Gwent Police vs Keystone Cops
If you ask me, the statement below makes Gwent Police look completely mad.
From the decision to arrest and detain a disabled woman on a mobility scooter for over 12 hours - to the description of her stickers as 'threatening or abusive' and 'likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress'.
Force statement
20:00 25/01/2022
Statement following a 53-year-old woman from Newport being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Superintendent Vicki Townsend said:
“We’ve received several reports in relation to posters containing offensive material appearing in Newport between October and January.
“Officers on patrol in Newport saw a woman spraying stickers to two lampposts.
“A 53-year-old woman from Newport was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
“She was later released on conditional bail as enquiries continue.
“The woman was arrested at 2.39pm on Sunday 23 January and was released from custody after interview at 3.23am on Monday 24 January.
“While she was in custody, a mobile phone and stickers were seized as part of our enquiries.
“Following arrest, officers attended the women’s address and conducted a search after arrest. Further items, including stickers and posters, were also seized.
“While in custody, a healthcare professional assessed the woman at 7.10pm and requested officers collect her medication from her address.
“A quantity of medication was brought into custody by officers at 10.23pm after attending her address.
“The healthcare professional was unable to prescribe it while in custody for safety reasons.
“The woman was released from custody in accordance with police guidelines and there was no legal reason to keep her in the custody unit after her interview.
“The custody sergeant spoke to the woman who did raise that her mobile phone had been taken and she was informed it had been seized as part of the investigation.
“Upon release, the woman was offered transport for both herself and her mobility scooter but declined and chose to make her own way home.
“We published a post on one of Twitter accounts on Friday 21 January, asking the public to not remove posters, including those containing offensive material, in the city after sharp objects had been found behind them.
“This public safety message was intended to make the public aware of the dangers of potentially removing a poster, after glass and pins had been stuck behind the posters.
“We would reiterate that if anyone finds such a poster that they leave it to the relevant authority to remove it safely rather than risk injury.”
