Sooper Snoopers !
Posted by Big John on August 28, 2008
As you may have noticed, I have a thing about ‘jobsworths’ and all ‘Little Hitler’ types, so I was a bit disturbed to read that we have in this country people who are part of something called the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.
These people are mostly in such typical ‘jobsworth’ occupations as park and council wardens, hospital and shopping mall security staff and even car park attendants. They have almost the same powers as Police Community Support Officers, but with one major exception in that they are unable to detain suspects: but unlike PCSOs they are not part of the police force service, do not receive police training, do not wear ‘official’ uniforms with epaulette identity numbers and are not in radio contact with police control centres. In fact all that identifies them is a small black, white and red badge.
PCSOs seem to be getting a far better press now than when they were first introduced as ‘Blunkett’s Bobbies’, and appear to be carrying out a variety of duties including taking an important role in ‘safer transport’ and ‘safer neighbourhood’ schemes, where they are supervised by experienced police sergeants and senior officers. Many are now ‘old hands’ and have an extensive knowledge of the local criminal and anti-social elements in their areas and are appreciated and accepted by most of the residents in their neighbourhoods.
OK, I’m sure that there are a few ‘Little Hitlers’ and other officious idiots strutting about amongst the ranks of the PCSOs, but like all officers they are accountable for their actions to their various police authorities, unlike these jobsworths with badges who are probably only accountable to a bigger jobsworth further up the line or to some private organisation with little interest in the public’s welfare.
So do we need these ‘Accredited’ but unaccountable busybodies ?
The answer is … No we bloody well don’t ! … for they have already been dubbed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s ‘Stasi’ because of this government’s obsession with prying ever deeper into our private lives.
So if I’m spotted on CCTV feeding the birds, and am surrounded by a litter warden hit squad who demand my personal details for some database or other, I’m afraid that I will tell them where to stick their little badges, with the added suggestion that they can use their ‘fixed penalty notice’ …
… to wipe the same place. 
Longrider said
Have you noticed the language being used? How similar is “Community Safety Accreditation Scheme” to “Committee for Public Safety”.
Your proposed response it the right one. Let ‘em take it to court if they think they have a case worth prosecuting. Generally with bullies (and frankly who else will apply for these positions?); standing up to them makes them back off. Unfortunately it also means some other poor sap who won’t stand up to them will suffer for it.
Ginnie said
Giving even a little power to these types is frightening.
By the way, John, I agree that our country has a very high percentage of whacko’s….like the Patrick who sent my blog 103 hate comments. But, to set the record straight he actually hails from Australia !!
frisby said
What a joke this scheme is. What the powers behind it seem to have overlooked is the risk assessment involved in untrained people trying to do things like take beer off aggressive pissed-up morons. No doubt it will be us PCSOs who have to come to their rescue!
John-Ward Leighton said
I’m on the Security committee of our Co-op and have the unenviable job of making sure
the confines of the Co-op do not replicate the chaos outside our walls. With in ten feet of our doorway people are shooting up, whores are turning tricks and minor smash and grabs are going on.
Some people within the Co-op are want to allowing people they don’t know to come into our Co-op, door surfing for those doors left unlocked, shooting up in our garbage rooms and kipping out on our roof top gardens.
I have no authority to arrest them not do I want any and usually all I do is escort them off the premises. If this is what you mean about being an little Hitler then I’m guilty.
JWL
Big John said
I don’t think that you qualify for a “Sieg Heil!” John-Ward.
In your place I would do the same.
What we are getting is all sorts of snooping busybodies taking on ‘police’ duties and being given official recognition by our government.
John-Ward Leighton said
No offense taken and none intended.
We all seem to be living in a surveillance society where we give up our civil rights to the state for supposed security. As Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson said, (I can’t remember which of them made the quote)
“Those that would give up liberty for security will have neither liberty or security.”
JWL
John-Ward Leighton said
oops, the quote was from Ben Franklin.
JWL