Friday, September 01, 2006
Subsidised Swampy
The local "news"paper, unusually showing some initiative, has estimated here, the cost of policing Drax from the shut down threatened from Swampy & Co as at least £750,000.00p.
This money is going to come from the taxpayer as the Chief Constable said: ""But the police authority has been very prudent and has a contingency fund for things like major murder inquiries and operations like this.""
Personally I don't see this as in any way equivalent to a major murder enquiry. In any event, the fact is that the police locally are starting to adopt a stingent charging policy, so for example York City Football Club is facing paying the full cost of police which are needed to attend their matches.
Aside from the fact that it's something of a rigged market, I have no objection to the principle of them paying; after all people go there for a bit of fun and if a police presence is required it is right that it be paid for.
At Drax, people have gone for their bit of fun (it wouldn't float my boat, but each to their own) a police presence was required especially because of threats to illegally shut down the power station. If you're involved (even as part of a group) in threatening illegal action naturally the police must try and prevent that action, but I can't see why the rest of us should pay the cost. No there were some 600 protestors, let them all pay equally for the policing cost. Just as we're not prepared to subsidise commercial activities with "free" policing, so we shouldn't subsidise illegal activities. At least the legal activities contribute to the police via the business rates etc.
This money is going to come from the taxpayer as the Chief Constable said: ""But the police authority has been very prudent and has a contingency fund for things like major murder inquiries and operations like this.""
Personally I don't see this as in any way equivalent to a major murder enquiry. In any event, the fact is that the police locally are starting to adopt a stingent charging policy, so for example York City Football Club is facing paying the full cost of police which are needed to attend their matches.
Aside from the fact that it's something of a rigged market, I have no objection to the principle of them paying; after all people go there for a bit of fun and if a police presence is required it is right that it be paid for.
At Drax, people have gone for their bit of fun (it wouldn't float my boat, but each to their own) a police presence was required especially because of threats to illegally shut down the power station. If you're involved (even as part of a group) in threatening illegal action naturally the police must try and prevent that action, but I can't see why the rest of us should pay the cost. No there were some 600 protestors, let them all pay equally for the policing cost. Just as we're not prepared to subsidise commercial activities with "free" policing, so we shouldn't subsidise illegal activities. At least the legal activities contribute to the police via the business rates etc.
