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The Forum > Article Comments > Queensland police 'move-on' powers are over the top > Comments

Queensland police 'move-on' powers are over the top : Comments

By Nick Christie, published 1/11/2006

Your right to free use of public spaces is not as clear and unmitigated as it once was.

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It seems to me that in our increasingly violent and disrespectful times the police need more powers to counter the troublemakers.

Maybe the concerns the auhthor expressed comes down to trust and the police only have themselves to blame for any mistrust the community have in their ability to enforce the law reasonably. The honest police need to distance themselves from the bad eggs instead of tacitly suggesting approval with their silence.

The recent ill treatment of a homeless man, who any fool would know wouldn't have known that the laws have changed to allow police to move people on, is indicative of the unreasonableness of the new law in some situations. Tthe homeless man apparently thought it unreasonable and unlawful for the police to move him on.

Any public complaint against say a homeless man for changing his clothes and showering would be vexatious and unreasonable anyway - how petty. I can understand his reaction.

And what about people who are in a situation where because of poor town planning the public become a nuisance? The town law allows people in situations like this to be nuisances but the state criminalises the same behaviour.

And it seems to me, from my experiences with the police, that the police have become not only the law enforcers but the judge and jury too. Some are quick to lay charges on the poor and naive, but will often refuse to prosecute the wealthy and powerful. In my dealings with the CMC and DPP I have been so mucked about it was criminal in my books. I find it hard trust the police.

I think these move on laws show up a need for the system to be counter-balanced with laws and resources that provide for the proper defence of charges especially petty and unreasonable ones laid by overentusiastic police. They also must provide the DPP with adequate resources so that they can prosecute the real criminals and violent offenders according to the law - rather than financial and time constraints
Posted by ronnie peters, Wednesday, 1 November 2006 10:50:13 AM
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The footage of the arrest, purportedly from a security camera, appeared as a well-rehearsed and practised operation.
The paddy wagon was nicely on the spot to receive the "miscreant".
This was summary justice, too slick and sick. The man was never to be allowed to "move on".

The police Minister showed herself to be unworthy of the position.
Posted by clink, Wednesday, 1 November 2006 11:38:50 AM
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WD,

I have personally put forward a formal complaint against the totally disproportionate use (more like abuse) of this law.

So I can assure you that there is at least one complaint that has been lodged.

As an elected representative in this state you ought to be utterly ashamed of this ludicrous American-style zero tollerance approach to policing which is totally ineffective.

I am a company director, an upstanding member of the community and a totally law abiding citizen. I find the current over-policing in this state particularly disturbing.

I have been subjected not only to gross incompetence and agression from a Queensland police officer but also a totally unlawful strip search, in public, at the hands of a Police officer in riot gear for simply queing out the front of a night club - absolutely no drugs were found. Hundreds of incocent people were also subjected to this unlawful, agressive and disturbing abuse without arrest or charge.

This is a gross violation of civil liberties and for you to condone it shows a disturbing lack of understanding of civil rights.

These laws show how backwards this state and its 'elected leaders' really are.
Posted by Daniel06, Wednesday, 1 November 2006 12:00:22 PM
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Daniel 06

I am not surprised there are drug searches outside night clubs, after all that is where drugs are transported, sold and consumed. Drug use is supposed to be prevalent among the young well-to-do so it would make sense to raid night club patrons.

There have been many complaints from people, especially women, about drug offences in clubs.

If you talk to janitors and security staff in Brisbane's cbd they will tell you about the knives, knuckle dusters and drugs deposited in the landscaping of buildings near to night clubs. drugged and drunken patrons often forget to pick up their wares before wending their way home in the early dawn.

Maybe in your case a sniffer dog detected that you recently came into contact with drugs. Probably you were unaware of that contact. Reportedly, other night club patrons were lucky enough to be tipped off by mobile about possible raids and ditched their stuff. They would have had a laugh at the dumb coppers, heh?

What about saving some righteous anger for the drug dealers and users? After all, it was their illicit drug trade that resulted in your inconvenience and embarrassment. The clubs could be deriving some benefit from the trade too.

The community has demanded stronger action on drugs because of the increasing damage to people, especially youth. It is a democracy and elected State and local government representatives are just doing the will of the people in making regulations to better enforce the law.
Posted by Cornflower, Wednesday, 1 November 2006 1:20:28 PM
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Its funny how the same old people go on about the police needing "tougher" powers in a more "dangerous" age.

Crime is at an all time low. It has fallen throughout Australia on average for just about everything except for the minor and new types of crime(Cyber crime, Grifitti etc.). Murder, Assault, Robberies etc. all down. But yet our laws and powers keep getting tougher and tougher.
Posted by Bobalot, Thursday, 2 November 2006 8:41:15 AM
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As usual, governments continue to scare the buggery out of people to introduce laws that will only be abused by power hungry governments. Police do need 'move on' laws but it does need balance which is the opposite of what pollies crave for.

My reading of this article is that as a person who plays a djembe(west african drum) at the local garden, along the river and the botanical gardens, I could be charged and face court for what was once a free act.

There are problems but as usual, politician's want to move on homeless people, most of them put there by the greedy negligence of the liberalists governments or the ALP and the Coalition. Instead of having 'fair go' policies, they continue to throw people on the streets in their lust of owning everything.

Democracy is a farce. Freedom is a farce. Our bloodline died for nothing.
Posted by Spider, Friday, 3 November 2006 8:22:15 PM
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