[privong]

This does seem worrying, particularly the private citizens being given some limited subset of police power, to issue fines and confiscate items.

> The Garden Bridge Trust said the planning documents detailed theoretical maximum powers that were extremely unlikely to be used

It might be intended that way, but realistially, it seems that the exercise of power is invariably pushed to the theoretical maximum (and often beyond).

[suvelx]

It's been around for a while: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Safety_Accreditation...

[privong]

Yeah, I figured from the article that it was existing program. Doesn't make it any less worrying, though.

[zeveb]

> particularly the private citizens being given some limited subset of police power

What is more worrying to me is when the police have more powers than the citizenry.

Recognising the right of free citizens to enforce the law is a-okay in my book, although of course that's not quite what England's doing.

[privong]

> What is more worrying to me is when the police have more powers than the citizenry.

> Recognising the right of free citizens to enforce the law is a-okay in my book, although of course that's not quite what England's doing.

You make a good point. I'm generally in favor of the idea of "citizens arrest" and the like. But in this particular instance, the asymmetry is concerning.