Poll: Was it the right thing to do?

[badgersprite]

It's one of those things where both perspectives are kind of right. If the officer had only taken the beer from the underage kids, I wouldn't have begrudged him that - in fact, that would have been pretty lenient - but I can see why he confiscated it from everyone on the grounds of 'intent to supply'. It does kind of suck for the people who weren't doing anything wrong who lost out on the price of a 12-pack, but, then, if they didn't want to be bothered by a cop, they probably should have taken it somewhere else.

I'll side with the you and cop on this one, though, because he's just doing his job.

 

[DuplicateValue]

Seriously, there's worse problems around than a few 17 year olds drinking.

It's gonna happen on a regular basis and there's nothing anyone can do to stop most of it.
And there's no real difference between 17 and 18 anyway.

There is a whole law of difference

There was an opportunity for a horribly brilliant pun there, if you had thought to put a 't' at the end of 'law'. xD

But I feel there should be a legal grey area when someone is around the 17 year old mark.
I mean, they won't get any more mature in the space of 12 months.

 

[Kinguendo]

I will name myself as you are presenting a case without all the facts.

He said the reason why he was taking it was because of the amount... I had bought that amount because it is a weak alcohol and I am 6 foot 4 so it takes alot to actually get me drunk. I also bought my alcohol knowing everyone else had their own.

How is the PSCO meant to know how youre metabolism works? Size doesnt always equal Iron Liver.

The PCSO said the amount I had was his reason for suspicion, clearly thinking I had bought that amount in order to share... a condition that existed prior to the actual confiscation of alcohol! So unless I can see into the future and see he was going to confiscate their alcohol then his claim is invalid!

12 cans of alcohol is a shareable amount, % doesnt come into it.

He also gave a false number when we asked him for it AND he searched a friends bag when she wasnt there!

A false PC number? Its on his shoulder... And once again, He has to make sure there isnt anything in the bag that shouldnt be.

ANY AMOUNT IS A SHARABLE AMOUNT!

The officer had said that if it was less he wouldnt have taken it! And I have already pointed out how the amount I bought was logically for myself!

 

[FranzTyphid]

Yes, he did the right think also, I thought it was illegal to drink in public(or is that only Britain?)

EDIT: So it is the UK, so he shouldn't be drinking in public, (or is that only Scotland? ha)

scotland is a place great!

 

[Kinguendo]

Also, what Insanum appears to be neglecting to tell you is that he is directly connected to the police force... fair and balanced indeed(!)

 

[Insanum]

Also, what Insanum appears to be neglecting to tell you is that he is directly connected to the police force... fair and balanced indeed(!)

I work in private security, NOT the police.

Although admittedly, Yes, I want to work in the police force. This does not affect my ability to see right & wrong though.

 

[El Poncho]

Seriously, there's worse problems around than a few 17 year olds drinking.

It's gonna happen on a regular basis and there's nothing anyone can do to stop most of it.
And there's no real difference between 17 and 18 anyway.

There is a whole law of difference

There was an opportunity for a horribly brilliant pun there, if you had thought to put a 't' at the end of 'law'. xD

But I feel there should be a legal grey area when someone is around the 17 year old mark.
I mean, they won't get any more mature in the space of 12 months.

Damn me and my lack of creativeness(word?)

Well, I guess for some people it could be alot, but if they lower it to 17 then it will be , well you won't get anymore mature in the space of 12 months from 16-17.

 

[Kinguendo]

Also, what Insanum appears to be neglecting to tell you is that he is directly connected to the police force... fair and balanced indeed(!)

I work in private security, NOT the police.

Although admittedly, Yes, I want to work in the police force. This does not affect my ability to see right & wrong though.

Really? Dont you work with the police?

I said you had a direct connection, not that you were a police officer.

EDIT: And yes, you are clearly well aware of right and wrong... dragging someone elses personal issue out into a forum he frequents...

 

[Insanum]

Also, what Insanum appears to be neglecting to tell you is that he is directly connected to the police force... fair and balanced indeed(!)

