Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

High price to pay for peaceful streets

by Personnel Today 17 Sep 2007
by Personnel Today 17 Sep 2007

Guru noted in last week’s issue of Personnel Today that the HR community has been called in to help the police smash the gun gangs of Manchester. He also noted the fact that the nation’s lags – or at least, the ones in Nottinghamshire – were being paid for their good behaviour during the recent prison officer strike, to ensure there was no trouble while the proper guards were on walkabout.

Then, turning to page 11 of the HR community’s leading publication, there was the in-depth analysis about the right to strike, which mentioned the growing frustration of the police force in not being allowed to strike over pay and conditions.
Naturally, Yours Truly put two and two together and got 17.

The nation’s gun-toting hoodlums could be paid hard cash not to shoot each other in the face and hold up the occasional bank/Securicor van/jewellers, while the police indulge in a bit of placard waving and a serious bout of marching up and down – after all, someone has to do a bit of marching now that peace has broken out in Northern Ireland.

It makes complete sense and could be an annual event.

Rather than robbing banks, crooks would simply enquire as to when the peelers want to get out and stretch their legs, and put in an invoice for their non-involvement in crime on that day. The criminal classes will be overjoyed – what with not generally being over-keen on actually doing anything tricky like going out on a job.

Thinking ahead, miscreants of all hues could be paid to stay at home. Drug dealers could be paid for their stash, to save the nation’s youth from falling into the clutches of drugs barons; sex offenders could be plied with hard cash to keep them out of the nation’s parks; and corporate embezzlers could be passed large sums in brown envelopes to keep their fingers out of the till.

OK, so that already happens (it’s called the annual City bonus merry-go-round, but the principle is sound).

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Of course, public services might have to suffer a bit, as funds are diverted away from ‘good causes’, but surely it’s a price worth paying.

And on top of everything else, it would empty the UK’s prisons, thereby giving the prison officers who started all this some time to kick a football about once or twice a week. It would also ensure we actually see some law enforcement  officers out on the street.

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
AUDIO: Personnel Today Friday Podcast
next post
Whitehall HR failings over unfair dismissals cost £628,632 in 2006-07

You may also like

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders receive 400% pay rise

4 Jul 2025

FCA to extend misconduct rules beyond banks

2 Jul 2025

‘Decisive action’ needed to boost workers’ pensions

2 Jul 2025

Business leaders’ drop in confidence impacts headcount

2 Jul 2025

Why we need to rethink soft skills in...

1 Jul 2025

Five misconceptions about hiring refugees

20 Jun 2025

Forward features list 2025 – submitting content to...

23 Nov 2024

Features list 2021 – submitting content to Personnel...

1 Sep 2020

Large firms have no plans to bring all...

26 Aug 2020

A typical work-from-home lunch: crisps

24 Aug 2020

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+