UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, today expressed astonishment
at the proposal by the Audit Commission that street cleaners, rubbish
collectors and other local government employees who are the front line
service deliverers should now also become unpaid police officers.
Heather Wakefield, National Head of Local Government, said:
“The Audit Commission has lost the plot with what is really going on. A
visible protective presence on our streets and around our communities is the
only thing that will help people feel more secure – not street cleaners and
council repairmen expected to moonlight as reporters of low level crime.
“Apart from anything else, how far should these “eyes and ears” go in
reporting crime? And how long will it be before they are injured or even
murdered while doing this?
“What we need are more bobbies and police community support officers on
the street. They have been properly trained to handle situations to make sure
that they don