The Government's Crime and Policing Bill will give new powers to the Police. If they suspect a geotagged device like a phone or some other tagged device is in a house, then they have the power to enter the house without a warrant.
How many people think that this will be one of those laws the Police will misuse?
Want to enter a house without a warrant? "Believe" there is a stolen phone in the house, or get a friend to phone in with a report of an airtagged item tracked to the house.
No safeguards against misuse means that the law WILL be misused.
How many fishing trips will be instigated by this new law? Because if the law doesn't specify that once in the property they can only make a search that is reasonably justified to identify if the stolen item is in the property. For instance raiding cupboards and drawers to look for a stolen bicycle should not be allowed.
But no. A friend of the copper phones a report in, based on that tip, the Police boot the door in and turn the house upside down for evidence of a crime. Not the originally reported crime you understand, just any crime they can identify.
Can I have the password to your phone so I can check it's not the stolen one (and check the contents for any dodgy pictures or videos).
Smoke a bit of weed at the weekend? Is there any down the back of the couch the Police can find? Bang to rights you are.
Do you have a licence for that TV?
Is your cat compliant with the laws on chipping and registering the animal?
Think I'm being facetious? Not a bit of it. I know that's exactly what this law is designed for.
It's designed to end the requirement for a warrant to enter a property. For any reason.
And once in the property, there's always something the Police can find if they dig deep enough.
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