On R4 today there was an interview with a rural local councillor who employ a private security company to patrol the streets and, to my mind, more worryingly a representative of a company offering private policing but not just patrolling but full investigations. He was bragging about their success rate in getting convictions. I find this pretty worrying because at least the police (generally) follow the law, where is privatisation going to endup - others views? |
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By *ara JTV/TS
over a year ago
Bristol East |
I remember watching a programme about a wealthy neighbourhood somewhere in London that employs a private security force.
Same thing, I suspect.
Anyone with money can hire security or investigators, but they do not have the statutory powers of the police.
Just more evidence of the widening inequality in society, though - the police force for the many is hammered by ideological austerity, while private security for the few flourishes.
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By *oi_LucyCouple
over a year ago
Barbados |
"I remember watching a programme about a wealthy neighbourhood somewhere in London that employs a private security force.
Same thing, I suspect.
Anyone with money can hire security or investigators, but they do not have the statutory powers of the police.
Just more evidence of the widening inequality in society, though - the police force for the many is hammered by ideological austerity, while private security for the few flourishes.
"
I guess they don’t have the statutory powers, but then maybe they do t have to necessarily abide by the same rules either. Not that that is a good thing, but might allow them to be a bit more selective or creative in how they operate.
In most pubic service vs private service scenarios the public service normally has to provide blanket service even on ‘un-profitable’ routes. Be this trains, telecoms, or in this case police.
And if the private force get themselves in too much trouble they can always call the regular police to bail them out. So the private police can take on a contract to police a housing estate, say, but knowing that they only need the specific equipment and personal for that task. Ie they don’t need to pay the wages of someone trained in financial crimes, for example, or a police speedboat driver.
Whether this might end up freeing the real police to do more ‘useful’ things to wider society than just stand around and guard some footballers house, say I don’t know.
-Matt |
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I'd prefer one statutory police service, rather than paid and unpaid vigilante style affairs that pursue specified members of society based upon their prejudices.
Services such as this are better where they are fully controlled and constrained by being subject to all of the population and legal systems. Security companies taking care of private property is different but too much of the state has been hived off, to the detriment of most people. |
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"I'd prefer one statutory police service, rather than paid and unpaid vigilante style affairs that pursue specified members of society based upon their prejudices.
Services such as this are better where they are fully controlled and constrained by being subject to all of the population and legal systems. Security companies taking care of private property is different but too much of the state has been hived off, to the detriment of most people."
I agree, it's a worrying trend. |
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By *ove3funCouple
over a year ago
Cheltenham |
Patrols are one thing - and I still think they should be done by PCSOs/ people overseen by the police. Doing investigations and securing convictions is frightening. Where is the comeback when mistakes are made? Who trains then?
Look at G4S and how their work in prisons is going  |
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