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Comment by bradlys | Hacker News Reader

I mean, does anyone really think these cameras and fines are really to ensure public safety? Seems more like taxation and fear mongering.

If the UK police are anything like the US, they don’t care about theft even if you have a solid lead and evidence. Theft reporting is purely for statistics.

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The UK police are not like the US. They aren't very well funded, and they police by consent rather than shooting people (They probably would do more, but you have to realise that in many parts of the UK we don't see police even driving about let alone on the beat i.e. fear mongering)

All modern police forces are modelled to some extent on Robert Peel's ideas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles). That includes to some extent the US police as well. The notion that US police just go around slinging guns around like some gun toting cowboys (while it does happen) is propaganda.

The police in the UK can be just as corrupt and inept. However there is a need for armed police in the UK. Just go to live leak or any of the clip sites and you can find all the videos where there are 10 officers trying to take down one maniac with a machete on a council estate with harsh language and pepper spray.

That's why we have armed police

As someone who actually remembers seeing policemen on the beat I can tell you it was a million miles away from "fear mongering".

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