obd
02-09-2004, 10:53 PM
On the BBC today there was an interesting article on a new unit propossed by Tony Blair to combat organized crime. The unit will be modelled after the UNited States' F.B.I and will merge the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intel. Service, as well as parts of Customs and Excise departements into one unit whose primary mission is to fight organized crime, not terrorism, in England. In addtion, Blair proposses lowering standards of evidence to make convictions of suspects easier for police as well as adopting the "brutal and ruthless" of FBI style crime fighting to help curb the growing organized crime groups in England. My question to any brits out there who know something more of this new unit or what it is going to do is this: Do you think the centralization of the various crime fighting deptartments/units will help Britain fight organized crime? How serious a problem is organized crime in England?
Is this just a political manuever or is there really a necessity for this type of FBI style unit?
How do you feel about lowering standards of evidence for easier convictions?
Do you think its a matter of finally doing away with preposterous standards of evidence that let too many criminals slip the cracks of justice or do you think it will be simply aid in convicting the acussed on more shoddy evidence?
Are the police units really that overwhelmed by the spiking crime rates? My best friend in middle school was from England (Manchester) and his older brother ended up moving back to england to become a "bobby" (I think thats the slang for police?? (we call them Popo's here).
Is 5,000 agents to fight this one aspect of criminal behavior necesary or overkill?? It it more eficient and is there a greater need for "beat cops" or street patrol style cops??
Interesting how John Berry, the chairman of the Federation of Police worries of "brain drain" when the "best of the best" all go to this new unit and leave a serious lack of skills among the rest. This is very similar to regular army units complaining about loss of thier "best of best" to the various SF units......
On the surface it seems like a good move to me but I really dont know enough about British crime and policing requirements and such to really have an informed opinion on the matter. I would be interested to hear others opinions who are more informed than I.......here is the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3473441.stm
Is this just a political manuever or is there really a necessity for this type of FBI style unit?
How do you feel about lowering standards of evidence for easier convictions?
Do you think its a matter of finally doing away with preposterous standards of evidence that let too many criminals slip the cracks of justice or do you think it will be simply aid in convicting the acussed on more shoddy evidence?
Are the police units really that overwhelmed by the spiking crime rates? My best friend in middle school was from England (Manchester) and his older brother ended up moving back to england to become a "bobby" (I think thats the slang for police?? (we call them Popo's here).
Is 5,000 agents to fight this one aspect of criminal behavior necesary or overkill?? It it more eficient and is there a greater need for "beat cops" or street patrol style cops??
Interesting how John Berry, the chairman of the Federation of Police worries of "brain drain" when the "best of the best" all go to this new unit and leave a serious lack of skills among the rest. This is very similar to regular army units complaining about loss of thier "best of best" to the various SF units......
On the surface it seems like a good move to me but I really dont know enough about British crime and policing requirements and such to really have an informed opinion on the matter. I would be interested to hear others opinions who are more informed than I.......here is the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3473441.stm