Published: Monday, 9th November, 2009 10:40am
Policing a new line in business
by Alan Bunce
Comments (0) | 
Print | 
Email
A NEW line in business may open up in towns throughout the country if Darlington residents succeed with their private security patrols.
Security firms throughout the country should take a look at the comments on the Mail Online website where the words 'useless' and 'failing' consistently describe the police because they never turn up.
If people are prepared to pay £3.50 a week on top of what they pay in council tax for someone who will turn up, then there must be demand from householders who will pay for their own security. If they didn't turn up, people would get someone in who did.
If this happened in other places the effect could be positive for the economy. Householders want security and unemployed people want jobs.
The Darlington security guard seems to be a respectable former boxer but how many clampers could be put to better use this way? There might even be an effect on insurance premiums.
There are other advantages too. Police seem to have developed a nasty habit of arresting victims who complain too much. A private security guard is unlikely to arrest his customers.
Twenty years ago private policing seemed absurd but now the world has become absurd and private policing looks like a better alternative to non-existant policing.
