Petition to repeal expanded powers of arrest for UK cops

By Cory Doctorow at 6:58 am Tuesday, Mar 10

Citizen K sez, "Retired senior police officer David Gilbertson has created an online petition against expanded police powers of arrest in the UK. The Serious and Organised Crime and Policing Act of 2005 removed the link between an imprisonable offence and the power of arrest, instead allowing police to arrest people for any offence whatsoever. People have since been arrested for climbing a tree and dropping litter."

Section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 was enacted to replace Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Arrest without Warrant: Constables), and for the first time since 1829 has empowered any constable to arrest and detain any person without warrant for any offence, no matter how trivial. Constables may now arrest for offences which do not attract a sanction of imprisonment and are merely summary in nature, such as minor traffic offences and bye-law offences. In all cases they may use reasonable force, may detain with handcuffs, and may require a DNA sample to be taken. There is a body of evidence which shows that police officers are abusing this power in large measure.

Petition

Background from the Guardian's Henry Porter (Thanks, Citizen K)