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June 06, 2006

Terror and Policing

There have recently been a couple of issues around terrorism and policing come to light in the UK. Most recently, Scotland Yard has been criticised for an armed raid -- against suspected terrorists -- which led to an unarmed man being shot. According to some reports, the man they shot was not given any warning before they opened fire; there are also reports that, in what was not the best PR move, the police led the grandmother of the family out of the house in handcuffs. The raid was apparently due to intelligent information received by the police, and at the time of the raid there was a lot of speculation about the involvement of chemical weapons; however, nothing dangerous has been found. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating.

Following the failed July 21 London suicide bombings, Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by police -- who incorrectly believed him to be a terrorist and a suicide bomber. He was shot without warning, when officers fired multiple shots into his head at close range. Unusually, the Crown Prosecution Service is considering charges against Sir Ian Blair -- the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Possible charges are of gross negligence manslaughter, or failing to follow health and safety laws. This is because "[p]olice have been accused of communication failures and creating confusion."

UPDATE In the first webcast interview on the Downing Street website, Blair has backed MI5 and the police "101%" over their recent house raid.

Posted by jon_mendel at June 6, 2006 05:23 PM