Our obsession with crime is crushing our freedoms

Henry Porter
London Observer
Sunday, Sept 7, 2008

Between talk of broken society and ever-increasing powers of police surveillance, there seems to be a competition between politicians to make us miserable

The story of Milly, an eight-year-old cat who disappeared out of window in Whitstable two weeks ago, has much to tell us about the petty-minded forces that have come to replace proper policing in this country. Her owners, Stephen and Heather Cope and their son Daniel, 13, searched high and low for Milly, then, failing to find her, did what any normal person would do: put up posters to see if anyone had seen her. The next thing they heard was from one of the local council community wardens, who rang the telephone number on the poster and threatened them with a £80 on-the-spot fine for antisocial behaviour.

Seldom can there have been a more officious, twerpish enforcement of the law, but this kind of action is now one of the established parts of this dreadful government’s legacy. As the police retreat from the streets, we are prey to every type of snoop, informant, busybody and vindictive martinet, all of them licensed by the government’s accreditation scheme so that they may demand our names and addresses, photograph us, check car tax discs and seize alcohol, issue fines for truancy, rowdiness, graffiti and dog fouling.

(Article continues below)

In Colchester, litter wardens are taking pictures of alleged offenders to publish them in the local paper. One local council has been reported as using officials to check car numbers outside homes to see who is sleeping with whom, for God knows what purpose. Children as young as eight are among 5,000 private citizens across the country recruited as paid ‘covert human intelligences sources’.

The speed with which our dear, familiar democracy is vanishing under the weight of totalitarian pettiness is appalling and one wonders when this easygoing nation will rise against the trends set so blithely by that authoritarian basket case Tony Blair and continued by mediocrities such as Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith.

Even police officers have doubts about the blurring of lines between uniformed officers of the law, whom we know to have received standard training, and these upstarts and busybodies wearing red-and-white prefect’s badges. Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation said on the BBC recently that the public would not understand why someone with a ’small badge was telling them what to do’. He added: ‘I think it’s going to lead to confrontation.’

Full article here

• 
• Social bookmarks
• 
• Email this article
• 
• Print this page

Comment Terms Of Use

3 Responses to “Our obsession with crime is crushing our freedoms”

1. AndreaL Says:
   September 7th, 2008 at 6:14 am

   Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation said; “I think it’s going to lead to confrontation.”

   As the saying goes; “give up your freedom for security and you end up with niether”

2. MAR Says:
   September 7th, 2008 at 10:54 pm

   Spank the little bastards and send them home with their little red and white badges. The controllers need to have some fear put in them. Gang violence maybe the only solution. Everytime you see one of these…moralists, attack them. Same goes for the nut case on the street telling people they are going to hell if they don’t join the flock.

   This is what all the fascist governments want: Revolt. They need this to further their power grabbing in the form of ‘public safety’. After all your rights are gone…then what will the power-nics come for? The answer: You! It’s history, read it in a book in the local library. When you have nothing else they come for you and your possessions after they have gotten rid of you…the trouble maker; one who dares to stand in the way of their plans.

   Oh, well…I’m wasting my time trying to talk to people who will always be too afraid to do something. If you contribute to the taxes of this country you contribute to the killing of children, no wonder you don’t do anything…you’ve no morals left. Now, let me hear from someone who has done something that is not paying for their own subjugation. Only a fool pays for his own imprisonment. We always wonder why people would dig their own graves before being shot…we always say, “what cowards” and “I wouldn’t do that”, but what’s the difference? They dig their graves and you make for yourselves a prison with your own hard earned money. “What cowards”, indeed!

3. johan[oneUNDERgod] Says:
   October 9th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

   Is it any wonder [the media loves blood ,all programing between 7.30 pm and 11 pm is all murder ,or co0p shows ,shows like the bill lie about our rights ,the rule of law ,forensic teqnique, thieves how to ,and judge judy.

   its about fear
   fear no evil

   EVIL>VILE>VEIL<live
   D-evil is re vile ed
   but great evil [vile] allows greater good
   but good needs no evil to yet be good
   good to you all[peace via each having a fair piece]