Legal News
Civilians Allowed To Hand out Fines and Request Personal Details (30 September 2011)
Date: 30/09/2011
Thousands of civilians have been granted permission to fine people and request personal details. Following the expansion of a discredited Labour project, in excess of 2,200 civilians, including housing officers, street wardens, traffic marshals, and stewards, are able to issue financial penalties for “offences” that include dropping litter, truancy, and dog fouling. In over a year, the Coalition has allowed the so-called Community Safety Accreditation Scheme to grow by a third.
Under the scheme, councils and private sector firms are able to pay their local police force to gain accreditation. Hundreds of organisations have already registered, including local councils, shopping centres, the Essex YMCA, and the British Cycling Federation. In Essex alone, there are 366 accredited civilians. However, in some parts of the country, police forces have failed to operate the scheme.
Membership of the scheme costs as little as a few hundred pounds. Each member then pays £32 to sign up an employee. The chosen few are required to undergo a brief training course before being provided with a uniform and a badge. In addition to issuing fines up to a maximum of £80, the accredited civilians are allowed to take photographs of members of the public and request their names and addresses. It is offence for anyone to refuse to abide by the requests of an accredited civilian. The accredited civilians lack the powers required to detain or arrest an individual.
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