Wednesday 21 April 2010

State Sanctioned Vigilantism – Coming Soon To A Nightclub Near You

Ranting Rab points out this egregious money grap by ACPO:
Tens of thousands of nightclub bouncers and private security guards could be given sweeping police-style powers.

Senior police officers have ordered a dramatic expansion of a controversial scheme that allows authorised civilians to issue fines for littering and other minor offences.

They may also stop members of the public in the street, take their photograph and ask for their name and address.
Oh, great! Licensing and empowering the sort of people usually employed in these functions? I can’t see a problem with this.

Can anyone else?
Critics have called for a halt to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme, saying it amounts to 'state-sanctioned vigilantism'.
Ah. Right. Apart from that one.

So where does the money come into it?
The move is particularly controversial because Acpo is directly involved in approving private firms which want to join the CSAS.

Security companies pay between £450 and £600 for an assessment by a private company owned by Acpo, and between £32 and £132 for each accredited employee.

Councils and other public sector organisations pay between £300 and £315 to be accredited, and £35 to £90 per employee.
So, ACPO are on a nice little earner, aren’t they?

And the article fails to mention that ACPO themselves are another of those private companies…

Naturally, the Opposition (Tory and Lib Dem) protested, but this fell on deaf ears:
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies, speaking for Acpo, defended the scheme.

He said: 'Accredited persons play a part in building safe and secure neighbourhoods.

'However, their role must remain distinct from that of police officers whose task is to uphold and enforce the law, tackling all forms of harm to the public and communities.'
All forms of harm?

Like shouty pensioners, for instance?

10 comments:

Chuckles said...

'tackling all forms of harm to the public and communities'

All becomes clear. It's all right, all a bit of a misunderstanding, you see, they misinterpreted it that they're responsible for ensuring the supply of harm to the communities.

Doing a good job, aren't they? Lessons have been learned, and all that.

Brian, follower of Deornoth said...

ACPO: Corrupt scum.

Furor Teutonicus said...

He said: 'Accredited persons play a part in building safe and secure neighbourhoods.

Aye, they are called fucking POLICEMEN.

Remember them Pratt?

(Not YOU AP. the ACPO dumbnuts).

Anonymous said...

Dear Predator

" 'However, their role must remain distinct from that of police officers whose task is to uphold and enforce the law, tackling all forms of harm to the public and communities.' "

The 7th Peelian Principle of Policing is: the police are the public and the public are the police.

We all have a duty to uphold the law, as individuals and as employees, employers or self employed. The police are merely hired to do full time what everyone is obliged to do part time and voluntarily.

Our police are rapidly morphing into manherders, the dogs in 'Animal Farm' ready to do the bidding of the pigs. And also the continental model, where the role of the police is to enforce the will of the state upon the public, who exist for the benefit of the state.

Government has taken over the role of most religions as punisher of people. Causing physical and mental harm is good fun, but the money from fines is nice too.

DP

Private Widdle said...

This is the nightmare scenario and probably the ultimate expression of Liebore's twin fascination with (a) hiving off functions that really should form part of the state's duties to 3rd parties with potential for massive conflict of interest and (b) control freakery and blind authoritarianism. Doormen are corrupt thugs who control the drug trade in pubs and nightclubs. Giving them powers of arrest etc. is the single most stupid idea I think I've ever heard.

Furor Teutonicus said...

I am glad you posted this. I have been meaning for a while, to try and get "Dark Angel" on DVD.

However, I never realised when I saw it first time around that it was actualy a documentary about Britain.

Ross said...

Is this one of those ideas that reared its head a few years ago before being roundly condemned and is now sneaking back up as if it is a new proposal?

Antisthenes said...

NuLabour are basing their policies not just on the writings of Marx and Keynes but apparently Orwell as well.

Furor Teutonicus said...

Antisthenes said...

NuLabour are basing their policies not just on the writings of Marx and Keynes but apparently Orwell as well.


I believe it was actualy Stalin that "invented" the "factory militia" idea.

Given that, what else would one expect from thew "I wanna lick Stalins arse" Labour party?

JuliaM said...

"...all a bit of a misunderstanding, you see, they misinterpreted it that they're responsible for ensuring the supply of harm to the communities."

Heh!

"Our police are rapidly morphing into manherders, the dogs in 'Animal Farm' ready to do the bidding of the pigs. "

It's no wonder so many of the good ones are upping stakes ansd leaving, isn't it?

"Is this one of those ideas that reared its head a few years ago before being roundly condemned and is now sneaking back up as if it is a new proposal?"

It doesn't ring a bell, but I'd not be surprised. However, ACPO seem a lot more competent at getting these things off the ground than the government. I wasn't aware there even WAS a pilot scheme...

"Given that, what else would one expect from thew "I wanna lick Stalins arse" Labour party?"

Nothing less, for sure...