Rent-a-Cop
Home Secretary David Blunkett is set to unveil controversial plans to give local residents the right to rent their own bobbies-on-the-beat, according to The Mail on Sunday.
Local communities can have their very own beat bobby if they can stump up GBP10,000 towards the cost of an officer under the scheme.
According to the tabloid, the Government in its general election manifesto will pledge to pay the other half of the policeman’s salary.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The rich can already pay for private security.
“We want to make it easier for local people in a particularly street, community or estate to be able to raise a levy if they want to pay for a Community Support Officer.”
The Mail on Sunday criticised the scheme, saying it would produce an impoverished two-tier police service.
The Home Office spokesman countered such suggestions: “This is not about people being dissatisfied. It isn’t about people who want something extra being able to raise a levy.
“We would not want it to be there for people who thought their policing was poor.”
