Volunteer Police?

Did I really vote for this?

 

In the biggest shake-up of policing for 50 years, ministers want the public to patrol alongside beat bobbies.

They also intend to recruit up to 50,000 extra special constables to flood crime-plagued neighbourhoods with an army of volunteers.

And villages will be protected by a new breed of 'police reservists', modelled on part-time firemen and the Territorial Army.

That'll work then. Where are all these "volunteers" going to come from? If your working full time how would you fit in the time? If you're not working you would probably be out job hunting.

The coalition government yesterday set out plans for communities to 'reconnect' with police forces which have disappeared behind their desks, engulfed by a flood of red tape.

Firstly I think it should be the Police that should be making the effort to reconnect with the public and not the other way round. Secondly why not just abolish the red tape and sack all the community outreach advisors, Gay and Lesbian diversity co-ordinators, and other useless wastes of space.

'Virtual' get-togethers on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter .

How utterly stupid is that one. I could be a mass murderer or a paedophile on facebook.

There is some good news though.

The National Policing Improvement Agency - a quango criticised for lavishing tens of millions of pounds on consultants - will be phased out.

The Association of Chief Police Officers will be told it must become more accountable to the public.

This really is kneejerk politics in the vein of the Blair years. God give me strength.

I really should stop reading the

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