[multjoy]

>while hiring a volunteer force

Nonsense. If you’re talking about specials then they have been kicking about since the late 1800s.

[fakedang]

The proportion of duties allocated to the volunteer force has increased much more than what it used to be back then.

I don't mind having the volunteers for duties such as traffic assistance and the like. But right now, it looks like a return to the Bow Street runners era is inevitable.