Have your Say!

Safer nation or Police State?

I have recently returned from a trip to America connected with the Home Affairs select committee. We were there investigating how the US authorities conduct surveillance and investigations into suspect terrorists in order to report back to government about what lessens we in Britain can learn.

All this ties in with big decisions about to be taken concerning the amount of time suspected terrorists can be detained without charge. In the past two years this has increased from 48 hours, to 7 days and now stands at 28 days. Some senior police officers have argued the case for increasing the detention period, from anything between 50 and 90 days. They suggest this amount of time id required in order to go through mobile phone records, hard drives and international links. However, we don't yet have evidence to suggest this amount of time is necessary.

The US authorities were shocked at hour long we can already hold suspected terrorists, sometimes without them even knowing why they are being held. Naturally, if the suspect turns out to be the mastermind behind a terrorist plot then who cares how long they've been locked up? But if it's your own son or daughter, mistakenly arrested on their way too work and actually completely Innocent, it's not so ideal. And what about the young, innocent South American not arrested by mistake, but shot dead?

We have to do all we can to prevent terrorism and to keep our nation safe, but there's a fine balance between protecting out communities and living in a police state. These are tricky decisions and I'd love to hear your views.

Yours,
Gary

posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Thursday, October 25, 2007