Complaints against officers

[David + 4,981]

I've just sat open-mouthed at an event on Police Interceptors 14/09/15 where a routine stop turned into something of a farce. The young male driver tossed the car keys to his parents who were standing at the home's door and latterly refused to give them up to the police, the police had no option but to leave, arresting the male on obstruct police. 

I find it incredible that first this leaves the police no option other than to withdraw, but then to show it on national TV to every single potential drug dealer that if he throws the keys to someone else who runs (or his parents as in this case) there's seemingly nothing the police can do? I hope I'm wrong.

The fact that the young male's behaviour was vile, along with his brother's who threatened to assault police, seems to show just how ineffectual we've become. That said, the fact the police struck a fleeing car-derived van which overturned which is what all potential criminals need to see.

The programme is yet to finish, so will be interesting to see how it all does pan out.

[David + 4,981]

Gosh, watching the second bit of this, given the first encounter, I'd have thought they'd have got backup moving towards them. I would have!

[Burnsy2023 2,895]

Am I the only one who'd be putting the window through if I didn't get the keys?  That is of course if I had the grounds which weren't particularly clear in the episode.

[Sir Penguin 648]

For those that didn't catch Police Interceptors on TV tonight. The new series features Durham and Cleveland. As the link is on 5 on demand, I imagine it will only be viewable for a certain time period. 

http://www.channel5.com/shows/police-interceptors/episodes/episode-1-817

It's interesting to see the new drug drive tests being used.

 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Sir Penguin

[miffy + 74]

could the parents be done for obstruct police as well for not handing over the key?

[Sir Penguin 648]

could the parents be done for obstruct police as well for not handing over the key?

I think there was a discrepancy as to who was in possession of the keys either the parents or the brother who had run off

[rosco + 651]

I must admit that car stop confused me too : I didn't understand what grounds they wanted to look inside the vehicle: either you don't have grounds and if a voluntary search is refused you give it up, or you do and you're going to search it, keys or no keys.

My feeling was that It seemed like they were having no grounds but were trying to get the search done regardless, thus making the lockup for obstruction potentially illegal.

[AA101 626]

I have to say that I was confused by this whole debacle. If they have grounds to search (which I am unsure of given the material broadcast) then you crack on and search it, putting the window in if need be. If not then you just have to accept that you can't search it and crack on looking at the traffic side of things.

[Jimbo26 + 199]

could the parents be done for obstruct police as well for not handing over the key?

No, as the obstruction must usually be some form of positive act, so not doing something is unlikely to be obstruction.

In Sekfali and others v DPP 2006 which is the case SimonT refers to it was clarified that citizens have no legal duty to assist the police, so by doing nothing, or not assisting when there is no legal requirement would not be obstruction

Edited September 16, 2015 by Jimbo26

[Stinger 51]

Am I the only one who'd be putting the window through if I didn't get the keys?  That is of course if I had the grounds which weren't particularly clear in the episode.

I would too. Not too dissimilar to what happened to me when I arrested somebody and seized the car. It was following a sighting by another officer, the vehicle and it's driver (who was the r/k) were believed to be involved in an aggravated burglary the previous evening. I stop the car and as well as the driver, his brother is also in there. The driver is arrested and informed that the car will be seized, during which the brother gets hold of the keys and walks off. The situation was quite quickly resolved when I pointed out that I'd be seizing the car, keys or no keys, but if we didn't have the keys then recovering it might cause some damage. The keys were very quickly given back to me.

Did I ever have any intention in chasing him down and possibly having a roll around just to get the keys off him? Hell no. I didn't need them. I'm not going to risk injury to  me or him, as well as my prisoner escaping, purely to get back some car keys when I can quite easily have the car removed without said keys.