Vic: Police union slams govts Citizen on Patrol plan
MELBOURNE, April 14 AAP - Plans to introduce Texas-style citizen cops in Victoria wouldpromote vigilantes and undermine the police force, the police union said today.
Trained volunteers would patrol urban areas in security-style uniforms and speciallymarked cars under a state government pilot program to be introduced by the end of theyear.
Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said today the unpaid force would be modelled on aUnited States scheme, Citizens on Patrol (COPS).
Mr Haermeyer and Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Nancarrow were briefed onthe COPS program during a visit to Fort Worth, Texas, last year.
But Police Association spokesman Bruce Mackenzie has slammed the proposal as unnecessary,saying it would undermine the professionalism of the police force.
"Policing needs to be dealt with trained people and the citizens of Victoria deserveno less than that," Mr Mackenzie said.
"We don't want vigilantes patrolling our streets.
"The crime rates in our streets are no way near the level that requires this sort of response."
Under the COPS-style program, the volunteers would patrol streets in two hour shifts,identified by magnetic signs on their own cars, but would not be able to perform arrests,only report suspicious behaviour.
"These people do not intervene in any situation," Mr Haermeyer told radio 3AW.
"It is simply the case of driving around being the eyes and ears, looking for thingsthat are unusual, that compromise safety and then making a report to police."
Mr Mackenzie said police were understaffed and already unable to respond to all thecalls generated by the current Neighbourhood Watch program and a COPS-style system wouldincrease the workload.
Mr Haermeyer said the Texas program had enjoyed an "enormous level of success" in termsof identifying stolen cars and preventing burglaries.
But Mr Mackenzie said a similar program trialled by London's Metropolitan Police hadbeen without success.
"Policing is a stressful profession that can at times be highly dangerous," he said.
"There is only one group of people the community should trust ... and that's our highlytrained, experienced members," Mr Mackenzie said.
The state government's recent funding for an 800 extra police was a welcome initiative,but resources would be wasted on a COPS-style program, he said.
"To come up with some wacky idea like this ... is certainly something we are not supporting."
AAP svm/clr/las/de
KEYWORD: VOLUNTEERS LEAD
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