U.K.: Crime Prevention to Start in the Nursery

In Cheshire, England, the police got wind of an e-mail sent by a ten-year-old boy in which he referred to a fellow student as "gay." So naturally, the officers launched an investigation, visited the boy's home and quizzed both him and his parents to get to the bottom of this potential hate crime.

Inspector Nick Bailey of Cheshire Constabulary told a local newspaper:

"We were obliged to record the matter as a crime and we took a proper, and maybe an old fashioned, view. Going to the boy’s house was a reasonable course of action to take."

Mr. Bailey and his coppers may very well be a proud part of the British law-enforcement vanguard. After all, according to a news article in the Telegraph, it is the stated intention of the Blair government that

Checks will be made on all children to identify potential criminals under an extension of the "surveillance state" announced by Tony Blair. A Downing Street review of law and order also foreshadowed greater use of sophisticated CCTV, an expanded DNA database and "instant justice" powers for police. ... The Government believes children can be prevented from becoming offenders if early intervention is targeted at those who displayed certain traits. These include having a short attention span or living in a deprived environment.

This plan comes just two and a half months after the announcement that Tony Blair's cabinet is seeking to target future criminals — people who have not committed a crime 'yet' — with Violent Offender Orders (VOO's). This means that citizens deemed likely to break the law because of their problematic "upbringing," "cognitive deficiencies", and "entrenched pro-criminal or antisocial attitudes" will be put under curfew. They may be banned from certain areas, must alert police when they move house, and may be forced to live in a hostel specified by the state, where the police will keep a watchful eye on them. The VOO's will last for at least two years but have no upper limit. People who've received a VOO but violate any of its conditions could go to jail for five years.

And now children, too, will be part of this grand scheme. Among the measures being discussed in Blair's inner circle:

• Universal checks on children to see who is at risk of becoming an offender. ...
• Expand DNA database to include people who "come into contact" with police.
• More summary powers for the police to hand out instant justice.
• Better use of more sophisticated CCTV. 

Guy Fawkes really was on to something.

 [thanks to Martin Owens for the link to the Telegraph article] 

Comments

[Phil Nelson]

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

Is it just me or is it frightening that if Philip K. Dick were alive right now he would seem like a completely rational person and not in the least paranoid?

[fish]

Time for a great big fence around England!

I just we weren't so enamored of the Brits stupidity!

Rog, how did you avoid succumbing to all the Euro political nonsense....or perhaps more accurately...why exchange Euro political stupidity for Yankee political stupidity?

[markm]

Fish, what do you need a fence for when the place already has a moat? We've just got to detail a Navy task force to see that they don't try to sneak across the moat in boats or airplanes. Then there's that Channel Tunnel. Wait, that goes to France. We need a bigger moat - say, the Atlantic Ocean...