Comments on: Policing the age of austerity

By: Aries

Aries — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:50:07 +0000

It is in the interests of the police to provoke disorder at demonstrations – it establishes the ‘legitimacy’ of their behaviour on such occasions and acts a very useful negotiating counter in the argument for greater, rather than reduced, public tax resources to be devoted to them. To the ruling classes the message from the police is therefore clear ‘Look how much you need us’

By: Extranea

Extranea — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:24:49 +0000

The Police appear to have 2 faces. One for law and order which most in society support and one in policing democracy, demonstrations and freedom of speech.

The second face has been shown to be at odds with a democratic society and has shown a level of dishonesty.

The way demonstrations have been policed in recent years has been a disgrace and it will only get worse in the coming 2 years.

http://extranea.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/do-the-police-have-a-split-personality/

By: Nile

Nile — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:25:20 +0000

What ‘Age of Austerity’?

This is the age of a transfer of resources from the poor to the very, very rich.

Review your conclusions about the role of the Police, with an emphasis on who will be protected most by the redeployment of resources you have just described.

I can assure you that the budget for police infiltration of undesirable political groups, and equipment budget for riot gear – and some alarming ‘pacification’ hardware – is generous beyond all dreams of avarice… And matched, pound for pound, by a withdrawal of services that protect the poor in areas that you and I would never venture into. Add on to that the undisclosed expenditure by companies on (and our government) on surveillance and infiltration work by private security ‘consultancy’ firms and I would say that the police economy is anything but austere.