'Thought police' to target drinkers

[Ravenmoon]

'Thought police' to target drinkers
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 People who even think about going for a drink face being banned from their town centre for up to two days under wideranging new police powers.

Potential trouble-makers can be asked to move on and stay away – even if they have not touched a drop of alcohol.

Well-behaved people who refuse to stop drinking can also be targeted.

The banning orders – called 'directions to leave' – can last for 48 hours and any breach can be punished with a fine of up to £2,500.

Fingerprints and DNA samples will be taken.

Ministers insist the new powers are a vital weapon in the fight against drinkrelated violence.

The orders, under the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction Act, came into force yesterday and can be made against anyone over 16.

Police can act against someone for doing nothing more illegal than looking like they might cause alcoholrelated disorder, whether they have started drinking or not.

Those given directions to leave will be handed details on a form, have their photo taken and may even receive a map of the area from which they are banned.

Home Office guidance states an order may be issued 'where an individual – or group of individuals – is in a public place and is causing a nuisance by being loud or troublesome'.

Home Office minister Tony McNulty called the orders 'a valuable tool in the fight to tackle alcoholrelated crime or disorder'.

But Gareth Crossman, policy director at Liberty, said: 'Anti-social behaviour can be a menace but these new powers allow people to be moved on and possibly criminalised even if they are minding their own business.'

The Lib Dems' David Heath added: 'This is just the latest in a long line of pointless Government gimmicks.'

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.htm ... page_id=34

[Cruise4]

Another Problem Reaction Solution scenario works, to further the Police State Agenda. It all sounds so reasonable doesn't it... to the un-initiated.