I work in private security, NOT the police.

Although admittedly, Yes, I want to work in the police force. This does not affect my ability to see right & wrong though.

Really? Dont you work with the police?

I said you had a direct connection, not that you were a police officer.

My company works with the police, Not me directly. But you were implying that i would always take police side. I can assure you that isnt the case, I just dont think you have a case here.

Edit: im dragging it off Twitter as a 140 character limit is a pain, and the people of the escapist seem to have both sides of the opinion. Now lets let the others speak before we get this thread locked.

 

[Kinguendo]

Also, what Insanum appears to be neglecting to tell you is that he is directly connected to the police force... fair and balanced indeed(!)

I work in private security, NOT the police.

Although admittedly, Yes, I want to work in the police force. This does not affect my ability to see right & wrong though.

Really? Dont you work with the police?

I said you had a direct connection, not that you were a police officer.

My company works with the police, Not me directly. But you were implying that i would always take police side. I can assure you that isnt the case, I just dont think you have a case here.

No, you keep on leaving out quite important factors even though I told you all of it... that leads me to believe you arent being quite as fair as you would like to claim!

EDIT: How is this your matter to drag into The Escapist? This doesnt involve you at all! I am filing the complaint... is it against you? NO!

If I wanted it on here I would have put it here myself... and I didnt.

The only thing you have done is prove how unfair you are prepared to be even though you were supplied all of the information before hand, you have shown yourself willing to leave out facts just to strengthen the police officers case!

 

[DuplicateValue]

Seriously, there's worse problems around than a few 17 year olds drinking.

It's gonna happen on a regular basis and there's nothing anyone can do to stop most of it.
And there's no real difference between 17 and 18 anyway.

There is a whole law of difference

There was an opportunity for a horribly brilliant pun there, if you had thought to put a 't' at the end of 'law'. xD

But I feel there should be a legal grey area when someone is around the 17 year old mark.
I mean, they won't get any more mature in the space of 12 months.

Damn me and my lack of creativeness(word?)

Well, I guess for some people it could be alot, but if they lower it to 17 then it will be , well you won't get anymore mature in the space of 12 months from 16-17.

That's why they shouldn't lower the legal age.
They should just........enforce it more loosely, if that makes sense.

 

[Trivun]

I will name myself as you are presenting a case without all the facts.

He said the reason why he was taking it was because of the amount... I had bought that amount because it is a weak alcohol and I am 6 foot 4 so it takes alot to actually get me drunk. I also bought my alcohol knowing everyone else had their own.

The PCSO said the amount I had was his reason for suspicion, clearly thinking I had bought that amount in order to share... a condition that existed prior to the actual confiscation of alcohol! So unless I can see into the future and see he was going to confiscate their alcohol then his claim is invalid!

He also gave a false number when we asked him for it AND he searched a friends bag when she wasnt there!

Okay, the facts presented here basically show that the PCSO was right to confiscate the alcohol, but at the same time you have grounds to make a formal complaint because he broke rules and exceeded his mandate. The thing is, most cities in the UK don't allow you to drink alcohol in public, various bylaws exist to stop this from happening. So the PCSO was right to stop and search you and take the alcohol, if, and only if, you were actually drinking it while in public. However, I'm inclined to take your side here because what you've described pretty much shows that the officer broke so many rules and basically acted without authority, on the whole 'searching friend's bag when she wasn't there' and all that sort of stuff. It was the right thing to do for the officer, but the methods and such were completely wrong, and actually illegal. I suggest you lodge a complaint with the Independant Police Complaints Commission, if you can identify the PCSO concerned.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Fight, fight, fight! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

The copper was only doing his job, and the dude probably did feel wronged, but if the please man doesn't do his job properly, he'll lose it.
Yer, it's a stupid law, but we have to stick by it I'm afraid

 

[Eldarion]

Gonna have to agree with the cop on this one.

