What exactly is a non-crime hate incident? (10 days ago): The police are investigating The Telegraph’s Allison Pearson for a social media post, despite everyday crime going largely unsolved. Essex Police chose the morning of Remembrance Sunday to visit Pearson and inform her they were investigating a year-old social media post under Section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986 relating to material “likely or intended to cause racial hatred”. Kamal and Tim Stanley ask why our police forces seem perfectly capable of following up on remarks made in an online environment, whilst everyday crimes like burglaries and sexual offences go largely unsolved.

Essex Police taking no further action against Allison Pearson (4 days ago): Essex Police says it is not taking any further action against journalist Allison Pearson after an investigation into a social media post by the Daily Telegraph columnist.

The investigation has been closed, but there will be an independent review of the force’s handling of the matter, a police statement said. The force previously defended its actions after Pearson said she was left "dumbstruck" by a visit to her home on Remembrance Sunday.

The visit was to arrange a time to do an interview as part of an investigation into alleged incitement to racial hatred, following a complaint from a member of the public, the force said. Essex Police said in a statement that the force "has reviewed this case, having sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. They have advised that no charges should be brought. We have concluded therefore that there will be no further action."

The force said Chief Constable BJ Harrington asked the National Police Chiefs' Council's Hate Crime Lead Chief Constable Mark Hobrough "to conduct an independent review of the force’s handling of this matter and he has agreed".

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said it was "important the public have confidence in their police service. This investigation has caused significant distress for Ms Pearson and a large amount of public concern," he said. "It has raised a number of important questions that need to be addressed so all of us can be confident the police are acting properly."

An Essex Police spokesperson said the force "investigate crimes reported to us without fear or favour". "We’re sometimes faced with allegations of crime where people have strong opposing views. That’s why we work so hard to remain impartial and to investigate allegations, regardless of where they might lead."

Pearson publicised the visit from police after she penned an article in which she claimed she was told by the police who came to her home it was over a “non-crime hate incident”, but was not told which post it was about.

The force said body cam footage of the incident showed that “at no stage” did its officers tell her the report being investigated was being treated as a “non-crime hate incident". A non-crime hate incident is where no criminal offence has been committed but the person reporting it believes the incident to be motivated by hostility...

(Nov 25, 2024 11:49 PM)confused2 Wrote: What puzzles me is "Britain's" slide into communism". Seen from a republic like North America where everyone is born equal it might look like .. well does it look like communism? Maybe I just don't understand the term. [...]

(Nov 26, 2024 04:34 AM)Syne Wrote: Apparently the Brits have been so cowed that they think a scolding from your parents is equivalent to police knocking on your door.
Maybe they're right. Maybe UK police have no more teeth than a scolding. Or maybe they view the government as their parents.

When you can get arrested for the thought-crime of praying in public, I'm sure you have no conception of what free speech is or what it could be good for.
They raising your taxes again?