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Journalist stopped and searched by police ahead of Olympics

A regional press journalist was stopped and searched by police officers in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

The journalist who works for WalesOnline, the website for newspaper group Media Wales, was stopped by police officers outside the publisher’s Cardiff city centre headquarters on his way into work.

Two officers from South Wales Police searched the bag of the journalist, who has not been named by the company, but he claims they did not tell him why he had been stopped or give him a written record of the search – which is contrary to guidelines.

The journalist said he was left “shaken” by the incident last week which took place on Park Street as the officers were carrying out checks on drains ahead of the Olympics, because the Millennium Stadium is a venue for some of the football matches.

He said: “I was walking into work when a couple of guys in South Wales Police uniforms strolled over and asked me where I was going. I told them I was just going into work.

“They said, ‘do you mind if I have a look in your bag?’ They had a quick poke through my bag and then sent me on my way.

“I was a bit shaken up. Working in the city centre, it feels like this place is turning into a police state. It’s crazy.”

On Saturday, South Wales Police confirmed it was taking over many of the roles previously held by security firm G4S, after that firm’s failure to train enough workers for the Games.

As a result, officers have now taken charge of bag and body searches at the entrances to the Millennium Stadium and at various South Wales hotels where athletes and important visitors are staying.

A spokeswoman for anti-surveillance campaigners Privacy International said: “The rules governing stop-and-search are there for a reason – they protect us from abuses of power.

“Those rules require police officers to inform the subject why they were chosen for a search and what the officers are looking for, and provide the subject of the search with a written record.”

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “The police have a number of powers of stop and search. When using any power they must always have regards to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) codes of practice.”

10 comments

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  • July 27, 2012 at 10:31 am
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    Is this really a story? ‘Man searched ahead of Olympic event’. Join the club! There is nothing to suggest he was searched for being a hack. I love the fact he was “left shaken” after a copper poked around in his bag before sending him on his way.

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  • July 27, 2012 at 10:33 am
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    Have the Officers concerned (hopefully the jorno took their numbers), been suspended/reprimanded. Probably not!!

    The comment about a ‘police state’ is absolutely ‘spot-on’. They should remember that they are police officers, not ‘bullies’ and more importantly that they are paid by the taxpayer.

    And yes I do know that there are lots of good police officers, but they are becoming fewer in number & harder to find

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  • July 27, 2012 at 11:38 am
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    Left shaken up? I think his editor needs to take him into his office and seriously consider whether this guy is suitable as a journalist if something as minor as this upsets him. Maybe he should take a week off work to recover or claim trauma. Seriously – man up!!

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  • July 27, 2012 at 12:33 pm
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    Surely, it’s common practice for bags to be searched or xrayed at crown courts these days, reporter or not

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  • July 27, 2012 at 12:34 pm
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    “Shaken’ but not stirred. A nothing story. No surprise regional press is on the skids.

    To help the poor sap I’ve subbed it down for him

    ‘I was a bit late for work today!

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  • July 27, 2012 at 2:04 pm
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    Journalists, like the one in question, should have a better understanding of people’s basic rights else they’re in no position to defend them and challenge police when they overstep the mark.

    Police cannot search anybody without “reasonable suspicion” – a hunch or instinct is not enough – otherwise it’s beyond the powers outlined in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

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  • July 27, 2012 at 2:10 pm
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    wilber – I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. haha. And some newsdesk guy has said, “wow, that’s a great story” when it quite blatantly isn’t and filled a hole with it. Pathetic really.

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  • July 30, 2012 at 11:44 am
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    Oh my God – what a great headline “Journos’ bag poked”!
    Bullies – police state – get a life. Try being a journalist in bloody Syria at the moment – now there is a story!
    It appears that they asked if they could search the individuals bag – they did – he left!

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  • July 31, 2012 at 10:47 am
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    An anonymous journalist as well…makes it more of a non-story.
    @ Adrian – There is a bit of a high profile event going on at the moment, in case you had noticed…probably explains the vigilant policing and rightly so.

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  • August 3, 2012 at 2:19 pm
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    Yes, a non-story. But it’s when it keeps on happening after the Olympics we need to start worrying.

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