Heavy Handed Policing Or Nor Not?

[webbo3]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53538740

what kind of parent buys their child one of these at the moment, if he took it out of the house he could have been shot, and BB guns do fire projectiles.

[Mamyalynne]

Given the report from a member of the public that they were responding to, I don't think they were heavy handed.

[ummmm]

Not heavy handed at all. It's not like a 12 year old isn't capable of joining a gang and carrying weapons.

[Peter Pedant]

this is a few days old innit

"Camden on 17 July after a passer-by "

quiet sunday afternoon on AB

[naomi24]

Not at all. They did the right thing.

[mushroom25]

all in order - but I wonder why no accusations of racial profiling?

[andy-hughes]

Police response appears to be appropriate.

Why on earth any parent would buy a child one of these things is a mystery - at best it gives them a taste for playing with guns, at worst it gets them shot dead.

[Davemano]

Why is there a need to cast doubt on the police action when it is simply the police doing their job?

[sevenOP]

"“There must’ve been about 25 police officers, 10 armed officers with weapons with red laser lights. All I could see was police cars and lights... Police closed off the street [just after 11pm] and arrested Kai at gunpoint...and took her 12-year-old son away in handcuffs and made the family – including Ms Agyepong’s two daughters, 16 and 23 – stand in the street for over an hour while a team searched through their possessions for the weapon... officers immediately de-arrested the youth and he and the other members of the family returned into their address... The gun was later confirmed to be a plastic pellet gun... "

Dangerous giving kids toy weapons.

http://camdennewjournal.com/article/boy-12-arrested-by-armed-police-over-toy-gun

[albaqwerty]

Not heavy-handed policing, police were doing their job.

I'd be buying thicker net curtains if a passer-by could see what was on my couch.

[tomus42]

//what kind of parent buys their child one of these at the moment,//

A stupid one.

[emmie]

if she bought it she should be fined, stupid thing to do in my opinion.

[youngmafbog]

The Police had a report of a man with a gun.

What else could they do, apart from the Corbyn approach of invite them for a cup of tea to discuss it?

Entirely the correct approach.

[Mozz71]

//if she bought it she should be fined, stupid thing to do in my opinion.//

You can't fine someone for buying something that's legaly on sale and legal to own.

Having said that, no complaints. Police acted accordingly.

[andy-hughes]

Mozz - // You can't fine someone for buying something that's legaly on sale and legal to own. //

Let's not wonder why we have a growing gun culture then, when parents are able to buy these things for their children.

We don't have toy guillotines, or build-your-own gas chambers do we?

We are responsible for educating our children that weapons are not toys, banning these things would be a start.

[Mozz71]

I agree Andy, banning these things would be a start.

I'm not sure we have much of a gun culture in the UK. I had toy guns when I was a kid, we all used to play cowboys or cops and robbers. The gun isn't the problem so much, just teaching your kids the difference between pretend and real life is the key.

[andy-hughes]

Mozz - // The gun isn't the problem so much, just teaching your kids the difference between pretend and real life is the key. //

I had toy guns too, but times have seriously changed, and whereas to us guns meant cowboys, to today's children, they mean gangstas.

We need to adapt to the changes.

[Mozz71]

And manufacturers need to make toy guns look less like real ones. There are changes that need to be made in all areas.

[ladybirder]

They are now suing the police. If they
win that will be a travesty of justice as the police were only doing their job.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8567503/Mother-boy-arrested-police-raided-home-toy-gun-says-suing-Met-Police.html

[ladybirder]

Bump. Is nobody interested in this?

[Mamyalynne]

I would like to ask Mina Agyepong what she thinks the Police should do when they receive a call saying that someone is sat with a gun.