54 Year Old Woman visited by Police

Wyllow3

The problem in this discussion is indeed we dont know what she said.

The Lady concerned made a number of remarks in two WhatsApp groups, one open, one a closed group (which would have meant someone from the group reporting it).

Whatever she said, it was deemed sufficient to mean a visit.

"Harassment" can vary greatly. It can include minor to major online or real life constant stalking or bullying, right up to death or violence threats. Including or not including racism as an element.
It's certainly been an issue for people - especially women - in public life.

It certainly includes domestic cases of co-ercive emotional violence when evidence is found online, and thank goodness it is! And it's important as part of police work.

We do need boundaries and limits. The debate, rightly, is around what they are and how they are interpreted, but its not a waste of police time to protect sometimes very vulnerable members of the public.

I completely agree.

Things can happen on social media which would (probably) never happen “face to face”.

Threats, bullying, harrassment, inciting harm, particularly self-harm.

Surely we’ve not forgotten Caroline Flack, and the awful stories about people, in particular young people, taking their own lives after reading social media messages.

As with many things, social media has many advantages and also a very dark side.

It sure does David49 and more than ever like Inspector Gadget.

The problem in this discussion is indeed we dont know what she said.

The Lady concerned made a number of remarks in two WhatsApp groups, one open, one a closed group (which would have meant someone from the group reporting it).

Whatever she said, it was deemed sufficient to mean a visit.

"Harassment" can vary greatly. It can include minor to major online or real life constant stalking or bullying, right up to death or violence threats. Including or not including racism as an element.
It's certainly been an issue for people - especially women - in public life.

It certainly includes domestic cases of co-ercive emotional violence when evidence is found online, and thank goodness it is! And it's important as part of police work.

We do need boundaries and limits. The debate, rightly, is around what they are and how they are interpreted, but its not a waste of police time to protect sometimes very vulnerable members of the public.

If you are an extremist inciting civil disorder, or criminal activity you may well get a visit from the police, GCHQ monitor social media for content likely to be unlawful,
That’s how they monitor terrorist and drug dealing activity, you may also be “ of interest” if your identity or phone number is on another persons contact list.

The law has a very long arm these days.

Ilovecheese

According to the GB news website she had also posted racist messages and joked about a cycling campaigner being "mown down by a truck".

It was A drew Gwynne who made a racist remark and posted about a cyclist

What threats did she make? I thought she said she hoped he lost his seat. I hope that too.

We still don’t know what she actually wrote.

I ldont think she let them in did she. Which is the right thing to do.

There's a quote in the DM article saying what the police said about the incident -

They said they called to fulfill their duty to tell her she'd been subject to a complaint.
That in the light of recent genuine threats to councillors it was important to look into all reports of incidents such as this.
That because they were so busy with over 200 other arrests for burglary, rape and assault they'd put this incident into perspective and that's why it had taken two days to visit the woman.

Seem like they did the right thing in a well balanced manner. If they'd not investigated and she'd followed through on any threat the same people that are criticising Starmer, Labour and the police on this thread would be criticising them for not taking it seriously.

Cossy

Galaxy

Experienced police visits, loss of work, expensive court cases in order to be able to speak about issues.

I have experienced Police visits, and I was actually arrested back in the day, not anything to do with freedom of speech, but a misinformed report about me.

Happy to say released with no charge!

So I’m aware of the potential damage done due to spite or deliberate misinformation.

The police were very kind to me, but it was a bit unnerving!

Yep...I think many of us have been "misreported" one way or another.

Though the usual one imo seems to be neighbours who can't get their way misreporting the innocent neighbour to the police (now remembering next door neighbour who complained to the police about me not allowing her to park in my garden). They duly wasted police time coming to see me - and...errr....hello...of course I don't allow her to park in my garden. The clue is the word "my" - it belongs to me.

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

It was on GBNews this morning. The woman said on FB (I don’t use it, I didn’t see it) that the councillors in Southport ought to stand down. Two policemen knocked at her door (verified) to caution her not to post such views in future. As GBNews commenters said surely the Police should concentrate their efforts on burglaries etc.

I think you probably know, as do many of us, that the police force and various officers are split into several sections, traffic police don’t deal with burglary, their domestic violence unit don’t deal with car theft etc etc.

I’d like to see what she actually wrote.

Along with freedom of speech, comes great responsibility.

