Today’s police state news: drug testing in pubs
Soon I’ll need to create a new category to accommodate the plethora of stories about new draconian police powers. Today’s entry comes from the Oxford Mail which recounts a new police practice of forcefully drug testing people in pubs.
Police officers tested 150 revellers as they arrived at the pub in Sheep Street between 10.30pm and midnight on Friday. The pub managers barred anyone refusing to co-operate with the test from entering.
Det Sgt Steve Duffy, of Banbury CID, said two people tested positive and were searched but not found to be in possession of drugs. The pair were then banned from entering the pub, but not arrested.
That pretty much sums up the uselessness of draconian methods of policing. They antagonize the general public with heavy-handed invasions of privacy while doing little to actually tackle real crime .
