Friday, November 12, 2004

Your police will protect you: "An Albany man turned himself into police after seeing himself on TV news robbing a bank but was turned away by officers who told him to come back the next day, police said on Tuesday. Albany resident Darrell Lewis, 40, surrendered to police hours after his Nov. 1 holdup of a downtown bank but was told to come back the next day to be arrested. Lewis went to a different station the following day and was charged with robbery, Albany police spokesman Jimmy Miller said".


Knives and axes to be banned in UK. Will they ban cars next? "New laws banning high street shops from selling assault knives, machetes and other weapons could be introduced by the end of next year. Sales of replica guns will also be banned because they can be converted into useable firearms. First Minister Jack McConnell has been in talks with chief constables on how to combat the rising level of knife crime, which is at its highest level for 10 years. There will also be tougher sentencing powers for knife assaults, and a proposal to give police random stop and search powers is being considered. The age at which young people can buy household knives and axes may also rise from 16 to 18."


Arizona: Police expand use of Taser: "Tasers have replaced batons, chemical spray and physical restraint as the weapons of choice for Phoenix police. The electric stun guns are touted by law enforcement authorities as a safe, non-lethal alternative to using a gun in a violent confrontation. But an Arizona Republic analysis of police reports of Taser-related incidents from 2003 found that Phoenix police were far more likely to use the stun guns to make someone obey orders at a traffic stop than to bring down an armed robber. ... With medical examiners finding that Tasers may have played a role in the deaths of eight people around the country, ethical, legal and procedural concerns are being raised about the guns' use in situations involving drunken drivers, shoplifters, family fights and the mentally ill. At the heart of many of these concerns is the potential liability for a police department or city in an expensive wrongful-death suit."


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