Should a gas company be allowed to force entry to check on something without notifying the occupant? As unfortunate as it is to see this kind of authoritarian action from private companies, what can we do to effectively stand up to such behavior?
As more people ask about solutions to violations of civil liberties, more also rise to the occasion to offer those examples in action. We have talked before about building citizen response networks and even phone apps to help with peer-to-peer teams.
A UK man acting as a citizen responder to a call about the attempted break-in rightly asked for a warrant of entry. British Gas said it was to inspect electric meters. And it was not without the fanfare of a police entourage and a locksmith. Eventually, drills and hammers get involved… All so the gas company can get into the house!
As the uploader Trial By Social Media says, if these are the true facts, then there were many absurd and obvious violations that may have gone on were it not for a response by Mark Gillard, acting as a third party on behalf of the person presumably inside the home.
A few minutes in, there’s a bit of a stand-off as the citizen who responded to the call sees the men gathered outside the person’s building. So why was an “alleged” warrant obtained for criminal activity? “Obstruction,” is the response. So it was a presumption. In other words, a criminal warrant was previously obtained for anticipated behavior that didn’t even take place yet.
It’s a long interaction but hard not to watch as it provides a live action example of a tempered, useful citizen response. He respectfully points out all the problems with their procedure – for starters, obtaining a questionable criminal warrant for a civil matter and not having notified the occupant….
Would you feel better if you had knowledgeable friends who could respond in the same way?
Description, March 20, 2015:
The normal [procedure] for obtaining a Warrant of Entry for Health and Safety, is to notify the occupier 28 days prior to the Magistrates hearing.
British Gas however FAILED to notify the occupier and obtained a warrant in a ”closed court” they then turn up with a locksmith, fail to Identify themselves and fail in carrying out any risk [assessment].
There are so many miscarriages of justice in this video, too many to list each one indvidually. Smoking in a company vehicle, police cars parked illegally, no seatbelts worn. No copy of the warrant was given to the occupier, the police were not legally trained to know what was a genuine warrant, the police failed to call a senior officer etc etc etc…
Recently from Amanda Warren:
And why were they not all shot by the homeowner?
yup…….maybe no guns (effectively) in the UK……..The English Crown is the last remaining of old, worst land thief, murderer of innocents………….yet in one piece…..Down with the Crown…and keep their disgusting decendents out of our MSM news…we in the US don’t give a damn of so called royalty……………IT STINKS… .. ( God Does It stink)
My point exactly.
I ask for 50 comments on this piece, so that people in the US….don’t allow this and worse, regarding private utilities and such, to happen in our neighborhoods….so all reading this piece have something to say and tell neighbors about this…..techy…..shit…..being pushed upon the general population for the sole reason of .. Control!
It’s called the international building code. Check it out. It allows inspectors to come into your house and make sure everything is shipshape!
international? I’ll be damed……No such thing exists here to over rule the local laws…………….and if I am wrong, do point this out so I might prepare to defend
Sure it is there in your town, you just haven’t experienced it yet. Go look at all the international groups that your city council members have joined. It’s part of sustainable development
nonsense…..no member of my city council nor it as a whole….has joined any such thing…..Where the hell is your mind?
OK do this one little thing and find out who your county contact person is for ICLEI. Just do that and tell me what you find.
Oh and see if they talk about “stakeholders”
International Center For Leadership In Education…..Is that what you mean? none of the 60 public schools…in this county has been a part of that group…There is no contact person….for ICLE………
as for the ICLE organization that advises attorneys…..there is no contact person for that either……NO SUCH THING HERE … as ICLE affiliation
did you mean, the ICC? International Code Council? I find no such contact person for that either….NOTHING
now you have me wondering who the hell you are? Backing this kind of overkill on the innocent civilians….!!!!! Explain yourself
absolute hog wash…..
You are not here….I am…..you phony
check out how this Fort Myers, FL town invokes Intl Bldg codes to evict this off the grid woman
http://www.infowars.com/city-cites-international-code-in-effort-to-evict-off-grid-woman/
Bull shit……….International………….exists only if one allows
watch the naperville, IL police let them cut gated locks without warrant and arrest woman protecting her meter
It is happening in US
(BTW – all bills were paid, she just refused their dumb smart meter)
http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/naperville-police-force-smart-meters-arrest-two-mothers-community-reels-and-reacts/
It is interesting to hear stories like this. I am in America and to my ear, this sounds rather polite.
I wonder how the famous British proper form will hold up under the stressors of an increasingly invasive State?
Ariel, put ‘Lawful Rebellion UK’ into YouTube search and you’ll see how some of us are responding to the invasive State!
These are the same people who, having largely disarmed their population, now have a “Save a life, give up your knife.” response to the INCREASE in knife crimes.
People there should just give up and buy plastic utensils…, for their own safety…, of course……..
I remember making a letter opener out of plastic way back in eighth grade. It could easily have been used as a replacement for a knife. And don’t forget all those pens and pencils.
There’s no such thing as a “dangerous” weapon; there are only dangerous PEOPLE. But what else can you expect from a country that declares WAR upon concepts or things (War on Poverty, War on Drugs, War on Terror, War on US……..)
this War (on things) here in our US of Amerika….is, will, come back to land the War right out in the country side and streets of all USA….unless this evil monster changes it’s identity. And who is just going to be the leader for this change? Of identity? I like to think of the glass being half full..But…………..Damn, seems I probably am wrong on that idea……
In amurica, we shoot.
I would tell this locksmith ” meet REX (pitbull) , he’s in a bad mood today “