Police lock up innocent man, then keep van for five days
Thursday 18th November 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
Mike Le Page with the van police thought he had taken and driven uninsured. (Picture by John O’Neill, 1054343)
AN INNOCENT man claims ‘heavy-handed’ police locked him in a holding cell for two-and-a-half hours without reason.
And the van he was driving perfectly legally was then impounded for five days.
Mike Le Page, 52, was stopped by police at 11.20pm on 10 October when driving home from his girlfriend’s house in his colleague’s van.
He said that the officer’s approach had made him think differently about the force.
A police spokesman said: ‘There is a proper complaints procedure for those who feel that they have been treated unfairly by the police service.
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I bet everyone the police lock up says they are innocent! This man’s complaints hold no credibility with me whatsoever without some supporting evidence.
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Truth Man – some are guilty, some are innocent so even if everyone who the police lock up say they are innocent (which is not quite the case in my experience) some will indeed be telling the truth.
As a seeker of truth I hope you can appreciate that?
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Both Truth Man and Hello have valid points. Until both sides of the case are known this is just another non-story. The police will never reveal their information so this will just turn into another Police knocking thread.
Clearly something happened, in which case Mr. Le Page was arrested until further information/evidence could be gathered, and then a decision made as to how best to proceed. In this case he was released – something that happens everyday the length and breadth of this country. The police spokesman has hit the nail on the head. Put your money where your mouth is Mr.Le Page and make a complaint – or you could just go the press……zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Wait till he gets the bill for five days storage !
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Innocent until proven guilty,must rethink that statment methinks.
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Hello:
Absolutely agree – some innocent people are undoubtedly the subject of investigations. But check out this sentence from the report:
“AN INNOCENT man claims ‘heavy-handed’ police locked him in a holding cell for two-and-a-half hours without reason.”
The police cannot, and do not, lock people up without reason. The regulation around the detention and treatment of detainees is enshrined in law – and all processes are fully auditable. I am not saying the police never make mistakes – but the fact is, I am certain, that at the point of arrest and detention being subsequently authorised by the custody Sgt the police were of the suspicion that there was a reason in law to justify the arrest and detention.
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Poor policing in my view, and poor PR which the police could do without. Followed by a poor statement by the police spokesperson. “Come on Guernsey Police you can do better than this “.
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Simon
Re the Police response. It is clear that the new Chief has decided not to conduct the complaints procedure through the media
I should think George Le Page spent a considerable portion of his week writing letters to the Press in answer to complaints which quite often turned out to be nothing anyway
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Ray
What is the complaints procedure here? I assume one first raises the issue with HQ but where after that. Does it go to the IPCC in the UK?
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Perhaps Mike Le Page does not want to make a complaint, he just wants to warn the public of a potential problem that they may face, and an effective no comment from the Police, only leads people to believe Mike Le Page is right.!!
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Hello hello hello
I’ve never had cause to complain so I don’t know
I do remember something earlier this year (last year?)whereby the States were looking to set up a UK type procedure but I don’t know if that has proceeded in a forwards direction
Anyway,I must move along,there’s nothing to see here.Mind how you go
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devils_advocate:
So, no comment allows us to assume guilt does it?
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Truth Man
if someone feels they have a complaint against the police. who investigates? What is the procedure? Do the police investigate themselves?
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kevin
I can tell you without doubt if you are young and go to make a complaint about an officer they wiil treat you in such a way you might end up feeling you wished you haden`t made the complaint in the first place.
They really do stick together when it comes to certain things.
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Kevin:
In Guernsey complaints against the police are investigated by the internal complaints department. I can say, without reservation, that there is no element of the police sticking together in this respect. The complaints department act autonomously and are seen as the ‘police police’ by officers. I think Sgt Priest’s recent experience is testimony to this (and I noted that when he was dismissed there were many complainants on GP threads suggesting the police were corrupt for have dismissed him!).
I am not saying for one second that all complainants will be happy with the findings of an investigation in to their complaint. In certain circumstances external investigators are called in – sometimes a UK force, sometimes the IPCC who would oversee. Additionally, Gsy Police have in the past paid for HM Inspectorate of Constabularies to come over and review an investigation to provide independence. There is no doubt, there is no ‘cover-up’ of complaints – quite the reverse. Many officers (I suspect Sgt Priest included) feel that the internal complaints procedure is vindictive and biased towards proving guilt as opposed to finding out the truth.
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Truth Man – We get back to Sgt Priest again and I’m interested in your comments. The complaints procedure must be fair to both sides in order for it to have credibility.
One aspect of the Priest investigation that appears concerning is that apparently the investigating officer is allegedly a personal friend of the complainant. It struck me as being very odd if it’s true.
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Truth Man: I can tell you for a FACT that police do lock up people with no reason. About 10 years ago I was arrested and held in custody, when my sister came in to act as an appropraite adult for me, she also got locked in the cell with me. We were in there for a good 5 hours before they released me without charge. My sister had no reason to be put in a cell and judging by the fact I was released without charge, I think it’s pretty fair to say I was innocent.
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Police lock up innocent man, then throw away the key.
Now that would have been a good story! Especially considering the spokesmans “I dont care” comment.
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Truth Man
You are wrong about them not sticking together or maybe things have changed?.
I reported an assault from an officer while in a police cell (30 years ago mind)to the duty sargent
and by the time he had finished with me and pointing out all the things i would have to go through to follow up this complaint along with his attitude which on reflection was clearly to put me off taking it further, i decided to let it go.
The next day i went back and reported it to another sargent who was much more understanding and promised me he would see to it.
I had no charges bought against me and had the marks right across my neck as proof of the assault
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And the suprise there is?
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WhoCares: you mean the Police came and took you off the street, put you in a van, took you into a cell, then called your sister, then put her in a cell and then let you all go. And all this time they never said what the offence was, or explained anything to you?
Are you sure, I mean really really sure…
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There were probably 3 police vans, with about 5 police officers in each to arrest this person who has committed such an awful crime.
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Some independent views on the internal police complaints procedure from this year:
“In general, it appeared from a survey of the cases investigated and an examination of
several complaints that the PSD dealt with complaints in a professional manner”.
However, the point was also made in the same report that investigations should be run by people independent from the case.
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John
It would be interesting to hear the remaining nine tenths of WhoCares’ story!
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