Operation Broiler: Or Operation Chicken Feed?

bristol | policing | news report Wednesday January 18, 2012 10:37 by eastonite

 So, on Tuesday Avon & Somerset's finest launched the charmingly named "Operation Broiler" in my neighbourhood of Easton. Despite, it's name it unfortuantely wasn't a new move on the behalf RSPCA to enforce chicken breeding standards.

It was announced with the melodramatic headline in the Evening Pest: "Vice crackdown sees raid on 'gay brothel' " The actual story reveals that no arrests were made at this "brothel" as apparently the owner wasn't there. Anyone one familiar with sex workers, will know that the "indoor sex trade" is on the whole a safer one than the outdoor one, and such raids often push people on to the street.  It seems that no one at the brothel was trafficked or under age. So, what's the problem? Where's the crime?

However, "As police left the property a Vauxhall Astra was seen speeding down Albert Parade and a police chase ensued. The car stopped in Lynton Place and the four male occupants were searched. The driver, a man in his 40s, was found with a bag of cannabis and was given a warning".  Congratulations, and a car chase,eh? That must have been exciting! Actually, google maps reveals the distance between Albert Parade & Lynton Place to be a full 194 yards. Hmmm...so was it a chase or did they just stop round the corner? The fact they were given a "warning" not even a caution mind for a small amount of weed suggests that it wasn't much of a chase, or otherwise they would have been charged with dangerous driving or something, no?

The Pest continues  recording of the success of this major operation: "By 10pm they had made two arrests, carried out 27 searches for drugs or weapons and obtained what they believed to be important intelligence." Ok, so reading between the lines here they randomly stopped & searched 27 youths, probably on the basis of racial profiling and arrested a couple of people for minor charges, possibly stemming from them being justifiably pissed of for being felt up by the filth in their own neighbourhood.

Avon & Somerset Police, we salute you!