The Telegraph reports that a police force is recruiting driving instructors, milkmen and delivery drivers to be its “eyes and ears” on the streets in response to criticism over lack of visible policing.
West Midlands police said that as “trouble spotters”, they will be urged to report crimes and traffic accidents, and will be issued with clipboards and asked to write down any activity they believe needs investigating.
Rising crime and paperwork for officers has meant that beat officers and roving patrol cars are seldom seen.
Twenty instructors have already joined the pilot scheme in Halesowen, which will be expanded across the force.
That’s kind of interesting. Of course if the police/home office recognised the common law duty of each and every citizen to prevent a breach of the peace and actually supported them in that, then there would be millions of eyes and ears and a force for law and order on every street.
This will never happen as they guard their monopoly very closely.