marijuana scanner, scarier than a k9

[Jack D Ripper]

this is ****ing scary. they get "reasonable suspicion" from their marijuana scanner.

http://www.mapinc.org/norml/v07/n1055/a03.htm

DRUG SCANNER CHECKS PUBLIC
(Source:Oxford Mail)

United Kingdom
-------

Scores of pub-goers in Bicester were tested for traces of illegal drugs during a police operation aimed at tackling violent street crime.

Police used the force's new drugs itemiser - which scans people for traces of banned substances - at the Litten Tree pub.

It was the first time the new technology, which detects traces of drugs from heroin to cannabis, had been used in the town.

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.

Mr Duffy said: "It went very well. We gained the full co-operation of the management and the customers.

"Everyone was very supportive and compliant.

"We swab people's hands and then that swab is placed into the equipment and it gives a reading of the level of drug residue.

"If it's above the background level then we use the equipment to give us the power to search - it gives us reasonable suspicion."

Mr Duffy explained the machine also picked up tiny traces of drugs that innocent people could get from handling contaminated bank notes.

But he said officers only searched those showing a more substantial level of drug residue.

He said: "The public were very supportive. Many people were saying they wanted to be tested.

"Bicester has no bigger problem than the rest of the country but we are never complacent.

"It gives us an indication of drug activity and where it's taking place. It is part of a wider initiative to reduce violent crime.

"We associate binge drinking and illegal substances as being one of the causes of spontaneous unprovoked street crime."

The drug itemiser was also used in Witney and Banbury two weeks ago. About 260 revellers were tested, with one person arrested on suspicion of possessing class A and C drugs. Two others also tested positive.

 

[Space Ghost]

that's some bull...

 

[Jack D Ripper]

in 5 years I bet every cop has one of these right next to their breathalizer

 

[Guest]

Yeah this happens alot in Europe and it's reasonable cause to search you if you pop positive. The german cops did this to me once and then searched me but found nothing.

They can use it in America but it IS NOT reasonable cause to search you or obtain a warrant so it's pointless for cops in the US to do. You can come positive from touching a door handle that some one touch after smoking a J. Wouldn't hold up in court for shit just like lie detectors but even less reliable.

Don't worry to much, there is a reason England is the setting for 1984.

 

[D Rock]

To be used in the US they would have to have reasonable suspisicion that you were under the influence to use this machine to invade your ****ing privacy!!!!!!!! what a crock of shit!

 

[Jack D Ripper]

its already being used in the US in airports, prisons, postal services, etc. They couldnt use it to randomly search people in the US like this example in the UK, but they could use it if they already had suspicion from smelling smoke or a failed sobriety test

anyway, with the way our civil rights are going down the drain, it wont be long till were living in a police state being oppressed by these devices

 

[D Rock]

its already being used in the US in airports, prisons, postal services, etc. They couldnt use it to randomly search people in the US like this example in the UK, but they could use it if they already had suspicion from smelling smoke or a failed sobriety test

anyway, with the way our civil rights are going down the drain, it wont be long till were living in a police state being oppressed by these devices

thats what I meant when I said Reasonable suspicion. Its a buch of bull shit either way.

 

[PoppinFresh]

i say that's why we have to get this legalized globally so machines like that become obsolete. the failed drug war is only failing more with the use of better tech. and we already live in a police state. it's just not as noticeable as it will be 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now!

 

[guest5703]

Um ok lets see here. Review! They cant search you without probable cause...But they can make you take a test FOR NO REASON and then when your guilty they have probably cause? I woulda told those ****ing pigs to take the test themselves and have a good time assholes

 

[guest5703]

after reading more comments, I say maybe we need to stick on our goal path of legalizing marijuana, because with this comes information and ignorant people can be informed of good uses of MJ, the gov just needs to realize the people really support it! It's been a long hard road, but I am sure that we will have MJ legalized soon enough. This will make that stupid scanner useless to us regular people, and then they can go after the real hardcore drug users. Or should i just say, drug users period because I smoke MJ and I really don't consider it a drug. My two cent's, PEACE!

 

[SmokeyPufmaster]

Sad part about all of this is the people willfully submitted to be tested by machines that subvert their rights. Wither they use drugs or not that is one barrier that is already broken down. What should have happened is that no one should have entered that bar that night and the bar owner should have lost all of that nights business. The spying on citizens by gov't should be opposed.

PoppinFresh and we already live in a police state. it's just not as noticeable as it will be 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now!

Smokey: And our rights have already be dented if you were to ask a person whom lived 75 years ago you would see that it is an ongoing process that is continuing today.

D Rock To be used in the US they would have to have reasonable suspisicion that you were under the influence to use this machine to invade your ****ing privacy!!!!!!!!

Smokey: They can and have wrote legislation that allows them to act with reduced reasonable suspisicion in many cases. Think about ramdom searches for riding mass transportation.

 

[Dr Dog]

I stopped going to bars right about teh time they banned smoking cigarettes in them in my area. But I have never been in a bar not being high. I guess I would not have been in that one either

 

[Snootch]

Thats definately scary, hopefully cops dont start using that kinda stuff over here, other wise i will be moving to a more stoner friendly place.

 

[maxP]

as far as us already living in a police state, we're not quite there yet, but its definitely the way were going. theres an old analogy for this kind of thing...if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, the frog will jump out. but if you put a frog in a pot of cool water and put it on heat so the water heats up and edventually boils, the frog will stay there and burn to death.

its too drawn out a process without dramatic enough events for us to do something, were just sitting in the warming water and by the time we decide to jump out its gonna be too late

 

[Guest]

"Gives us power to search -- It gives us reasonable suspicion"

Uh. Excuse me. How in gods name is a swabbing not a search.

My opinion is that the swab is a much more highly invasive search than a simple pat down or whatever ensues after a detection.

 

[teddybud]

glad i'm here in us...

 

[daisy jane]

So these people agreed to be tested because they did not want to have to leave the bar? Sigh, what a spectacle. So the police tested all of those people so more than a handful of them could get wasted and drive home. Hmmm....

 

[7ate9]

Wow how ironic! Two nights ago I had a nightmare where I smoked, went out looking for someone and right up my street cops were sitting people on curbs and drug testing them. If you did not comply you made it more suspicious, so for some stupid reason I let them. They took out a big vacuum looking machine and shot water in our mouths which told them if we were on drugs. I was put in jail for two years, but jail was more like a giant rec room out of the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

 

[PoppinFresh]

Wow how ironic! Two nights ago I had a nightmare where I smoked, went out looking for someone and right up my street cops were sitting people on curbs and drug testing them. If you did not comply you made it more suspicious, so for some stupid reason I let them. They took out a big vacuum looking machine and shot water in our mouths which told them if we were on drugs. I was put in jail for two years, but jail was more like a giant rec room out of the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

i hope there's a water fountain in your room lol