Thanks to the anonymous copper...no thanks to the other ac
It is wonderful to receive input from someone on the inside, and therefore thanks to whoever provided it. Assume that this comment is also a sort of friendly extended hand saying do please get in touch directly any time, to discuss the issues on any basis you feel happy to.
A real problem with this sort of piece is the inherent defensiveness in many police Press Offices. There is an assumption that the Press are out to get them - which is sometimes true but not the default position.
From the inquiries I made around this piece, I would say that SOME police forces are better than others. A few do mis-use seizure of pc's: and in those latter cases, the results can be devastating for the suspect. But it feels, as usual, like a mix of cock-up and very occasional malice.
BTW - I don't think the Met screwed up over the lack of a warrant for the Commons. But that's another issue.
This is an area in need of regulation, as more than one parliamentarian has affirmed - but as yet, almost no-one is keeping tabs on what is going on. We are where photography was about five years back, when there were loads of complaints about police behaviour and no codification of how the police were meant to behave.
Photography has moved on: there are now police codes, and where bad things happen, it is possible to discuss them in terms of what is meant to happen. With forensics, we are not even at that point yet.
As for the ac who thinks this is a "so what" issue and bemoans the lack of research. This is not like taking a copy of a murder weapon. Rather more akin to deciding that a weapon is in a house somewhere, so declaring the house off limits to everyone for 18 months until trial.
Copies, as I understand it, are what get examined - not the originals.
The consequences for individuals can be severe. And, as I thought I reported, there just aren't any guidelines out there: no guide, no statistics. Checked with the Home Office, several Police Forces and some forensics experts.
If anyone knows different, I'd be interested.
Paris - cause into every hack's life, some gratuitous smut should fall.