The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) privately opposed four of the government’s 14 main proposals announced after the July 7 London bombings. Other proposals could damage community relations, Acpo believes.
The confidential Acpo assessment of the 14 or so measures concludes that all risk alienating Muslims. Senior officers believe they must increase the levels of confidence British Muslims have in the police. According to a document seen by the Guardian, the four measures from which Acpo withheld support were:
- Amending human rights laws to get round obstacles to new deportation rules.
- Making the justification or glorification of terrorism anywhere an offence.
- Automatically refusing asylum to anyone linked to terrorism anywhere.
- Banning the alleged extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and successor groups to al-Muhajiroun. Acpo says it knows of no intelligence to justify a Hizb ut-Tahrir ban.