Civil Enforcement Officers

Walking through town I saw one of these species , dressed in full battle gear of stab proof vests, radio, electronic notebook and officious hat, and wondered how we got to this. We now have "enforcement officers" wandering round "enforcing" petty regulations such as smoking in pubs and issuing parking tickets and God knows what else; yet we have a Police "Service" whose job should be to maintain law and order, but appears to be nicking people who want to protect themselves, family and business.

Perhaps the country would be better off if we returned to having a Police Force whose job was to nick criminals, or better still prevent them breaking the law in the first place, rather pandering to a control freak of a Govt who are obsessed by "targets", diversity and locking up people for not paying the TV tax. The Civil Enforcement Officers then could return to being Traffic Wardens and only ticket cars which are parked in stupid places of that have outstayed their welcome.