Is it not time for a reorganisation of our Police Service?

[anotheoldgit]

With the recent G20 demonstrations and the more recent terrorist suspects arrests, is our standard Police Service now overstretched?

In light of this isn't it not time for special forces to be established to take on civil disturbances, terrorist arrests, and illegal Immigration into the country?

Most other countries have a number of law enforcement services, Italy has about seven.

[Joy11]

Hi aog,we do seem to be dragging our feet over National Security, it now transpires, one of the alleged terrorists to be arrested, his visa papers were not in order, ,,,,, insteadf of holding him at the airport, he was told to report back with the correct papers, this is a shocking indicment of how Immigration isn't working, why aren't the police and security services working hand-in- hand, you're right, a massive shake up is needed

[LazyGun]

How will a further proliferation and diversification of our current law enforcement services be considered at all helpful? Is the quality of enforcement improved in direct relationship to the number of agencies involved?
Is Italy's law enforcement so superior to ours? What evidence do you have supporting that assertion?
What evidence do you have that additional law enforcement agencies are required at all? Judging by the number of police vehicles turning up at the Clitheroe B&Q in the recent arrests, manpower wouldn't appear to be a problem.

Who will PAY for the establishment of these extra departments? ( AOG wanting to sanction additional state expenditure at the expense of the taxpayer - tut tut)

Who will be responsible for sorting out the increased number of jurisdictional issues which will inevitably occur if we were to follow your recommendation?

If manpower and its shortage is such a problem, as you suppose, where do you think we are going to find all these additional people to staff all these shiny new departments you propose?

No, on balance, I would much prefer a single national law enforcement agency with democratic oversight and accountability. additional, incremental departments can only further confuse the existing system, increase the tax burden dramatically for policing, and decrease democratic accountability.

[anotheoldgit]

where do you think we are going to find all these additional people to staff all these shiny new departments you propose?

Haven't we got an ever increasing unemployment problem?

Judging by the number of police vehicles turning up at the Clitheroe B&Q in the recent arrests, manpower wouldn't appear to be a problem.

Isn't this the problem? While they are busy at B&Q they are not out on the streets. While they are in the Station shuffling paper or watching monitor screens, they are not out on the streets.

We don't want your every day foot policeman controlling rioting crowds, no more than we want foot patrol policemen racing around chasing car crime.

Who will PAY for the establishment of these extra departments?

If this Government can find billions to fight wars in lands that are no threat to our own security.

Or find equal amounts to bail out failing banks, a few more quid either way is not going to make much difference.

[LazyGun]

Haven't we got an ever increasing unemployment problem?
We do, yes.The police service has an extensive recruitment programme already in place.Since becoming a police officer is not merely pulling on the uniform, but a vocation requiring lots of training, the fact that unemployment is currently, and hopefully temporarily, higher is irrelevant.Years of training are required.Nor should any of us want to see standards drop. Even with the current training programme, we still get coppers who smack civilians across the back of the legs with a baton, then push them to the floor ; we still get coppers who consider it ok to chase a stolen car in an urban environment, at night, without sirens or lights, at 94mph, killing a teenager along the way.

We don't want your every day foot policeman controlling rioting crowds, no more than we want foot patrol policemen racing around chasing car crime.
Taking your sentiments expressed above at face value, what you advocate is a separate department dedicated purely to, for example, riot control... so what do these officers do when there are no riots? What a waste of manpower that would be.

If this Government can find billions to fight wars in lands that are no threat to our own security.
Or find equal amounts to bail out failing banks, a few more quid either way is not going to make much difference
2 wrongs do not make a right or establish a precedent. And i doubt it would just be a few quid, as you so quaintly put it.
The point has already been made by another poster - The law enforcement establishment already has specialist departments, covering everything from covert intelligence and action to policing traffic. I fail to see how adding additional bureaus will help the fight against crime in any way.

[rov1200]

Now that 4000 soldiers are returning from Iraq we could introduce a type of quasi police form to deal with disturbances.