Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

This would not have happened if these men were white

88 replies

spokette · 12/03/2009 18:26

Reading this story reminds me just how institutionally racist are the police.

It is bad enough when a black person is pulled over for having the temerity to drive a nice car. Now we cannot even window shop without being suspected of being thieves.

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 12/03/2009 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:24

"but the CCTV controllers didn't know they were just window shopping otherwise they wouldn't have alerted police would they?"

FAQ, with logic like yours you should join the police force.

OP posts:
spicemonster · 12/03/2009 19:26

I agree, this would not have happened if they were white. It is absolutely shocking the way the police treat black men. Guilty until proven innocent. I can't believe anyone can argue anything different - there's enough bloody statistics to back the OP up

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:27

So are the police now expected to wait until they catch someone in the act before challenging them? What on earth happened to the concept of crime prevention???

Of course racism still exists within the police force I'm not denying that (sadly it still happens everywhere) but as we only know that they were "challenged", one was subsequently handcuffed.

SGM - no-one was arrested (well not according to that article)."Challenged" in my experience means approached by police and asked questions. (can you tell I live in a lovely town )

Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:30

FAQ, I thought the police were suppose to challenge people acting suspiciously. Two black men window shopping is obviously suspicious, isn't it?

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 12/03/2009 19:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:32

I can't find any information on the robberies - but lets just assume they've been carried out by black men.

CCTV controllers know that there's been a spate of violent robberies at jewellery shops by black men.

They see 2 black men outside a (presumably quite posh/expensive) Jewellery shop and unless the Cheshire police are incredibly quick off the mark then they'd probably been there a fair few minutes (as would anyone that was "casing" a shop with a view to commit a robbery there)

You're faced with a choice

Assume they're just window shopping and do nothing

Assume they could be casing the joint and alert the police

Either way they could "lose". Could turn out they were the people they were looking for, who then go back at a later time and commit a violent crime. Or, in this case, it's mistaken identity.

Lets just say I'm glad I don't have their job........

spicemonster · 12/03/2009 19:33

FAQ, did you read that article?

"Having now reviewed in detail what occurred between the officers and the two men whom they believed to have been acting suspiciously, it is now apparent that, while the situation was heated, the actions of the police officer in applying handcuffs to one of the men was less than a proportionate reaction to the requirements of the situation."

Handcuffing a man for looking in a shop window? Even if he'd been a bit shirty, you don't handcuff unless your safety is at risk and that clearly wasn't the case or they would have said. The police don't back down easily.

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:34

SGM round here it's common practice for police to handcuff anyone who becomes too angry/agitated/confrontational when being spoken to.

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:36

'don't back down too easily'

haha - you're kidding right - any shout of "racism", and especially from a well known person and they back down quicker than I can tip this toddler off my knee before he clears my computer desk

Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:37

CCTV controllers know that there's been a spate of violent robberies at jewellery shops by white men.

They see 2 white men outside a (presumably quite posh/expensive) Jewellery shop and unless the Cheshire police are incredibly quick off the mark then they'd probably been there a fair few minutes (as would anyone that was "casing" a shop with a view to commit a robbery there)

Now what would they do?

OP posts:
spicemonster · 12/03/2009 19:37

Is it really common practice to handcuff people on the street? Blimey. I had no idea we lived in a police state.

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:37

the same thing.

StewieGriffinsMom · 12/03/2009 19:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:38

What they would do, is actually allow the white suspects to continue for a bit longer just in case they are innocent.

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:40

well it's common practice (well at least in our town) for people that the police have "challenged" to be handcuffed if they're kicking up a stink.

Next time a copper pulls you over because of a problem with your car - you try getting arsy with 'em and see what happens

JackBauer · 12/03/2009 19:45

At risj of being flamed I have to agree with FAQ qomewhat. In a lot of reports about this a 'heated discussion' is mentioned, which is never a good idea with the police.
If they were just window shopping and there were no robberies, then yes, that's unnacceptable, but to stop and quesiton someone who is standing outside a jewellers window for long enough for the police to get there is fair enough. Most people look and mvoe on, not stand outside for ages, so I think they were right to question them. The whole point rests on what exactly took place during the 'heated discussion' IMO.

And I very much doubt the apology would have happened had it been a member of the public, so that can be taken with a pinch of salt.

StewieGriffinsMom · 12/03/2009 19:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:49

spokette - how much longer - until they'd decided not to buy today and disappeared - only to possibly only reappear to rob the place?

Sadly the only way for crime prevention to happen is if people are challenged before a crime takes place.

Yes mistaken identity and innocent people being challenged occurs. But I'd rather that than they just ignored anyone/everyone until they actually saw them committing a crime.

Of course this could quite easily be a(nother) monumental cock-up from the police but we only really have the word of a footballer who admitted that "he explained who he was" ("don't you know who I am" ) and the police who have apologised..........presumably wanting to avoid a lawsuit of some description from the said footballer (and I'm sure a white footballer would do exactly the same as they all (mostly) think they're Gods bloody gift to the world)

Football = YAWN in this house

So just to re-iterate my point.

I do believe that racism still exist in the police force

This could easily be one of those occurrences demonstrating the racism

It also might not be

And now I must tip this toddler off my knee and change him for bed and tidy my house up - 24hrs to get my hovel house looking like a home for my party tomorrow night - EEEK

Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:51

Jack Bauer "Most people look and mvoe on, not stand outside for ages, so I think they were right to question them."

Right, so when my DH and I were looking for engagement rings and lingered whilst window shopping, we should not have been surprised if we had been questioned by police for our suspicious activity?

The mind boggles

OP posts:
Original poster
spokette · 12/03/2009 19:53

FAQ, I hope you are just as magnanimous and understanding when your DS are older and are targetted by the police.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 12/03/2009 19:53

White men - well def teenagers and young men - do get stopped for driving nice cars! Just ask some teenage drivers. My younger cousin was repeatedly stopped for a while. The reason why - because there has been a spate of thefts and the suspects in those cases where white teens.

FAQinglovely · 12/03/2009 19:54

Spokette - I can assure you I will be.

Comewhinewithme · 12/03/2009 19:55

Yes but my brother is also targetted by the police .

StewieGriffinsMom · 12/03/2009 20:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn