BARRY BARRY HUMFREY’S HUMFREY’S GERALDTON GERALDTON EXPLAINSABOUTTHE EXPLAINSABOUTTHE BANONSPITHOODIN BANONSPITHOODIN QUEENSLAND QUEENSLAND
Barry Humfrey’s Geraldton Explains About The Ban On Spit Hood in Queensland
The police department in Queensland, Australia, has banned spit hoods in the city’s watchhouses in favour of other tactics. The new tactic to be used is called an open and closed hand. As an Australian resident, I was not surprised by the news because the spit Hood method has created many controversies in Australia.
Therefore, many people are happy about this new development. In my Barry Humfrey’s Geraldton, I also disdained the use of spit hoods on detainees’ heads. Below are the details of what happened and why it happened. But first, let me introduce myself.
About me
My name is Barry Humfrey, and I am an operations professional based in Australia who is an experienced digital
space user. I am married, and my wife and I are known as Barry and Mary Humfrey. You can say that I have extensive work experience because I have worked for many years in the digital sector. My area of specialization includes phone and email communication, and customer relations expertise. In addition, I also help people build their leadership skills and help get as much knowledge as they can gain.
Why the new law is in place
The Police department in Queensland has stated its stance on abolishing the use of spit hoods on detainees. I am also happy to note that police unions in the state have backed the
department up. The unions applauded the police force for changing the tactics that have been used for so many years. The police are going to use this new method as a defence mechanism against any threat at work. I learnt of this new development when I watched the news and saw the commissioner of police in the news.
The commissioner said that the city decided to review the police force and its mode of operations. Any mode of operations that is not good was changed and those that were okay were left like that. The cops have now decided to banish the old ways of showing suspects. In the past, when the Queensland police force wanted to show a suspect, they placed a hood over the head of the suspect. The hood is a fabric that is put on a suspect’s head. This is to prevent the suspect from biting or spitting.
However, in my country, the use of hoods over criminals’ heads was frowned upon, and I know the reason why. It is probably because the cloth can suffocate the detainee. After all, the cloth covers the entire face, mouth, and nose. I mean, imagine being covered with a sack bag, and you’re unable to breathe and see. The sack will cut off air which may lead to death. So yes, I don’t appreciate the use of the sack at all. We even stated this on Barry and Mary Humfrey.
About the use of hoods on criminals
If I remember correctly, the hood has been in existence for more than 13 years now. Whenever I watch the news about the arrest of some criminals, I always see the criminals in hoods. And I wonder how they breathe in air in that sack. Even detainees inside correctional facilities and prisons were not exempted. As far as I know, hoods were used on several occasions, more than I can count.
To be precise, from 2015 to 2022, hoods were used more than 135 times in six years. Then I can recall an incident in August this year which was saddening. There was a court hearing that revealed the inappropriate use of hoods on minor detainees. It was shown that the police put hoods on the heads of underaged detainees more than seven times. The age of the minors was alleged to be from 10 years to 17 years.
These are kids that are put in watchhouses to reform them. I was shocked to see this has been happening since 2019 till now. On the contrary, no data about how they use hoods on adults was provided in court. With this revelation in court, I was not surprised that the hoods were abolished soon.
Aims of banning the use of hoods
I commend the police unit in Queensland for making this bold move. According to the police, they removed the use of hoods to enhance their practices. In addition, they did this to deliver excellent police services to the people. The police also promised to serve the community better. Furthermore, the commissioner of Queensland police acknowledged that they put the citizens’ disapproval into consideration.
She further said that her department had to broadly review its operations, especially the use of hoods. Thereafter, they took formal measures in ensuring that the hoods were completely removed from their operations. In other words, their staff will use a different method of protection to protect themselves from any work-related threats. This includes providing extra protective screens, creating programs to train officers on new skills, and increasing the number of PPE.
Conclusion
While many people applaud the move, others do not support the ban. One of the union representatives said that the hood should still be used in the police force. He thinks that the police should use any method to protect themselves. He argued that removing spit hoods won’t help matters. Rather, it will make things worse and expose the police to assault. However, I do not agree with the opinion above.