Pretend police
Discussion
Riley Blue said:
The epaulettes would tend to say not real police. Drumroll said:
The epaulettes would tend to say not real police.
And one has a number on, one doesn't.Personally I think it is a bit off. There is no need for them to look like police to discharge their duties of enforcement. Otherwise, where would it stop? H&S inspectors? Environmental health? School inspectors?
Have a uniform, fine. No need for it to be so close to the police style.
Vaud said:
Drumroll said:
The epaulettes would tend to say not real police.
And one has a number on, one doesn't.Personally I think it is a bit off. There is no need for them to look like police to discharge their duties of enforcement. Otherwise, where would it stop? H&S inspectors? Environmental health? School inspectors?
Have a uniform, fine. No need for it to be so close to the police style.
The guys in the OP, the epaulettes say Licensing Enforcement Officer, so council employees or maybe a subcontractor, civilians anyway.
No need for this imo, Fed ought to be saying something. You can distinguish genuine PCSOs from sworn police officers more readily than this.
Mojooo said:
Its only impersation if they say or act like Police officers
presumably when they speak to a taxi driver they say who they are so technically not impersonation I daresay.
Not necessarily so .. but no one will prosecute them .presumably when they speak to a taxi driver they say who they are so technically not impersonation I daresay.
Police Act 1996 said:
Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive..
.. Article of police uniform” means any article of uniform ..... or anything having the appearance of such an article ...
I think it's a double edged sword they may get some people who might be less aggressive if they look "policey" but they will also get members of the public expecting help. From the police perspective, there is a view, that uniform presence is a deterrent so happy days. If they behave well, no issues, but if they do something wrong it will be perceived as real police behaving (Even more?) badly... Article of police uniform” means any article of uniform ..... or anything having the appearance of such an article ...
Edited by Graveworm on Wednesday 28th November 12:07
Regardless of the lack of an offence, it's obvious that by buying police uniforms the authority fully intends its civil enforcement officers to look like cops. My local authority have theirs in all black - polo shirts, trousers and a waterproof coat for the winter. There's no way they could be mistaken for anything else. As for taxi enforcement, they wear civvies with a hi-viz coat.
very common outside the UK where most parking enforcement is done by a department of the police. Especially in the USA, the traffic enforcement people wear identical uniform to cops except for a traffic enforcement marker or badge in addition to normal police badges. Some are even armed.
s55shh said:
Not true. Criteria is if a member of public could reasonably believe that they are police.
I think they should pass the "aged mum" test. I doubt my mum could differentiate at first glance between a PCSO and a "regular" Police officer, let alone these guys...Its a bit like the argument for the AA and RAC not being allowed to use blue lights. They aren't an emergency service and massively increasing the use of blue lights would in turn reduce the impact on motorists.
Ditto the uniform.
covboy said:
And another. Notice the handcuffs I can't help feeling that it is the goal of the current government to downsize the police to such an extent that the private sector they are so fond of will be invited to 'bridge the gap'.
If it isn't checked we'll end up like the Weimar Republic and we know what happened to that.
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