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Child Protection: Chief Constable is right not to return seized computer equipment The news that Avon and Somerset’s Chief Constable, Colin Port, faces possible conviction has made headlines. In my opinion he’s totally right to refuse to return 87 computer hard drives and 2,500 images of child abuse seized by his police officers. Mr Port is taking a firm line with the High Court because he suspects these hard drives contain images of child abuse. Returning them without examining them to try to identify any children, rescue them and prevent further abuse would be neglecting his duty, he believes. He is right. Mr Port and I sometimes disagree about how best to protect children - such as when he didn’t take up a pilot scheme of ‘Sarah’s Law’ for North East Somerset. This law extends the public’s right to information about the dangers posed by people coming into close unsupervised contact with their children at home. It’s been a success in areas where it DID go ahead and is expected to go nationwide soon. But Colin Port has my complete support in this latest case. He will also have the full backing of tens of thousands of North East Somerset people who rightly believe there is no higher priority than protecting our children. Written for
the Somerset
Guardian June 2009 |