Undercover police

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gilesjuk
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Joined: 17 Mar 2008, 10:10pm

Undercover police

Post by gilesjuk »

We've all heard about the undercover officer who infiltrated the environmental group who were protesting about coal power stations.

It turns out another officer infiltrated another (largely pro-cycling) group as well, what really annoys me is that the Police do nothing about the dangerous drivers like modified car drivers yet those wanting to make the streets safer for cyclists and other road users are deemed "loony" and need investigating.

News story here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15372037
diapason0
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Re: Undercover police

Post by diapason0 »

"While working undercover Jim Sutton married an activist with whom he had two children"

Sounds like another fraud too :?
bensonboo
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Re: Undercover police

Post by bensonboo »

Nothing like tarring everyone with the same brush, not everyone who modifies their car is a dangerous driver and do you honestly think the following?
gilesjuk wrote:the Police do nothing about the dangerous drivers
:roll:
DavidT
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Location: East Midlands (Originally from Devon)

Re: Undercover police

Post by DavidT »

gilesjuk wrote: what really annoys me is that the Police do nothing about the dangerous drivers like modified car drivers yet those wanting to make the streets safer for cyclists and other road users are deemed "loony" and need investigating.

News story here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15372037


To be fair, wasn't this "cycling group" actually an Environmental group protesting against a host of other things? I don't know if the undercover operation was necessary or not but the agenda of this group appears to have been a bit wider than just "cycling". Hardly a corrupt undercover penetration of CTC or British Cycling is it?
Malaconotus
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Re: Undercover police

Post by Malaconotus »

DavidT wrote:To be fair, wasn't this "cycling group" actually an Environmental group protesting against a host of other things? I don't know if the undercover operation was necessary or not but the agenda of this group appears to have been a bit wider than just "cycling". Hardly a corrupt undercover penetration of CTC or British Cycling is it?


No. But is this the kind of group we expect the police to be covertly infiltrating?... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reclaim_the_Streets (that rhetorical question is not directed at you, Nutsey ;) ) It's not what I want my taxes spent on.
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Wildduck
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Re: Undercover police

Post by Wildduck »

Having had dealings with this group in their early days (and involved in some of their activities), I can understand actually why the police may have had an interest in them.
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whoops
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Re: Undercover police

Post by whoops »

As a normal, free and honest citizen, I'm all for undercover police. The security of this country and its citizens is paramount.
gilesjuk
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Re: Undercover police

Post by gilesjuk »

bensonboo wrote:Nothing like tarring everyone with the same brush, not everyone who modifies their car is a dangerous driver and do you honestly think the following?
gilesjuk wrote:the Police do nothing about the dangerous drivers
:roll:


What I mean is they do nothing to infiltrate the groups of drivers who modify cars to the point of making them illegal. The drivers who intentionally want to avoid Police hassle (ie. enforcing the law) by sharing information on forums.

I would say most who modify cars are intending to improve the handling and speed of their car as well as their looks. Many are speed freaks, there's many young (largely male) drivers who kill themselves or their passengers every year.

http://www.accidentsdirect.com/car-acci ... risks.aspx

"Across the UK many young people have become increasingly interested in modifying their vehicles in order for them to be not only more eye-catching but also much more powerful. This use of power-boosting techniques has prompted the AA to speak out about what they see as a threat to the users of these modified cars and other road users.

AA Chairman Edmund King noted that many people had begun to fit nitrous oxide systems in to their cars, which in some cases can double the brake horsepower of the vehicle.

Nitrous oxide is used to pump more oxygen and fuel into the car’s engine, which will affect how quickly it burns, causing an upsurge in power.

Mr King said that the increasing use of such systems amongst relatively inexperienced drivers was a recipe for disaster because cars with such extreme power would be harder to control on the road."
Mike Sales
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Re: Undercover police

Post by Mike Sales »

I wonder if the police infiltrate the groups who advocate damaging speed cameras? Their loonier members burn the cameras.
What is the difference between advocating running over cyclists or garotting us with wires across paths, and suggesting riots? Do Clarkson or Parris deserve four years stir?
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Mike Sales
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Re: Undercover police

Post by Mike Sales »

whoops wrote:As a normal, free and honest citizen, I'm all for undercover police. The security of this country and its citizens is paramount.


The Stasi would have loved you.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
thirdcrank
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Re: Undercover police

Post by thirdcrank »

Mike Sales wrote: ... The Stasi would have loved you.
They were in East Germany, I believe.
whoops
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Re: Undercover police

Post by whoops »

Mike Sales wrote:
whoops wrote:As a normal, free and honest citizen, I'm all for undercover police. The security of this country and its citizens is paramount.


The Stasi would have loved you.


What! As well as the wife?
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meic
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Re: Undercover police

Post by meic »

Same thing in some cases. :evil:
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tramponabike
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Re: Undercover police

Post by tramponabike »

Mike Sales wrote:
whoops wrote:As a normal, free and honest citizen, I'm all for undercover police. The security of this country and its citizens is paramount.


The Stasi would have loved you.

:lol: Precisely

How "normal" to think the state cares about it's citizens. These tools of the state are to protect the state and it's interests, not ours. But I suppose thinking that makes me abnormal and fair game for the goons.

thirdcrank wrote:They were in East Germany, I believe.

What difference does that make?

"A functioning police state needs no police.”
William S. Burroughs
bensonboo
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Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 7:28pm

Re: Undercover police

Post by bensonboo »

gilesjuk wrote:
bensonboo wrote:Nothing like tarring everyone with the same brush, not everyone who modifies their car is a dangerous driver and do you honestly think the following?
gilesjuk wrote:the Police do nothing about the dangerous drivers
:roll:


What I mean is they do nothing to infiltrate the groups of drivers who modify cars to the point of making them illegal. The drivers who intentionally want to avoid Police hassle (ie. enforcing the law) by sharing information on forums.

I would say most who modify cars are intending to improve the handling and speed of their car as well as their looks. Many are speed freaks, there's many young (largely male) drivers who kill themselves or their passengers every year.

http://www.accidentsdirect.com/car-acci ... risks.aspx

"Across the UK many young people have become increasingly interested in modifying their vehicles in order for them to be not only more eye-catching but also much more powerful. This use of power-boosting techniques has prompted the AA to speak out about what they see as a threat to the users of these modified cars and other road users.

AA Chairman Edmund King noted that many people had begun to fit nitrous oxide systems in to their cars, which in some cases can double the brake horsepower of the vehicle.

Nitrous oxide is used to pump more oxygen and fuel into the car’s engine, which will affect how quickly it burns, causing an upsurge in power.

Mr King said that the increasing use of such systems amongst relatively inexperienced drivers was a recipe for disaster because cars with such extreme power would be harder to control on the road."


But I would counter that those drivers adding nitrous oxide to their cars would be a tiny percentage of modifiers and even then, the police cannot afford to infiltrate groups of drivers just to improve on speeding tickets, I've no doubt that if information came about regarding serious organized speeding of a regular occurence (think Japan's Midnight racers) then they would act on it.
Incidentally, what is wrong with improving the handling of your car, is that not a safety benefit... Looking at the article you linked, there are doubts as to the point you are making.
Last edited by bensonboo on 19 Oct 2011, 10:04pm, edited 1 time in total.
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