New police powers to clear the streets and create “no-go” areas for the public are being considered, the home secretary, Theresa May says. She said it was now time to consider whether the police needed a power “to impose a general curfew in a particular area” in the aftermath of last week’s riots.
The home secretary said the government was also considering tougher powers to impose curfews on individual teenagers under the age of 16.
In a speech in London May said the power to declare a general curfew was needed because existing dispersal powers only allow the police to declare a “no go” area with advance notification. “In the fast-moving situation we have seen in the last week we need to make sure the police have all the powers that are necessary,” said May.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/16/uk-riots-police-new-curfew-powers
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A spokesperson for ‘Big Brother Watch’ said:
“The very principle of imposing blanket curfews on the British public runs contrary to any concept of a liberal and democratic values. This proposal should be abandoned immediately.”