British Police Turn To Citizens To Set Speed Traps

[Teacher Mark 53]

Many homeowners in quiet neighborhoods probably have the same dream. A car comes whizzing by going way over the posted limit and, for a moment, they wish they were cops so they could pull the offender over.

Police in Britain are making that dream come true in towns and villages across the country. The Daily Mail reported that a new program will assemble bands of citizen volunteers in local communities and supply them with speed detection equipment, signs and high-visibility jackets.

The volunteers will record the license plate numbers of speeders and turn them over to police, who will then check the plates on the national computer database and send a warning to the motorist. Anyone who gets three such warnings can be targeted by police for prosecution.

Critics of the program say it risks turning neighbors against neighbors and encourages vigilantism. One of the first communities in Britain to try the program was forced to disband it after outcries from angry townspeople when children were found to be working the speed cameras.

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Dai...8/112408-06.htm

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

[Teacher Mark 53]

Maybe little brother as well, since the last time they had kids manning the guns!

[Niels Bohr 72]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

[Laura+Tom 2]

There are some village groups that already do that, they put up their own signs and some have speed detection equipment. Granted they can't give the info to the police as it's not endorsed by them.

[almaty 19]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

England is slowly evolving into communism.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

Exaggerate much?

Pretty much any country you can name (including this one) has its share of whacked out ideas.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

correction

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

correction

You're crazy

[natty bumppo 297]

Maybe little brother as well, since the last time they had kids manning the guns!

leave it to the UK to give kids guns ....

[mawilson 2,133]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

correction

You're crazy

Not really. The UK is the undisputed leader in the world at snooping on its citizens - even more so

than China, apparently.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

correction

You're crazy

Not really. The UK is the undisputed leader in the world at snooping on its citizens - even more so

than China, apparently.

That's not communism.

[mawilson 2,133]

Before the Wall in Berlin was eliminated, the communist side of German encouraged neighbors to spy on their neighbors. Well, this will be a return from history. It will repeat itself again. England is slowly evolving into communism.

correction

You're crazy

Not really. The UK is the undisputed leader in the world at snooping on its citizens - even more so

than China, apparently.

That's not communism.

No, only the "police state" aspect of it.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well I think the machinery of authoritarianism (which is what this is) goes too far, but I'm not convinced that the UK is an authoritarian state on the basis of electronic surveillance.

In LA for example, there are cities (San Marino for example) where jay-walking is an enforceable offence, or where you can receive a parking ticket for parking a dirty truck on a public street. At least where I lived in the UK - noone gave a ####### about that stuff. If anything it was very difficult to get arrested over there - short of being violent.

Again I don't agree with the surveillance, but I think a lot depends on the general attitude of the police - in which respect the wrongful shooting of that man on the London Underground was probably one of their lowest points.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Paul Daniels

[mawilson 2,133]

Well I think the machinery of authoritarianism (which is what this is) goes too far, but I'm not convinced that the UK is an authoritarian state on the basis of electronic surveillance.

Neither am I, but as James Madison said in a 1788 speech to the Virginia Convention,

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual

and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation."