Police threaten to search shopping trolleys to check you’re only buying essentials *amended by MNHQ*

[HeIenaDove]

metro.co.uk/2020/04/09/police-threaten-search-shopping-trolleys-check-buying-essentials-12532339/

Video of statement

twitter.com/RTaylorUK/status/1248204770977996800?s=20

I’ve said it before on pretty threads. It happened in my home town on day one of lockdown. Police outside Sainsbury’s checking bags and bollocking people.

Nah they were accused of being too heavy handed last week .
It doesn't make sense you go and queue for 20 minutes or more shop and they are going to look in everyone's trolley . I don't think so !! they haven't got time to police every single shopper , it takes long enough . You want to get in and out as quickly as possible.

Given that we are policed by consent (see number of police vs population) they would do Well to think on.

Rubbish. They dont have the man power to do this. They cant even stop people from milling about on the seafront, how the heck have they got enough officers to go through people's shopping lmao!
Also- what do they deem "unnecessary"? wine? cheese? bread? technically, you can live without all of those things, doesnt mean that kind of shopping is wrong though.
This is all utter BS - they need to focus on stopping public gatherings, not people's bloody shopping

Also, I am a key worker. If they stop me getting chocolate, I will make a formal complaint and they will fcking rue the day they ever stopped me. I'll happily go on the front page of the papers and talk about how out of order they are to be like that to a key worker.

I’ve said it before on pretty threads. It happened in my home town on day one of lockdown. Police outside Sainsbury’s checking bags and bollocking people.

They were acting illegally and anyone they did this to should be complaining.

Yes, but policing the law-abiding while they shop is much easier than policing the young, drunk and truculent while they party, hence the suggestion of pivoting from doing the latter to doing the former.

If you read the twitter thread, he’s already had to back track:
To be clear on the shopping trolley issue: This is about essential and necessary journeys, not what’s in your trolley. I have been clear that we will not be judge and jury on what is an essential item or not, but we may now probe the purpose of the journey.

I think it’s fair enough-if people ignore the lockdown it will get stricter.

But only if the law is changed to say so. It's not up to an individual police force to decide on this unilaterally.

This is all utter BS - they need to focus on stopping public gatherings, not people's bloody shopping

Exactly, this is the area where they have powers to do so, not snooping in people's shopping.

My local paper had a click bait article regarding a woman that claims she was fined for having only wine and snacks in her bag. On reading further...

She was approached by police officers while walking though Holyrood park.

She claims she was on her way home from Morrison’s, but I can’t think of any area you would live in (apart from Holyrood Palace 😂) that would necessitate walking through the park to go home.

Holyrood Park is technically closed anyway.

This took place last Sunday when we had some lovely weather.

The police officers asked her at first to go home, she refused so they fined her.

She was having a bloody picnic, not being fined for buying wine!

Policing should be done on assessment of harm- not whats "easier". By that rationale, they'd focus on parking fines and let armed robberies just carry on without intervention

It's not for the police or the shops to decide what's an essential item. I wish these so-called police would sod off and sort out the arseholes who beat up their wives and kids instead instead of speculating on what they might want the law to say because it gives them a power trip.

If something can be legally sold you can legally buy it, until and unless the government decides to ban it. Given they said off-licences can open, I very much doubt they are going to ban the likes of alcohol or chocolate, or indeed crisps or peanuts.

KitchenConfidential what an arse he has made of himself. This crisis is bringing out the worst in some of the police.

It's not for the police or the shops to decide what's an essential item. I wish these so-called police would sod off and sort out the arseholes who beat up their wives and kids instead instead of speculating on what they might want the law to say because it gives them a power trip.

Yeah, it is funny how they suddenly have the time for all this petty shit, yet can't seem to stop men murdering their partners.

More ridiculous fake news
Ffs, give your head a wobble.

I wish these so-called police would sod off and sort out the arseholes who beat up their wives and kids instead instead of speculating on what they might want the law to say because it gives them a power trip

Exactly- have they ever even made any statements about protecting victims of DV during lockdown? that seems like a far more vital service than stopping someone buying a muller rice yoghurt.....

I think it’s fair enough-if people ignore the lockdown it will get stricter

How is buying a "non-essential" item (however that is defined) "ignoring the lockdown"?

The Easter Egg thing was ridiculous. It's EASTER. I went into Waitrose the other day and they had their Simnel cakes on display as you went in. Guess what, I bought one. It was the only thing in my basket for about 30 seconds until I picked up my "essential" food items.

I wish people would just grow up about this. Buying chocolate or whatever is NOT going to spread the virus or cost lives. Having BBQs or parties in breach of the laws, might.

They can fuck right off with that something I never thought I'd find myself saying to the police.

Yes, they aren't doing it now, but they're threatening to do it if we aren't good little girls and boys. They intend to do it. A lot of things "weren't going to happen" and now have. I do my supermarket shop and add some chocolate bars...what does it matter? I'm already out? I'm at the supermarket? I'm in that aisle? I'm breathing the air already?

We should firmly come down on this like a ton of bricks. It's pointless, petty, puritanical bullshit.

The police are going to lose the middle with this nonsense. If they haven't already.

we have more supermarkets & food shops in our town than we have police so that could be interesting!

Exactly this! I live in a large village/small town with about 7500 inhabitants. One decent sized supermarket, one small one and 4 other ‘corner shops’ which sell food and drink.
We don’t actually have a policeman at all! So unless they draft the army in to tell us that we can’t buy a curly wurly then they’re failing at the first hurdle.

@cologne4711 I was referring to the entire article which is more than about shopping. Did you read it all?

I have just been to M&S Food Hall, queue was 30 mins and STILL full of couples and a couple of families out together. I did ask the cashier about just letting 1 person in. He agreed but said Head Office was allowing people to police it themselves.

He also said some twits dont realise that if there are 4 of you and every person brought another 3 people it would take far longer to get into the shop. Can they not see this! Luckily the family having a jolly nice day out were behind me.

They’d be better off policing parks for picnics and housing estates for street parties than worrying about what people are putting in their trolleys.

Surely this is pointless and labour intensive.... a complete waste of time. We're not being punished so why should we be deprived of luxuries the shops are willing to sell? Perhaps a better idea would be to limit households to 1 or 2 shopping trips a week so you had to download and show a permit on your phone before you went in. That would stop people popping to the shop daily for a bars bar and a magazine.... which is what they actually want to stop happening.