Sophie
Khan, a solicitor-advocate and director of the Police Action Centre
(PAC), who is also head of an Action Against the Police department at a
leading law firm based in Surrey and London, writes:
PAC
was launched last month and is the first organisation in England and
Wales dedicated to providing a free, confidential and independent
service to members of the public, protesters and prisoners on how to
take actions against the police. The increased focus on the standard of
British policing and the changes to the police complaints procedure
coming into force in November 2012 will end the current role of the
Independent Police Complaints Commission so that we will see a
re-emergence of the police investigating the police. PAC will fill the
gap which is left so that the public will be able to turn to an
organisation that is on their side and able to provide free advice and
information on how to challenge the police through the new complaints
procedure.
In addition, PAC will act as a think-tank to identify
and highlight areas of concern in British policing, and carry out
independent investigations and campaign on specific police policies with
the aim of achieving real change and a move to ending the
disproportionate and indiscriminate use of police powers.
For example:
- PAC
will undertake the first independent investigation into the use of
Taser stun guns by British police since they were first issued to
non-firearms officers in 2008.
- PAC will work with organisations
such as the Stop and Search Legal Project to challenge the presumption
that stop and search is a legitimate police policy.
- PAC will run
a specialist advice and information service for protesters and
prisoners in the UK and abroad with the aim of creating a network of
International Police Action Lawyers to support challenges against state
authorities.
PAC will also aim to be a forum where the
police and the public can engage and debate on policies in order to
build a strong and accountable police force that is seen to be a part of
the community.
Visit: http://policeactioncentre.org.uk/. E-mail: info@policeactioncentre.org.uk. Twitter: @policeactioncen
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