Police social media pertubation

Eddie Powers Crown Dependency website has the Manx police responding to a couple of items on social media that have generated concern of late (link):

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/194731213528...

Leaving aside ‘mad dogs’ the most serious item would seem to be a video purporting to show heavy handed restraint - something the police vehemently deny.

Fortunately for us all social media is not the arbiter of such things. However for some years now there has been a body established by the Council of Europe (the CPT) which has improved police procedure from Moscow to Malta.

The CPT have visited the Isle of Man several times indeed in 1997 they were kind enough to ask me to provide information to them.

In the circumstances I’ve dropped them a line and suggested they might wish to review the matter on their next periodic visit to Mann (see below):

“Hugh Chetwynd
Head of Division
The Secretariat
CPT
Council of Europe
Strasbourg-Cedex
France

Dear Sir,

I am writing to draw your attention to a statement issued by the Isle of Man Constabulary following the airing on social media in the Isle of Man of a 14 year juvenile being restrained by a number of police officers whilst forcefully held on the ground.

The statement says:

“The Isle of Man Constabulary are aware of an 8-second video involving a juvenile girl who was restrained and arrested by our officers. This 8 second video is an edited clip of a longer incident that occurred on the 7th July 2018, this video does not capture the full context of the incident. All our officers undergo mandatory training in the use of control and restraint, in this incident, the officer has used approved techniques. As the incident involves a juvenile the IOM Constabulary will not comment further.”

The statement also includes reference to an entirely separate incident in which a Taser device was used on a dog - I have not included this as I’m aware the remit of the CPT does not include animal welfare.

I am aware that in the periodic visit in 1997 to which I provided evidence you raised concerns over restraint techniques you reiterated these concerns in a subsequent visit in 2003.

As the police state an ‘8 second video is an edited clip’ of an incident and I have no reason to doubt the veracity of their claim. However the Committee might wish to seek an account of this incident and a copy of any video which the police have plus additional evidence that the police have in relation to the level of restraint used so that you can review restraint techniques during the next periodic visit of the CPT to the Isle of Man.

Yours sincerely.”

Bernard Moffatt