Cameron's answer to budget cuts: get public involved in 'DIY' policingDavid Cameron's "big society in action" answer to police budget cuts has been revealed as a plan to appeal to the public to take part in "do-it-yourself" policing ‑ and perhaps even go on patrol with uniformed officers.
A radical police reform white paper published by the home secretary, Theresa May, says that she wants to explore new ideas including creating a reserve army of volunteers prepared to act as community crime fighters along similar lines to fire reservists who help staff some neighbourhood fire stations.
The idea for greater public involvement in policing emerged as the home secretary's Liberal Democrat coalition partners warned that the current state of her proposals to introduce directly-elected police and crime commissioners are in danger of giving a green light to "Judge Dredd populists".
Given that we are all also expected ("Call Me Dave" and Boy George Osborne" etal exempted of course) under the "big society in action" to volutarily cut the verges, clear the litter, run the schools, nurse the sick, care for the infirm... it does beg the question, when will we be able to find the time to do all this voluntary work?
Presumably when we are unemployed!
