By KUNA,
London : The United Kingdom’s most senior police officers are divided over the necessity for 42 days pre-charge detention for terror suspects, it was reported here Monday.
British ministers have repeatedly cited police support for extending the period suspects may be held without trial, and London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has publicly backed the change.
Writing in The Sun newspaper today, Sir Hugh Orde, Northern Ireland’s Chief Police Constable, also said he believed the current 28-day limit was not enough.
However, the Guardian newspaper said Monday it had spoken to four high-ranking officers who oppose the extra period.
The officers cited the damage it may do to relations with Muslim communities from which police need to gather counter-terrorism intelligence, as well as concerns over possible harm to the police’s reputation and the pressure detectives may feel to find evidence against those held for 42 days.
However, Sir Hugh told The Sun that police needed “effective and robust” legislation now to take on an “increasing” terrorist threat.
He said “Sadly the day will come when the number 28 is important as it will not be high enough. It may not be today or tomorrow but we have to plan for it”.
His comments echo those made by Sir Ian to the House of Commons’ Counter-Terrorism Bill standing committee last April.
Sir Ian told MPs “We have reached a point where at 28 days we feel sooner or later, and maybe sooner, something is going to happen to make that insufficient”.
“We have reached a point with 28 days where we are pushing at that”, he added.
Britain’s Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was hopeful of victory in a crunch vote this Wednesday in the House of Commons, when Labor rebels are threatening to inflict the first defeat of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s premiership.
Asked if she expected the measure to get through the House of Commons, the Home Secretary told BBC TV, “I certainly hope it does because I believe it is the right thing to do”.