Funny how lavish over-spending on police leads to Citizen Vigilante Patrols.

[Squid]

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/157...lante-patrols/

And whats all this rot about "diminishing numbers of police"???

I guess blanketing the UK with Big Brother cameras wasn't the answer, and now they have far more "street crime" inflicted on average citizens? Who could've guessed?

I can sorta get why local cops would look the other way or even assist if a big employer is bending a few laws while providing good jobs and tax base, but why are police actively protecting Child Molesters? Is it just another case of typical police dis-interest in the effort required to deal with real crime VS hassling citizens at speed traps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTklfGY3fmk

Anyways, regarding Private Security, what I see is these "Vigilante" groups will soon figure out that not everyone who needs protection or wants to 'contribute' is also in a position to do the patrols, especially at the times they are needed, so......they will turn to hiring Private Patrol.

There is an old saying that "to get you first have to give". All sorts of successful people have stories about when they were poor they'd do all sorts of stuff for free for other people and as if by magic as soon as they started doing that "everything came to them". The parallel of that is that "if you are paying too much for something and still not getting it, paying more will not help and the only thing to do is stop paying. Then you will get it for free, and it will be top quality". That is because as soon as money enters the equation you get highly motivated people who only want more money for themselves, and if that is their ONLY source of income they will invest massively in "Reality Distortion".

[Condo Guard]

I wish a UK member (either lived or worked there) on the forum would comment on the stuff you've brought up - it's hard to comment when we're "across the pond."

There are two issues here, but I'll grant they are related. The street level crime is due to the same problems we have in the U.S. - you have a growing income inequality issue, a criminal justice system that is overwhelmed, and a growing distrust of authority, for some of the reasons you listed. You had the same problem with the NY Guardian Angels when they started - NYPD issued dire warnings about Curtis and his group in the beginning.

You have bigger problems here, beyond security, but related to being a citizen in a first world democracy. There is, sadly, a whole generation from the rich to the poor that appear to have no moral compass - the rich lie, cheat and steal (white collar crime) because they can and they fancy themselves to be characters out of an Ayn Rand novel. The poor lie, cheat and steal because they can (little to no jail time anymore), and justify it because they are oppressed victims of a racist society that keeps them down. In between are the police (and security, to a lesser degree) trying to maintain order and safety.

Finally, Squid, please ease up on cops. I have met good ones, bad ones, smart ones, dumb ones - just like in every other walk of life. If you can't respect the badge or the individual, respect the fact that these people have chosen to get up each day and go see the worst of humanity, and try to maintain order, knowing they may not come home. I've seen some bad stuff in my security career - every cop I've known has seen much, much more.

There is also the "brass factor." I knew a Navy guy that had the utmost respect for the military - but he was quick to point out that most bad things that occur or get done are because of poor decisions by politicians and high ranking officers sitting behind desks, not the grunts just doing their jobs.