Civilians given power to fine people and snoop into their lives!

LONDON, England - September 27, 2011 - Thousands of civilians have been given sweeping police-style powers, allowing them to fine people and demand personal details.

Following a worrying expansion of a discredited Labor project, more than 2,200 civilians, including street wardens, housing officers, traffic marshals and stewards, can issue financial  penalties for “offenses” such as dropping litter, dog fouling, and truancy.

Coalition ministers have allowed the numbers signed up to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme to grow by a third over just 12 months. It comes despite senior Liberal Democrats and Tories strongly condemning the scheme.

Under it, councils and private sector firms pay a few hundred pounds for accreditation by the local police force. They then pay as little as £32 for each employee they want to be accredited. Those chosen undergo a short training course and are given a uniform and special badge approved by the Chief Constable.

As well as handing out fines of up to £80, the accredited civilians can photograph members of the public and demand their names and addresses. It is an offense to refuse to provide such details when they ask. But they have no power to detain or arrest and must call a police officer or police community support officer.

Before the election, former Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve - who is now Attorney General - said the scheme was “a consequence of the government’s obsession with policing on the cheap”.

Chris Huhne, now a Cabinet minister, said the scheme was part of the “slow march towards instant justice”.

Simon Reed, vice chairman of the Police Federation, said, “I’m sure that the public would have huge concerns knowing that we have people walking around in this pseudo-enforcement role without proper accountability and legitimacy.”

Nick Pickles, director of civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, said, “In some cases this appears to be policing on the cheap, in others it is downright ridiculous. The Coalition government should recognize the risk this scheme poses to civil liberties and urgently act to curtail it.”