People make mistakes, police do too.

News to me that police can't apparently be transferred from one type of police work to another.....

I only know of one case where someone was visited by the police about online posts. He was threatening two women and was convicted. Quite right too.

Yes.

Oreo

Two detectives at your door, come to warn you off! Would like to know exactly what was posted to warrant that!

Was it two detectives?

Namsnanny

BlueBelle

Wonder why you are so opinionated on our government Nanna8 don’t you have enough trouble with your own 🤣
You gave up on us a lonnnngggg time ago 🤣

Surely she is allowed an opinion?
And yes you are granted the right of reply.

Ironically, you posted on a thread about free speech.

Yes, that point was noticed by me too namsnanny😄 and since nanna8 was born and grew up in the UK then wherever she lives now, Australia in this case, doesn’t mean that she isn’t interested in what happens here and has every right to an opinion.

Two detectives at your door, come to warn you off! Would like to know exactly what was posted to warrant that!

Ilovecheese

According to the GB news website she had also posted racist messages and joked about a cycling campaigner being "mown down by a truck".

That was one of the topics joked about by the Labour councillors I think, not what this woman wrote on WhatsApp.

Galaxy

I actually am not sure in this case the police have done anything 'wrong' as such, they are working within a system and had to inform her of the complaint. The trouble is because of past cases I am immediately wary about the police involvement in online speech.

I agree Cossy from what’s been reported, or possibly not. If I’d been the target of words deemed as harassment I’d be grateful for the police having a word.
As often happens in MSM the detail is missing.

It is an article that is quite brief and a bit hard to follow as we have seen, but I think that is what it is saying!

Galaxy

I actually am not sure in this case the police have done anything 'wrong' as such, they are working within a system and had to inform her of the complaint. The trouble is because of past cases I am immediately wary about the police involvement in online speech.

I'm juggling a 2y old🤹‍♂️ so I haven't read this story properly, so I'll happily take your interpretation of the situation as as near as dam it.
The Police forces haven't had decent training according to Harry Miller ex police and now running Fair Cop website.
In some cases are actually breaking the law and he should know, he took one force to court, and won.

And we still don't know what she actually posted or said.

(*namsnanny*, all I was pointing out above was that the high level Apple encryption issue was a different issue than our discussion today which relates to WhatsApp groups.

The discussion around it involved terrorists, child porn. people smugglers, grooming rings and so on, and people naturally had different opinions on it)

Cossy

Namsnanny

Cossy I'm sorry but I find your post pf 12.20 difficult to understand.

The easiest way for you to find out about what happens when you say something against the zeitgeist is to look at LWS website. Click on live steam and listen to the ordinary women telling their stories.

Or listen to KellyJay Keen explaining how many times she has been arrested for saying on line and in person things deemed offensive by some.

There are many other cases such as Jamie Michael's hate speech case taken up by Toby Young's Free Speech Nation, which he won.

Please get your banner out soon, we all need your support.

I get where you’re coming from and there’s plenty of things wrong here in our country atm.

But I’m still able to step out of my front door and speak my mind, within certain parameters.

I’ll have my banner ready!

You've put your finger on it... parameters, who set them and who do they benefit and who loses out?

I actually am not sure in this case the police have done anything 'wrong' as such, they are working within a system and had to inform her of the complaint. The trouble is because of past cases I am immediately wary about the police involvement in online speech.

BlueBelle

Wonder why you are so opinionated on our government Nanna8 don’t you have enough trouble with your own 🤣
You gave up on us a lonnnngggg time ago 🤣

Surely she is allowed an opinion?
And yes you are granted the right of reply.

Ironically, you posted on a thread about free speech.

Namsnanny

Cossy I'm sorry but I find your post pf 12.20 difficult to understand.

The easiest way for you to find out about what happens when you say something against the zeitgeist is to look at LWS website. Click on live steam and listen to the ordinary women telling their stories.

Or listen to KellyJay Keen explaining how many times she has been arrested for saying on line and in person things deemed offensive by some.

There are many other cases such as Jamie Michael's hate speech case taken up by Toby Young's Free Speech Nation, which he won.

Please get your banner out soon, we all need your support.

I get where you’re coming from and there’s plenty of things wrong here in our country atm.

But I’m still able to step out of my front door and speak my mind, within certain parameters.

I’ll have my banner ready!