Police chiefs accused of profiteering by selling off powers

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said front-line colleagues have seen an increase in the number of agreements issued under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and accused the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) of giving away important police powers to the "highest bidder".

And he questioned how the organisation administers the scheme through a private company, Acpo Crime Prevention Initiatives.

Mr Reed said: "What is the basis to hand them to people, to stop people in the street? That is a police role and the public understand that is a police role. It is selling police powers to the highest bidder.

"We hold an office from the Crown, our powers are the Crown's powers, and for them just to be sold away is in total contradiction of what policing has stood for in this country for 170 years.

"We really are appalled by it. We cannot express how angered we are by it. It is simply the case that they are going to be trousering thousands of pounds from selling these powers to anyone who can afford them on some dubious claim."

The scheme allows authorised people to issue fines for littering and other minor offences. They may also stop members of the public in the street, take their photograph and ask for their name and address.

Almost 1,700 people have already been handed powers, and Acpo guidance recently instructed chief constables to consider targeting new people in their force area.

Security companies pay up to 600 for an assessment and up to 132 for each accredited employee. Councils and other public sector organisations pay less.

Accredited individuals can hand out tickets for a huge range of minor offences including disorder, truancy, litter, cycling on a footpath and dog fouling.

The criticism comes after Acpo president Sir Hugh Orde admitted he is not comfortable with Acpo's position as a private company but said it is difficult to find a suitable new structure.

Speaking on behalf of Acpo, Nottinghamshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies said the scheme was not operated for profit.

"Where a national company seeks to join the scheme Acpo CPI will accredit them rather than duplicate that work across all the 43 forces in England and Wales. It is important to note that there is no profit element to this process.

"In each and every area the decision to establish any scheme is at the discretion of the local chief officer, depending on local circumstances."

Mr Davies added: "The CSAS remains an adjunct to police business but accounts for a tiny fraction of activity.

"It can play a part in building safer neighbourhoods but it is important that the role of accredited persons remains distinct from that of police officers whose task it is to uphold and enforce the law in all its forms."