Local Policing

[tellarian]

This seems to be a trend:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204819/Neighbours-hire-police-force-3-week.html

The Police seem to be obsessed with procedures, risk assessments, looking after themselves as well as meeting politically driven targets as opposed to doing what they were created for - Policing the streets.

Are we seeing a move to community funded police forces, directly answerable to the community?? I have visted and stayed in the Mid West of the USA where the Sherrifs are elected and paid for by the community - his interests and theirs are one and the same.

Are we heading that way - another example - an old Glaswegian saying - 'It takes three strong men to make a good street.' - some city areaa are now effectively lawless due to lack of respect either for the law, property or people.

We have estates without effective policing, the wider country side is effectively abandoned, and the police are mollycoddling feral drunks in the city centres.

Would the idea of Parish Constables paid for and answerable to the Parish be an idea for the countryside??

[stockslave]

I can't see this making much difference to rural communities, finding the 500 households to sign up within a 3 mile radius might be slightly difficult. On the other hand if urban areas are being covered by paid private police forces, maybe the police will have more time to respond to out of town crimes, instead of having to wait until someone is available.

[pretender]

Aug 7, 2009 10:00:43 GMT @tellarian said:

This seems to be a trend:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204819/Neighbours-hire-police-force-3-week.html

you don't believe anything you read in that paper do you?

[spike]

Aug 7, 2009 19:27:19 GMT pretender said:

Aug 7, 2009 10:00:43 GMT @tellarian said:

This seems to be a trend:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204819/Neighbours-hire-police-force-3-week.html

you don't believe anything you read in that paper do you?

nope i generally go with the absorbent ability of some papers,that said telly's idea isn't with out merit locally elected chief constables would be more responsive to local problems.macfarmer is the guy to clue you in to to how the yank sheriff local areas work.

[tellarian]

A basic problem we have drifted into in the PC and claims orientated world is that people are afraid to take action and the Police more so.

It is, with the benefit of insurance, the UK criminal classes share a situation enjoyed by the Somali pirates. There is vistrually no legal redress, the rewards are great and the costs are born by insurance and the inconvenience born by the owners.

We have gone from an ethos of protection of property to one of acceptance of loss - underwitten by our insurance, a loss going to the criminal community and further funding their activities.

Conside the total cost of domestic house contents, commercial and farm insurance - billions - and the claims involved.

Perhaps like the early fire brigades, the insurance industry will influence the way we are policed??