TUESDAY, 16 MAY, 2000
COP WARNS OF
CITY 'ANARCHY'
By IAN HEPBURN
Crime Reporter
CITY centres are sliding into "anarchy", a leading cop warned Home Secretary Jack Straw last night.
Police need more funds and a total shake-up to combat the rising tide of night-time violence, said Fred Broughton, boss of the
bobbies' union.
He warned that parts of Central London, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds are chaotic no-go areas for decent folk between 10pm and 2am. Mr Broughton said: "There's a sense of disorder and anarchy in many of these areas."
Mr Broughton is chairman of the Police Federation, being addressed by Mr Straw at their annual conference in Brighton, Sussex, tomorrow.
He added: "Most people avoid these hotspots altogether as there are no police officers to turn to.
"When people call us, we're not there."
Streets near pubs and clubs are under-policed because of poor funding, said Mr Broughton.
He will tell the Federation's 1,000 rank-and-file delegates that Britain has fewer cops per head than ANY country in Europe except Denmark.
And he will ask Mr Straw for a Royal Commission to completely reshape the force.
Mr Broughton said the public had lost confidence in police. And he warned funding was in "complete disarray"
The last Royal Commission was in 1960. But Mr Broughton will tell delegates: "The country and the police service has changed out of all recognition since."
Sun readers are also angry about crime. Over 300,000 phoned our You The Jury poll on farmer Tony Martin, jailed for killing a burglar.
Police chiefs in Liverpool and Manchester cops denied there were no-go areas in their cities.
[END OF QUOTE]
Remember that this news story contains the comments of the "boss of the bobbies' union." His interests are in gaining power and benefits for his constituents, the "bobbies."
Favorite method of fighting crime, since they have no guns: Walking up to crook and asking "What's all this, then?" Personally, I would not trust a guy named Bobbie to protect my safety. Bobby Ray, Jim-Bob, or Bubba, maybe.
Shouldn't we start calling them "the nation formerly known as GREAT Britain?" Or maybe "Plain Old Britian."