In the Dutch city of Rotterdam, police have recently announced a new "anti-crime" program which will have police searching for people wearing expensive clothes, with an emphasis on younger men. When an officer believes he has found someone wearing clothes they can't afford, they can demand evidence that the person does in fact own the clothes, or has enough income to afford them.
Now you might be thinking thats weird, but that weird is where it ends, right? Wrong. If the accused thief can not provide evidence of ownership or a high enough income (again, apparently completely and solely up to the officers discretion) their clothes can be confiscated on the spot.
Says chief of police Frank Paauw, "they are often young guests who consider themselves untouchable. We're going to undress them on the street."
How this will affect the city, which is one of the largest ports in the world, and known for its tourism industry, can only be guessed at. But the abuses of this new police power, and the innocent victims it will create, are inevitable and undeniable.
Also undeniable are the inherent flaws in making these real life "fashion police," fear of profiling, racial and otherwise, is already rampant. I myself would like to point out that police officers completely ignorant of fashion will now be judging the cost of clothing and accessories, judging people's income based on appearance minus said clothing and accessories, forcing people to justify the clothes they wear, then forcing people to undress in public.
Lets also not forget that someone who used to make more money, people who wear inherited or gifted clothes, people wearing knock offs (including legal reproductions,) anyone who buys second hand, immigrants and tourists, and those good at finding deals, may well be incapable of proving they didn't pay full price just yesterday, and be humiliated and mugged, by police.
source
edit
English source
