Merseyside Police

[TalkingtoLangClegintheDark]

If there’s a thread on this already I’ll ask for this to be deleted, but I just saw this and find it very, very scary:

twitter.com/PaulEmbery/status/1363627584236437504

Merseyside Police proclaiming to the public that:

“BEING OFFENSIVE IS AN OFFENCE”

With a massive rainbow alongside just to make it absolutely clear who no one is allowed to be “offensive” to.

I mean, didn’t we have a JR recently where the judge ruled the exact opposite? That being offensive is not an offence, that nobody is entitled never to be offended? That it’s a good thing we’ve never had a Gestapo or Cheka or Stasi here?

Isn’t this literally the police rewriting the law themselves?

I’m really struggling to look at this picture and not think “police state”.

Chilling effect.

You really need to think bigger than your little corner of the world sometimes...

Some overarching principles matter a great deal. This is one of them.

However it’s quite clear that you’re either unwilling to see, or possibly incapable of understanding, the wider implications, so I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this.

There's another thread about this: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4173195-Being-offensive-is-an-offence, but it hasn't been posted on for over a week.

You really need to think bigger than your little corner of the world sometimes.

I don't require you to remind me of that but I don't share the "de-fund the police" narratives which seem popular in some circles, and neither do most people.

The title of the thread, however, was/is 'Merseyside Police' - which happens to be the police force where I currently live, so I feel quite qualified to comment.

Jane's rule is that it only counts if it's bigger than the original fuckup.

I'm not saying I am a close friend, but it's nice to know some people dio share my views ...

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/02/meghan-asks-for-front-page-apology-and-750000-costs-from-mail-on-sunday

Meghan had asked for an interim payment of £750,000. She is also demanding a front-page apology, and a high court order forcing the newspaper to hand over any copies it has made of the letter, and destroy any copies of it or notes made about it.

Merseyside police are also my police force. They are a disgrace. No one i know bothers to report crimes now because they dont bother. Bike thefts, assault on shop staff, being held up at knifepoint and muggings have all been reported by me in the past and every single time i have been given a crime number and no investigation an no outcome. They are a disgusting organisation who are bullys and use exsessive force whenever they think they can, as also referenced by this bullshit they are spreading about being offensive is an offence.

[quote Ereshkigalangcleg]The fauxpology:

twitter.com/merpolwirral/status/1363802799054684164?s=21[/quote]
Thanks for the link, Eresh. It’s far from fulsome, to be sure.

yes it was a foolish thing to do

Again, I am surprised at how you choose to downplay this, Justhadathought. A police force taking it upon themselves to actively misrepresent the law and apparently seeking illegally to criminalise people for exercising wholly legitimate freedom of thought and speech is not “foolish”! Most people who cherish the right to live in a free society would find it absolutely horrifying, I believe.

I don't share the "de-fund the police" narratives which seem popular in some circles, and neither do most people.

No more do I share that narrative, nor has anyone expressed that on here. As I said upthread, I see an impartial, politically neutral, accountable police force as one of the cornerstones of democracy, of a free society.

The problem with too many police forces across the UK, not just Merseyside Police, is that this impartiality seems to have been grievously undermined, and no one is holding them to account over it. That is grounds for addressing the issue of police neutrality/accountability, not for scrapping the police altogether.

@hallouminatus

There's another thread about this: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4173195-Being-offensive-is-an-offence, but it hasn't been posted on for over a week.

Thanks for that link, hallouminatus, good thread.

Seeing as it’s in AIBU I think this one can stand too!