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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1986
+ BUT EVEN THEN I SUGGEST THAT IT IS STILL INCUMBENT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THE POSSIBLE ABUSE OF THESE ADDITIONAL POWERS, HE NOTED.
MR LEE BELIEVED THIS WAS THE WAY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, RATHER THAN THE APPROACH ADOPTED IN THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS ENTIRELY ILLOGICAL, TOTALLY MISLEADING IN ITS CONCLUSION+ AND MISSING THE WOOD OF THE TREES.
+THE RESULT IS THAT OUR ATTENTION IS DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE REAL AND IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS WHICH PERTAIN TO THE POLICE FORCE AND FOCUSSED INSTEAD ON THE REFORM OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM, HE SAID.
HE STRESSED THAT UNTIL THE POLICE HAD SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING ITS OWN HOUSE IN ORDER, ANY ADDITIONAL POWER WAS LIKELY TO AGGRAVATE THE PROBLEM EVEN MORE.
+ IF THE PUBLIC DO NOT TRUST THE POLICE WITH THE PRESENT POWERS, THE PUBLIC WILL TRUST THE POLICE EVEN LESS WITH ADDITIONAL POWERS, HE SAID.
MR LEE ALSO MADE SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE RESULT OF THE RECENT PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY ON THE DOCUMENT.
HE WARNED THAT THE APPARENT SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC ON THE SPIRIT OF THE DOCUMENT SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH THE GREATEST CARE BECAUSE IT WAS SO EASY TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION BY FRAMING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
+ IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE POLICE POWERS AS A RESULT OF THESE SURVEYS, WE WILL BECOME A POLICE STATE VERY SOON INDEED, HE SAID.
MR LEE SAID THERE WAS GENERAL CONCERN AMONG THE PEOPLE SURVEYED THAT THERE SHOULD BE ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS AGAINST ABUSE AND URGED THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE ADDITIONAL POWERS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS.
HE CONCLUDED THAT THE TRIAD PROBLEM COULD NOT BE SOLVED UNLESS THE POLICE HAD THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE.
AND LET US
+SO LET IMPROVEMENTS START WITH THE POLICE. NOT INTERFERE WITH OUR EXISTING LEGAL SYSTEM UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO DO SO, HE SAID.
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