'Cut price' coppers are of course undesirable, but not necessarily a threat in themselves.
Do the government feel they might need more civil enforcement on the streets very soon?
Civil Enforcement Officers enforcing the Civil Contingencies Act?
Police in all but name?
SIR – I have to agree with R J Lacey’s letter ‘parking penalties’ (T&A, March 11), 61 parking offences does seem rather excessive.
The other thing that concerns me is the evolution of traffic wardens, now known as civil enforcement officers.
As well as having a new name and outfit, they have also been afforded new powers. As well as enforcing the multitudes of parking offences, they can now also assist with preventing anti-social behaviour.
Furthermore, the Traffic Management Act, which ushered in the new officers, also makes provision for the appropriate national authority to confer further “special powers” on traffic officers. These special powers would be the same powers granted to police officers.
The Government might deny that these special powers will ever by activated, but I think the name Civil Enforcement Officers gives the game away.
It looks like we have more ‘cut price coppers’ on the way.
Jason Smith, UKIP Bradford chairman, Woodlands Avenue, Queensbury, Bradford
Telegraph & Argus, 27/03/09
No comments:
Post a Comment