Councils Recruit Unpaid Volunteers To Spy On Their Neighbors

Several readers have written to tell us that a recent move in the UK has councils relying on info from "Citizen Snoopers" to report the transgressions of their neighbors. Currently only implemented as "environment volunteers" designed to keep watch on things like litter, dog habits, and improper trash sorting, there is a certain amount of trepidation that this could grow into something more sinister. "It will fuel fears that Britain is lurching towards a Big Brother society, following the revelation this week that the Home Office is extending some police powers to council staff and private security guards. Critics said the latest scheme could easily be abused and encourage a culture of bin spies and curtain twitchers. Matthew Elliott, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: 'Snooping on your neighbors to report recycling infringements sounds like something straight out of the East German Stasi's copybook.'"

Comments

History repeats itself

[RogueWarrior65]

My mother grew up in Stalinist Russia. One of her neighbors had some land that another neighbor wanted. One night, the police showed up, claimed she had "old money" which was paper money from before Stalin took power, and she was taken away and never seen again. Here is further evidence that environmentalism is the new flavor of fascism. Call these people on their bullsh*t every chance you get.

Re:Its cut price police - again

[Das Modell]

Protip to moderators: learn what flamebaiting means before you mod someone down. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe it will work.