federal laws, so the law is pointless. Localities can make a law stronger than state or Federal law, but not weaker.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

In 2005, Denver voters passed a law to legalize small quantities of marijuana (up to an ounce), but it's still against state and Federal laws, so the law is pointless. Localities can make a law stronger than state or Federal law, but not weaker.

I think Illinois has something like that too. I remember hearing about that from somewhere...

[Undertoad]

It's purely a number-of-votes play, and you have to remember in these cases that the number of votes swings elderly. The old folk vote more often and in large numbers. So politics protects their sensibilities... even when they aren't... sensible.

This is also true of the gay marriage issue. The young ppl are overwhelmingly in favor of it, the old ppl resent and hate it, the old ppl win.

[HungLikeJesus]

Our only satisfaction then is that one day we will be the old people and we'll have it our way.