UK Plans Private Police Force

An anonymous reader writes "'Private companies could take responsibility for investigating crimes, patrolling neighborhoods and even detaining suspects under a radical privatization plan,' The Guardian reports. 'The contract is the largest on police privatization so far, with a potential value of £1.5bn over seven years, rising to a possible £3.5bn depending on how many other forces get involved.' A worrying development in a country with an ever-increasing culture of surveillance and intrusive policing."

Comments

WARNING! SOULSKILL POSTED THIS ARTICLE!

[Gordonjcp]

As usual, Soulskill has posted yet another article pushing nonsense gleaned from a quick look at a headline.

"The UK" is not getting a private police force. Two small police forces in England are planning on contracting out patrolling some areas like city centre shopping districts to private firms.

As it turns out, it's not actually legally possible for them to do this, so it's unlikely to happen any time soon.

Re:WARNING! SOULSKILL POSTED THIS ARTICLE!

[geckipede]

I live in the West Midlands of England. We already have private security firms contracted to patrol low crime areas, and that has been in place for a few years now. The plans being discussed in the article are a significant expansion of that, adding yet more police duties to those companies.

I do support the use of private security guards to wander around in places where all that is needed is a biped capable of moving while wearing a uniform. There are many places that don't need police patrols. However, I am very much opposed to going any further than that into real police activities. Investigating crimes is something that only real trained and authorised police officers should be doing. These proposals do include that.

Sad

[MightyMartian]

The Metropolitan Police Force was one of Sir Robert Peel's (an actual real Tory, and not just the fake post-Thatcher kind) greatest achievements, and a model for police forces the world over. It was precisely because of fragmentation that Peel went this route, producing a stunningly effective law enforcement agency.

Re:Of course, prior to mid 1800s

[BasilBrush]

Witch hunts were also common back then. Real ones, where they'd take women who'd committed no crime and burn them at the stake.

Re:It is a huge problem.

[Anonymous Coward]

It won't, agencies working for the government almost always retain Crown Immunity, they cannot be sued, and contracts details are usually kept secret even from parliament. It's the worst possible combination. Go UK PLC!

Re:It is a huge problem.

[Mitsoid]

Private Police Forces in the US are a nightmare, I hope they don't become common in the UK and then in the US...

2 of my local colleges use "Private Police Forces" who, among other duties, also issue tickets. Unfortunately as a private business they are issuing these tickets out of the state capitol 3 hours away. If for some reason you want to challenge the ticket you have to drive 6 hours round trip just to be told the officer is not in attendance at the court, and you'll have to come back another day...

So $70 in gas round trip, twice in order to actually get to challenge the ticket... Missing 2 days of work... they force you to pay, one way or another!

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Now, if the above case HAPPENED 3 hours away from my home and I had to return to the area the crime supposedly happened -- that's different. This is simply "the only reason you have to go 3 hours is because that's where the private police business is based out of"

Re:Fascism

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It isn't really 'potential' anymore: meet Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan...

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