More Police Powers? You have got to be joking me!

Police bill labelled 'draconian'
A bill extending police powers to spy on suspected criminals and conduct some searches without a warrant is "draconian" election-year pandering, says a civil rights watchdog. The Search and Surveillance Powers Bill, tabled in Parliament by Justice Minister Annette King yesterday, seeks to reform the laws and transfer powers from the Serious Fraud Office, which will soon be disbanded, to the police. Among several controversial proposals are the ability to search without a warrant in certain cases, detain people present at a search and access someone's electronic information remotely. New Zealand Council For Civil Liberties chairman Michael Bott questioned the bill's arrival so close to an election. "It appears to be another macho lurch to the Right by a government attempting to pander to the law-and-order debate in a very simplistic fashion at election time."
The proposals include: The ability to apply for a search warrant electronically or verbally.
A power for police officers to search without a warrant where they think evidence of a serious crime could be endangered in the time it took to get a warrant.
Power to declare an area a crime scene and ensure evidence is not hidden or destroyed while a warrant is secured.
Power to detain people present or who arrive at a search until it can be determined whether they are involved in a crime.
Specific powers for officers to access and copy material held on computers or data-storage devices.
Permission to remotely access computer data in limited circumstances.
Provisions on warrants for placing surveillance devices, including the ability to enter property to place the devices.
The removal of a need for a warrant for surveillance devices in certain circumstances, such as public areas that are already under surveillance.
More Police Powers? Tell me this is a really bad joke, you can smell it’s election year with Labour playing to the ‘lynch-em-high’ brigade by whistling a merry jig of macho raw meat chewing laws from banning gangs to the capitulation of accountability in the Policing Bill by handing all power for career advancement within the Police directly to the Prime Minister.
This new punch to civil liberties allows the Police to break into your home – WITHOUT A WARRANT – and plant secret spy cameras to record you in your own home, until they gain enough evidence to convict you of something. This is arming the police with fishing expedition tools and with a complaints system that can only handle 30% of cases independently you had best hope the media pick up on your story of Police abuse or you’re screwed.
Handing over powers where the Police can access your electronic communications remotely is effectively state sanctioned electronic hacking into your privacy and giving Police discretion to search without a warrant if they think process will slow it down is just a glowing neon sign declaring ‘Open to constant and unrelenting abuse’.
The other major issue will be how the SFO powers will be interpreted by a Police Department that has always pushed for powers to trump our right to silence, watch how they will twist a unique power that was only ever supposed to be used against corporate power into one that will be used against citizens. Here's how the argument will run, ‘Gangs are organized crime, these no right to silence powers are used against organized crime, we now have the power to question anyone we define as in a gang with no right to silence powers. Not a gang member? Don’t care? Well once any group of citizens rights are breached it is only a matter of time before those breaches are taken across the spectrum to all citizens.
Seeing how the Police Bill was rammed through without any changes other than denying the Police the ability to become a political party (a direct threat to the Party’s themselves so that decision was no surprise), my fear is that these new Police powers will be rammed through again with zero discussion and further major erosion of our civil liberties will occur unheralded as the forces of state power continue to grow.
11 Comments:
This is excellent news and shows we (as a Nation) are waking up the the damage imposed by criminals to society as a whole.
Hopefully this legislation will go through quick smart.
I think we can paraphrase bomber back to himself.
News that this might be a proposal that has legs will lift the level of incandescent fury to vein popping extremes, expect a jump in rage induced strokes amongst some of the police-hating segments of NZ society.
anon 7.27 - hilarious
The proposals include: The ability to apply for a search warrant electronically or verbally.
Time saving measure to cut down on wasted time doing paperwork I suppose, hardly that insidious.
A power for police officers to search without a warrant where they think evidence of a serious crime could be endangered in the time it took to get a warrant.
Definition of 'serious crime'? I'd have no problem with this if the cops did it to prevent or solve a murder or rape.
Power to declare an area a crime scene and ensure evidence is not hidden or destroyed while a warrant is secured.
I don't see much wrong with this either.
Power to detain people present or who arrive at a search until it can be determined whether they are involved in a crime.
Makes sense, cops bust a P lab and are searching it, no one is there but someone in a car pulls up and feigns innocence while actually being the main producer, police would need time to determine that.
Specific powers for officers to access and copy material held on computers or data-storage devices.
Under what circumstances? I severely doubt that a cop could stop you and copy the contents of your iPod?
Permission to remotely access computer data in limited circumstances.
What circumstances?
Provisions on warrants for placing surveillance devices, including the ability to enter property to place the devices.
So warrants will still need to be issued for this?
The removal of a need for a warrant for surveillance devices in certain circumstances, such as public areas that are already under surveillance.
Again, will cut down on paperwork for the cops.
For all the hysteria, look at figures for how often the warrant process is currently abused (% of complaints, and % of those complaints upheld), look at how often crims game the system and know the loopholes.
Not a gang member? Don’t care? Well once any group of citizens rights are breached it is only a matter of time before those breaches are taken across the spectrum to all citizens.
I would say the gang scum forfeit some of their rights every time they bash, rape or murder somebody or don't their victims right to justice count?
Also your extrapolation is a little far fetched don't you think? The police have neither the manpower or inclination to start the warrantless raiding the homes of 95% of the population.
Perhaps policing rots the ethical soul of the policer as much as it does the policed?
"Specific powers for officers to access and copy material held on computers or data-storage devices.
Under what circumstances? I severely doubt that a cop could stop you and copy the contents of your iPod?"
Would be damn funny tho :p.
Perhaps posting anonymously rots the ethical soul of the poster as well as it does the reader?
Perhaps listening to an ipod rots the ethical soul of the listener as much as it does the cop?
I believe Bomber has spawned an Internet meme for all Tumeke fuck knuckles?
bomber pull your head in! why do you want scum to get away with offending??? good new zealand will not be affected by this bill, and are rarely dealt with by police now except for maybe a speeding ticket. look at the bigger picture you kfc eating clown.
look at the bigger picture you kfc eating clown.
1: I am looking at the bigger picture, hence the blog on the expansion of police powers.
2: I haven't eaten KFC in about a decade.
Bomber you cant possibly expect people to believe you haven't eaten KFC in a decade
Anonymous said...
Bomber you cant possibly expect people to believe you haven't eaten KFC in a decade
Bomber this could be a trick question?
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