So goes New York City. I learned today that Manhattan police have 2,000 cameras in place, with plans to soon add another 1,000 cameras. "Police sometimes send 100 officers to swarm a location just as a show of force. They also randomly stop subway trains for searches, sometimes holding up the trains untill they have eyeballed every passenger", according to CBS.

I know that all this is intended to keep me safe from terrorists and other criminals. I also believe that there are better solutions.

Terrorists can "hate us for our freedom" but they can't take it away from us. Only my government can do that.

Blackhorse

You will soon get used to them, anyway look at the up side, at least it will be difficult to be "fitted up" (framed) for something you did not do.

Unless they use PhotoShop.

Blackhorse

What can I say, you are probably right because the UK police used PhotoShop to construct and blend two photos into one of a 7/7 suspect and Jean Charles de Menezes , an innocent man they had just shot dead while he was on his way to work.

They presented this mock-up photo to the coroner's jury, the police were trying to say that they could not tell the two men apart, and that it was a tragic case of mistaken identity. The jury rejected this bogus photo and rejected the fabricated excuse the police put forward.

However, because the whole thing had nothing to do with justice, no on will be charged with this young man's murder. You see, in the UK an armed police officer does not have to announce himself before he shoots you, he just has to have the suspicion that you are armed, and that is regardless of whether or not you actually have a weapon.


UK Bob

I remember being taught in school that with rare exception, Bobbies carried no firearms; just batons and whistles. Back then, they could only call out, "Stop, or I'll toot!"

A friend told me that in the 80's they were frequently demonstrating their skills with batons and fists. (He was a hard-drinking Scotsman, so his encounters may have been more colourful than most.)

That's scary. I was once detained for suspicion of being suspicious.

Blackhorse

Because of terrorism and the high availability of guns to the criminal fraternity UK police officers, when on certain guard duty and high risk operations, carry guns. However, the ordinary/modern "Bobby on the Beat" does not carry a gun, he is likely to have an extendible metal baton, pepper spray, handcuffs, possibly a hand-held taser and his communications radio.

To be an armed officer in the UK you have to go through special firearms training but once qualified and out on an operation it then becomes legal for that officer to shoot, without warning, any suspect he believes to be in possession of a weapon.


UK Bob