As I say, aside from the notion that there's no legal basis for it, the main problem I have with it is that I think it's the thin end of the wedge for the creation of an at least partly privatised police force. If a lot of other people have been told they have to pay for the police
to do their job for them and you didn't object to that, how can you complain when they ask the same of you?
As I'm sure it has become obvious over time in this place, I am in favour of us having public services. I'm in favour of us paying collectively for things we cannot really do without in society - medical help in emergencies, policing to keep us safe, support for the destitute, care for the elderly, libraries and schools for children... However the other side of that bargain is that those public services have to perform those functions for all, without favour or preference. A rich man should not be refused treatment by the NHS if he has an accident simply because he is wealthy enough to pay for private care. In the same way, the police should perform their duties with equal professionalism and courtesy for everyone, without attending to or ignoring some who may or may not have paid into some extra pot. Anything which breaks this bargain between the public services and the society they serve is fundamentally damaging to us as a society.
You may not agree with this philosophy, but I believe it sincerely.
Jon
