Last week we published a piece by Professor Tim Hope, which called for the abolition of the uniformed police service.
Tim wrote:
'The case for Police Abolitionism is derived from the ethical and moral principles of abolitionism often voiced with regard to penal institutions. In our contemporary world, a uniformed police cannot be a civil society institution; yet genuine control and prevention of crime is only achievable through the institutions of civil society, since the harms of crime are suffered by powerless citizens.'
He went on to argue that 'the uniformed police service should merge thoroughly with the community health, ambulance and fire services to become a harm-response service'. He also argued that appropriate state investigatory agencies would need to be established. And finally:
'the maintenance of public order and safety should also fall within the capability of a civil harm-response service. Those political liberties upon which the police were founded did not sanction paramilitary force, nor do we need it now.'
Tim's article drew a mixed reaction on Twitter.
'Convincing', tweeted Patrick Williams
Convincing! I would give up... the police service http://t.co/6do9CZIWII via @sharethis
— Patrick Williams (@PatrickWillia17) March 6, 2014
'Brainless', Steve Hall wrote
@CrimeandJustice @RichardJGarside This is the sort of brainless 60s-vintage libertarian abolitionism that decimated mental health services.
— Steve Hall (@SteveHall5582) March 8, 2014
Peter Neyroud was left checking the calendar
@CrimeandJustice @SteveHall5582 that I had to check it wasn't April 1st...
— Peter Neyroud (@pwneyroud) March 10, 2014
Guy Woolnough didn't know what to think
'Replace the police with a harm response service' challenging stuff here, don't yet know what to think. http://t.co/kiARNaF1xe
— Dr Guy Woolnough (@GuyWoolnough) March 5, 2014
What do you think?
Check out Tim's article and tweet your reaction using the #justicematters hashtag.
Read other contributions in the 'I would give up' series.
