State recruits an army of snoopers with police-style powers

 

By James Slack and Matthew Hickley

Last updated at 9:30 AM on 26th May 2009

 

 

• Comments (24)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

 

Under the Home Office-run scheme, people such as park wardens and shopping centre guards receive the powers if they undergo training

 

A growing army of private security guards and town hall snoopers with sweeping police-style powers is being quietly established, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Under a Home Office-run scheme, people such as park wardens, dog wardens, car park attendants and shopping centre guards receive the powers if they undergo training, and pay a small fee to their local police force.

Their powers include issuing £60 fines for truancy and dropping litter, and being able to demand a person's name and address on the street.

Under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme, the number of civilians wearing a special badge, and a uniform approved by the local chief constable, has rocketed by almost 30 per cent in a year and there are now 1,406.

Critics claim Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is quietly seeking to create a third-tier within the 'policing family', with even less training and accountability than the controversial Police Community Support Officers.

The civilians are known as Accredited Persons, but they have been nicknamed 'Jacqui Smith's Irregulars'. The only significant difference between them and PCSOs is that they do not have the power to detain a suspect. Instead, they have to summon police.

Councils and other public sector organisations must pay between £300 and £315 to be accredited to the scheme, and between £35 to £90 per employee.

 

 

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has been accused of creating a 'third tier' within the 'policing family'

 

In the private sector, the costs are between £450 and £600 per employer, and £32 to £132 per employee. They are then given access to a hotline - to report their intelligence to the police.

Police forces are struggling to find funds to maintain the current level of around 142,000 fully-trained officers, and efforts to recruit more PCSOs - nicknamed 'Blunkett's Bobbies' - have also stalled due to a lack of funds.

In 2005 and 2006, the number of civilians given powers under the scheme was static at 945. But they increased to 1,102 in 2007, before last year's big rise.

Simon Reed, vice chairman of the rank-and-file Police Federation, said the scheme was a 'con' on the public by giving the impression of more law enforcers on the street.

'The public are being hoodwinked if they think the streets are any safer, and they would be shocked if they knew what powers Accredited Persons are being given,' he said.

 

'It is policing on the cheap. These people are given cursory background checks and minimal training. We are concerned about some of the people who are slipping through the net.'

Phil Booth, of the NO2ID privacy campaign, said: 'This sharp increase in Jacqui Smith's Irregulars makes you wonder what her policing ambitions are.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'The Police Reform Act 2002 requires a chief officer to be satisfied that an applicant is both suitable and has received adequate training to exercise Community Safety Accreditation Scheme powers.'

Bin men directing traffic and dog handlers collecting litter. That's why we love the UK!

 

But don't tell the lollipop lady, she'll put you in the slammer! :uhoh:

Time to get my fake IDs out again...

Jacqui Smith = Useless cow

Jacqui Smith = Useless cow

 

Useless Pig more-like

I don't know much about british politics, but between this and the whole Michael Savage affair...I've decided that I really dislike this woman.

So what can they do if they demand your details, to which you say no possibly followed by go fuck yourself, then walk off.They don't have any power to detain you it seems a rather pointless really except a few interfering busy bodies will probably end up with bloody noses.

So what can they do if they demand your details, to which you say no possibly followed by go fuck yourself, then walk off.They don't have any power to detain you it seems a rather pointless really except a few interfering busy bodies will probably end up with bloody noses.

 

Give them fake details :P

Just don't give them any details whatsoever and walk off, it's not like they actually have any powers,in fact if one of them ever approached me I would porbably spend a few minutes laughing at them and belittling them first.

Just don't give them any details whatsoever and walk off, it's not like they actually have any powers,in fact if one of them ever approached me I would porbably spend a few minutes laughing at them and belittling them first.

 

Unless it's a proper policeman who is undercover ;)