Police raids

[Brian Morrison]

On Mon, 03 Mar 2003 12:27:56 +0000, Nicholas Bohm wrote:

>The police are liable, under the Riot Damage Act (originating in the 19th 
>century), for damage caused by rioters, on the basis that they are thereby 
>given an incentive to suppress riots.  (Or perhaps for "police" read 
>"ratepayers", who paid the claim and funded the police.)

This is why Bedfordshire taxpayers may have to pay for the Home
Office's disastrous Immigrant Detention Centre riot and fire at Yarls
Wood.

Since the organisation that forced the siting of the IDC was the Home
Office, who also refused to fit fire sprinklers against Fire Service
advice, it seems to me that it would be fairer to pay the cost out of
national rather than county funds.

Given the amount of anger against this imposition locally, I think that
making the police liable for damages due to seizure of company assets
would not be popular, but would be a step in the right direction.

-- 
Brian Morrison                                       bdm@fenrir.org.uk
              do you know how far this has gone?
               just how damaged have I become?
                                      'Even Deeper' by Nine Inch Nails