Section 27 - Warning for away travellers

[STAR Voice]

Over recent weeks, Police forces around the country have started using a new tactic against supporters - Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act.

The powers of this are truly frightening - intended to be used against individuals who are causing alcohol-related trouble, but instead it is being used to clear whole pubs of supporters where this no disorder whatsoever - clearly the "logic" being used is "football supporters cause trouble so we'll use this to get rid of them before they start any."

This was employed by Police at Doncaster on Plymouth supporters before their match there last week - so beware when we visit them in the first week of February.

Further details are on the STAR website here.

Today FSF and Liberty launched a campaign to fight this in the courts - further details are at Watching Football is Not a Crime

I would strongly advise everyone who travels to away games to read the Section 27 Factsheet - and even better, print a copy and take it with you.

[rabidbee]

This is the rule whereby an entire pubload of Stokies were not only cleared out of the pub where they were drinking peaceably, but returned to Stoke by the police, regardless of whether or not that was where they had begun their original journey, isn't it? Given that football-related violence is going down, why are the police being so heavy-handed?

[STAR Voice]

That'the one.

The police are being so heavy-handed because they can! It's policng by stereotype, pure and simple, and quite against the Home Office guidance from their docuement. But until someone stands up to them they'll get away with it.

This is also worth a read : http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/18/civilliberties-humanrights

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Just another step on from the ludicrous stop and search at Reading station before the Arsenal game last season.

Are the FA going to give their view on this farce or are they going to turn a blind eye as usual?

[PieEater]

The advice on that site seems a bit confusing. It says they have no power to make you sign anything, but the Stokie said he was told to sign it or get arrested. If someone did get arrested that would be an interesting court case.

[bobby1413]

The advice on that site seems a bit confusing. It says they have no power to make you sign anything, but the Stokie said he was told to sign it or get arrested. If someone did get arrested that would be an interesting court case.

I don't think anyone can be made to sign anything, the police write "Refused" instead of your signature in the box. You don't have to sign it, although you do unfortunately have to meet their conditions.

Section 27 gives the person an order to leave a designated area (see below) for a set period of time. It also states an exit route, e.g. down street A to street B.

The designated area is set in stone and you should be given a map of the area with the areas outlined.

Beware, if given a Section 27 ticket then the officer would notify CCTV who would monitor you. Failure to go the correct route, or re-enter the designated area may lead to more trouble.

[Dirk Gently]

The advice on that site seems a bit confusing. It says they have no power to make you sign anything, but the Stokie said he was told to sign it or get arrested. If someone did get arrested that would be an interesting court case.

I don't think anyone can be made to sign anything, the police write "Refused" instead of your signature in the box. You don't have to sign it, although you do unfortunately have to meet their conditions.

Section 27 gives the person an order to leave a designated area (see below) for a set period of time. It also states an exit route, e.g. down street A to street B.

The designated area is set in stone and you should be given a map of the area with the areas outlined.

Beware, if given a Section 27 ticket then the officer would notify CCTV who would monitor you. Failure to go the correct route, or re-enter the designated area may lead to more trouble.

In the case of the Stoke fans, the locality (designated area) specified was "Greater Manchester" (!). Not quite what the legislation intended!

Sadly very few people have the strength of character to refuse to sign something when the Police say "sign it or you'll be arrested."

[weybridgewanderer]

This is the rule whereby an entire pubload of Stokies were not only cleared out of the pub where they were drinking peaceably, but returned to Stoke by the police, regardless of whether or not that was where they had begun their original journey, isn't it? Given that football-related violence is going down, why are the police being so heavy-handed?

the police would claim that the fact football violence is going down proves their "heavy handed" tactics work

[weybridgewanderer]

That'the one.

The police are being so heavy-handed because they can! It's policng by stereotype, pure and simple, and quite against the Home Office guidance from their docuement. But until someone stands up to them they'll get away with it.

This is also worth a read : http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/18/civilliberties-humanrights

Interesting article

While not condoning the voilence commited by the rangers fans, this article perhaps shines a new light on the happening in Manchester and the actions taken by Manchester Police on the evening of the UEFA cup final.

Following on from their shambolic handling of the UEFA Cup Final Greater Manchester Police have launched "Operation Gale" in a cack-handed manner admitting their identification techniques are "not an exact science."

Greater Manchester Police set up shop in Strathclyde Police's Force Training and Recruitment Centre at East Kilbride last week inviting Strathclyde officers to pop in for up to eight hours of viewing video and still images. This week they have been touring individual stations in the Strathclyde area.

In the week building up to the UEFA Cup Final Greater Manchester Police were a shambles unable to comprehend that the human tidal wave of the "Blue Tsunami" was not going to be put off traveling to Manchester with garbled messages about shut pubs and entrance to squares showing the game on a large screen being restricted to match ticket holders - people with tickets for the match are hardly likely to want to watch it on a screen!

With that level of organisational unpreparedness few can have confidence in "Operation Gale" being anything other than a numbers game - trying to produce a fig leaf by maximising the number of arrests by massaging the terms of reference. One cannot be anything other than cynical about the partiality, context and reliability of any pictures or footage used. Indeed, in the appeal for Strathclyde officers to come forward the Manchester force admits the operation is not "an exact science." Not exactly a comfort when your door is mistakenly put in at five in the morning.

[Row Z Royal]

What does Section 27 say about Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles?

[wickedwhispers]

If you've got nothing to hide then don't worry about it. Much love!

[cheeryoleary]

Please change the title of this thread as I find it offensive to our Romany bretheren.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Half expecting this when I stumble out of Southampton station drunk on Sunday morning

[Ian Royal]

A cynic might suggest with football violence decreasing the Police need to find ways to massage arrests and increase trouble to justify their continuing presence at games and thus maintain the income it generates.


Of course that would be a very ill thought out accusation to make.

[Dirk Gently]

Another school of thought is that football supporters are an ideal group of people to practice police tactics like this on, since the majority don't know their rights, are unlikely to protest properly and are also not a popular group with middle-England so there'll be no significant outcry.

[Big Foot]

"alcohol related trouble" - so if said person was sober, can they still implement this ?

[Big Foot]

"alcohol related trouble" - so if said person was sober, can they still implement this ?

[Rex]

The logical thinking to this would be yes. If an allegation is made anyone can be placed under arrests and carted off, sober or not. Instigator or not.

[Dirk Gently]

I think the wording is that they need "reasonable suspicion" that there will be "alcohol related trouble."

That is a horribly-drawn law, completely open to interpretation. Interestingly, the Home Office guidance on this is more specific and includes safeguards - it's this document that is being utterly ignored by certain Police Forces!

[bobby1413]

I think the wording is that they need "reasonable suspicion" that there will be "alcohol related trouble."

That is a horribly-drawn law, completely open to interpretation. Interestingly, the Home Office guidance on this is more specific and includes safeguards - it's this document that is being utterly ignored by certain Police Forces!

You are correct, it is badly written legislation with no real definition it seems. Even the Crown Prosecution Service don't recognise it.