 

[DoctorWhat]

If the reason given really was that the officer wouldn't have taken the booze if there was less, why didn't he just leave what he thought was acceptable? That may have just been a cover to make it seem less like he was coming over saying "Hey, you have booze. There are people here that aren't allowed have booze. I think you're going to give them booze. I'm taking the booze to stop you giving it to them."

On the other hand, the officer was just doing his job. While you may have had completely innocent intentions, how was the officer to know? And with the increasing numbers of violent and disruptive crimes, as well as more cases of vandalism that are caused by underage drinking, how could he afford to take the risk?

 

[Kinguendo]

I will name myself as you are presenting a case without all the facts.

He said the reason why he was taking it was because of the amount... I had bought that amount because it is a weak alcohol and I am 6 foot 4 so it takes alot to actually get me drunk. I also bought my alcohol knowing everyone else had their own.

The PCSO said the amount I had was his reason for suspicion, clearly thinking I had bought that amount in order to share... a condition that existed prior to the actual confiscation of alcohol! So unless I can see into the future and see he was going to confiscate their alcohol then his claim is invalid!

He also gave a false number when we asked him for it AND he searched a friends bag when she wasnt there!

Okay, the facts presented here basically show that the PCSO was right to confiscate the alcohol, but at the same time you have grounds to make a formal complaint because he broke rules and exceeded his mandate. The thing is, most cities in the UK don't allow you to drink alcohol in public, various bylaws exist to stop this from happening. So the PCSO was right to stop and search you and take the alcohol, if, and only if, you were actually drinking it while in public. However, I'm inclined to take your side here because what you've described pretty much shows that the officer broke so many rules and basically acted without authority, on the whole 'searching friend's bag when she wasn't there' and all that sort of stuff. It was the right thing to do for the officer, but the methods and such were completely wrong, and actually illegal. I suggest you lodge a complaint with the Independant Police Complaints Commission, if you can identify the PCSO concerned.

Yes, I know of exclusion zones and such... hence why we werent in an exclusion zone.

I didnt buy any alcohol for anyone other than myself, no one else had the same alcohol as me and I had bought that amount knowing everyone else already had alcohol. Once he found out my age he said he wasnt interested in me... he turned his attention to me once he said his actual number and I said that had lied about it earlier.

 

[InfernoJesus]

The cop violated your friend and his friend's human rights. Police officers are required by law to give their name and badge number to those who ask for it and are not legally allowed to search other people's bags without their consent or confiscate alcohol from people who are of drinking age.

The police officer broke the law multiple times and should be punished.

 

[guardian001]

No, I don't think he should have had it confiscated if he didn't actually supply anything to them. He can't know whether or not he was supplying them alcohol, so he shouldn't assume that he's going to.

Yes the officer was correct in his actions. How does the officer know the adult isn't supplying to his underage friends?

Do you own a knife, or have one in your house? I'll assume you do, and I should probably call the police. After all, how do I know you aren't going to stab somebody with it? And you seem to have hands, and have been in possession of them around other people! How do I know you don't intend to use those to seriously injure those people? You ought to be locked up, all these crimes you could potentially commit at some point in the future.
Unless, of course, you don't actually intend to do these things... Still, probably better safe than sorry. After all, I have no reason to think you won't.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I have to agree with the Cop. The drinks could have been passed around and the Cop was only doing his job.Don't blame him for doing his job.

 

[Insanum]

Yes the officer was correct in his actions. How does the officer know the adult isn't supplying to his underage friends?

Do you own a knife, or have one in your house? I'll assume you do, and I should probably call the police. After all, how do I know you aren't going to stab somebody with it? And you seem to have hands, and have been in possession of them around other people! How do I know you don't intend to use those to seriously injure those people? You ought to be locked up, all these crimes you could potentially commit at some point in the future.
Unless, of course, you don't actually intend to do these things... Still, probably better safe than sorry. After all, I have no reason to think you won't.

*sigh* Whilst i respect your difference of opinion, That just there, That which you just wrote. Please re-read it.

I pointed out that Jack wasnt arrested. Now just simply owning i knife in your house isnt an offence. If you had it on your person, Is completely different, in EVERY way.