Police officers now being used as bus ticket inspectors for private companies – Pride’s Purge
Here’s a wake-up call from Tom Pride in Pride’s Purge:
Some people might still be naive enough to think our police officers are paid out of our taxes to protect us from crime.
The reality is, the police are not catching people who are raping children, for example, but are being used to enforce corporate and private business interests instead.
The article features a video showing a police officer being used to inspect passengers’ tickets on a bus in Manchester. Visit it and see for yourself!
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Bit of a strange repost thid on Mike.
Police presence may have been requested by TfGM or the bus company becuse there have been assaults or persistent offenders on that route, the only other way round it is the bus operators pay for Transport Police like the rail companies do.
The majority do have tickets, but there are persistent offenders out there who ignore payment requests and there is little the revenue inspectors can do on their own.
I thought it was of sufficient interest to pass on.
Agreed, Jim, and Steve Spy (filming) JUST happened to be on that bus?
Steve has appointed himself official GMP thorn in the side since his horrific wrongful arrest at Barton Moss protection camp
Google him, inspector David Kehoe and Teagate to get a bit of background.
By the way, i fully support Steve’s stance and stood (breif day visits for me, no camping and hard routine for the hardcore of protectors) at the protests where he was a high profile figure at both GMP HQ and Barton Moss, i just think there is more to this story than we are being allowed to see?
Conversely, why are police clearly recorded doing a job that a decent security company could do better, leaving our law guardians free to solve crimes?
Granted, but i think i’d be more up in arms if i was on public transport and accosted by a G4S goon!
I can only assume the police were there after previous assaults on the ticket inspectors, the last few years have seen a spate of ticket jumping on trains taxis and buses around here and the Passenger transport authority getting tough in response, and local villainrey are notorious for violence
I also assume the cops attitude was a result of recognising Steve sat on the bus filming him
If you are assuming, then you don’t know.
Also, it’s a free country. We’re filmed by CCTV every day. Why should a policeman object to having the same scrutiny thrown onto him?
Why solve crime when you can check bus tickets? It’s a damn sight easier after all…
Security companies have no more powers than revenue inspectors do, if they came across a group with no tickets who were refusing to pay, the police would have to be called anyway, that’s if the group haven’t run off by then.
A bigger debate is needed about the growing trend of people being filmed in their day to day duties, I have had colleagues secretly filmed for no reason, the video then has been posted on youtube, which was then followed by insulting comments.
A common trick is to start the video after an event where the person filming is in the wrong, but because the video only shows the person being told this, they try to make out that they are being hard done to.
The rest of us are habitually filmed in our day to day duties – on CCTV. Is that okay, just because it isn’t released to the public until someone who ISN’T a policeman or other authority figure is found to be doing something wrong?
Is there any proof available to demonstrate the common trick you mention? Can it be demonstrated to be true in this case?
As for the security companies having fewer powers – even so, their presence would be discouraging to potential wrong-doers.
Despite the foregoing, I do agree that it would be wrong to film people, post the film on YouTube, and attack the people on it for gratuitous purposes.
Yes, the recent incident at Sheffield rail station did not show the man being abusive and throwing the PCSO’s handcuffs on the floor, why protest at the railstation instead of the council headqurters, as it was the council who put forward those rules. The person filming on the bus does not say where he is or what bus number he’s on, probably because the route is known for problems, hence the police presence.
Also, most security companies are next to useless, and persistent offenders are aware of this.
If you, or anyone you know has ever worked in customer relations, you will know how people sometimes twist facts to suit there own agenda.
An example well known to you Mike would be the MSM.
I know nothing of the man at Sheffield station being abusive. Is any firm evidence available for this?
As for why the protest took place at the railway station, that’s obvious – if your rail fare subsidy is being removed, you protest at the place where the problem lies, not where the decision was made. That way you get more media attention. It worked, too.
Your comment about the bus journey is speculative – you don’t know whether the route is known for problems. I wonder why you are looking for an excuse that would give the police a reason to be there.
People do sometimes twist facts to suit their own agenda. Is that a confession, Jim?
Regarding the Sheffield incident, I know a number of people who were there, full video evidence from other sources did not make it to the likes of youtube.
Also I have worked in Manchester and know that most bus routes do not need a police presence for revenue exercises, as TfGM would prefer not to pay for them to be there, as I say, if the person filming said “I’m on the xxx service and the police have boarded” it would have been far more easier to see why a presence was needed.
Also, having worked in customer facing roles for many years, you get to know most of the weird and wonderful ways of the great British public.