Private Security Patrols to Deal with "low level" crime?

[youngsyr]

On the BBC news all day today - apparently a private company is looking to charge residents around £1 a week to provide a 24 hour "security patrol". What's more, the police are considering giving the company's employee's "special powers" to tackle "low level" crime.

It's all very vague, but even with the basics I can't help but feel this is not the way to go about things - if there's an issue with crime in an area (there's not, the proposed area is Brentwood, not Brixton), surely the police should be dealing with it, not some ex-bouncers holding local residents to ransom?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12639881
Company in question: http://www.gardeuk.com/

[Oakey]

If you clikc on the 'About Us' tab on their website, it appears they've been hacked.

[zcacogp]

youngsyr said:

... if there's an issue with crime in an area (there's not, the proposed area is Brentwood, not Brixton), surely the police should be dealing with it, not some ex-bouncers holding local residents to ransom?

Absolutely. But they can no longer afford to offer the service which they are being paid to offer, so have to charge 'extra' for things like this.

Pissed off? Of course, but if you are one of the masses on the benefits gravy-train then such things will be provided for free. And the masses never complain ...


Oli.

[youngsyr]

Oakey said:

If you clikc on the 'About Us' tab on their website, it appears they've been hacked.

Indeed it does.

[youngsyr]

zcacogp said:

youngsyr said:

... if there's an issue with crime in an area (there's not, the proposed area is Brentwood, not Brixton), surely the police should be dealing with it, not some ex-bouncers holding local residents to ransom?

Absolutely. But they can no longer afford to offer the service which they are being paid to offer, so have to charge 'extra' for things like this.

Pissed off? Of course, but if you are one of the masses on the benefits gravy-train then such things will be provided for free. And the masses never complain ...


Oli.

Regardless of whether the masses complain or not, politicians should realise that handing over law enforcement to private companies is a recipe for disaster - even with the huge amount of training and support that the police receive, they still make mistakes. I dread to think what kind of mistakes this company will make, beyond having their website hacked, of course!

[ZOLLAR]

Oakey said:

If you clikc on the 'About Us' tab on their website, it appears they've been hacked.

st myself when I clicked it as the screen seems to open loads of tabs then drops to one page

[ZOLLAR]

What happens if all your neighbours are willing to pay the £1 but you arn't?, Do they kcik you out in favour of a more willing neighbour

[Oakey]

ZOLLAR said:

What happens if all your neighbours are willing to pay the £1 but you arn't?, Do they kcik you out in favour of a more willing neighbour

yours house and car are the only ones in the street to suddenly be the target of crime?

[ZOLLAR]

Oakey said:

ZOLLAR said:

What happens if all your neighbours are willing to pay the £1 but you arn't?, Do they kcik you out in favour of a more willing neighbour

yours house and car are the only ones in the street to suddenly be the target of crime?

The cynical side of me thought the same.

[elster]

This already happens, many local councils use the security firms as private patrols.

Mainly for youths and antisocial behavior. The money for this comes from each individual ward or parish council.

[Bing o]

Eta damn my iSpac.

[Bing o]

I thought that the loveable little tykes near Anfield had been offering this as a car security service for years now?

[Oakey]

So what heppens if everyone in your neighbourhood pays for this, but you still get burgled? Can you sue the security firm for failing to offer any security?

[sinizter]

Don't see too much wrong with it - only point of concern is if most of the street wants it and one or two don't want to pay. Also, giving them more powers - what powers, and will they be misused ?

[elster]

Oakey said:

So what heppens if everyone in your neighbourhood pays for this, but you still get burgled? Can you sue the security firm for failing to offer any security?

No.

[youngsyr]

sinizter said:

Don't see too much wrong with it - only point of concern is if most of the street wants it and one or two don't want to pay. Also, giving them more powers - what powers, and will they be misused ?

You'd be happy to be stopped and asked questions by a random punter on the street then? At what point can you tell them to mind their own chuffing business?

What if they wanted to search you? How do you know if you have the right to refuse?

[Frankeh]

This is fking stupid.

[sinizter]

youngsyr said:

You'd be happy to be stopped and asked questions by a random punter on the street then? At what point can you tell them to mind their own chuffing business?

What if they wanted to search you? How do you know if you have the right to refuse?

No to all that. But will they be given stop and search powers ? Seems more like all they can do is appear to keep an eye on things to stop anti-social behaviour and stop opportunistic crimes.

If one of these rent-a-cops wanted to stop and search me, I would be the first to tell them to fk off.

These are concerns that need to be addressed.

[Pork]

Thats a slippery slope IMO.

I dont think we should become anything more like America. Society should take care of this - promote peoople getting involved, poeple keeping an eye out for thy neighbour....not employing some tool who will no doubt have a terrible ego problem and enjoy some sort of powertrip.

[youngsyr]

Pork said:

Thats a slippery slope IMO.

I dont think we should become anything more like America. Society should take care of this - promote peoople getting involved, poeple keeping an eye out for thy neighbour....not employing some tool who will no doubt have a terrible ego problem and enjoy some sort of powertrip.

Unfortunately tools with terrible ego trips are not limited to employees of private companies. In my opinion law enforcement should only ever be carried out by properly trained professional people employed by and responsible to the State.