Police and the sandals of self harm

There's a story in the HoS about police removing piercings from arrestees:

A woman is suing the police over allegations a female officer cut body piercings from her with a boltcutter after she had been arrested.

It's not the first example of police assault I've come across, nor is it the first time that the cops have justified their monopoly on force using the "It's for their own good" argument. I came across the human-rights-degradation-through-self-harm-minimisation-strategies first hand when I was arrested back in 2003.

Although I wasn't cuffed en route to Auckland Central police station, after I was processed I was told that I could not wear my Teva sandals in the police cell in case I hurt myself with them.

A quick Google for Teva sandal deaths points out the hollowness of this police nonsense. This piercing assault business goes to show that the police have not changed one bit. Effing truncheons for brains.