Council wardens - council spies ?

Billy Badger | 26.11.2004 11:50 | Analysis | Indymedia | Sheffield

Sheffield City Council sent two wardens round to my flat last week (Low Edges). They wanted to use my kitchen to carry out "observations" on another tenant they suspected of "benefit fraud". I said no. Three days later I got a letter from the council saying they'd received complaints of my "loud" television. Which is strange, as I don't own one. But...on the day the wardens came ... I had a TV box (empty) on my kitchen table. Mmm...

It makes you wonder what the role of these wardens is - are they "police auxiliaries", part of Blunkett's growing army of spies...whenever you speak to them they have little idea of local geography or knowledge, making you wonder if they are 'parachuted' into the area to do the groundwork for benefits agencies, immigration, the police, etc etc. Anyone else had similar experiences ?? BB.

Billy Badger

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Another reason to oppose ID cards

26.11.2004 14:49

The bastards. Typical council and typical council snooping. You could complain to the council opposition for what it is worth to kick up a stink. The council would probably give you more hassle. These overpaid 'fuckwits' are typical of the fash employed by the public sector as they can't get jobs anywhere else. Another reason why to oppose ID cards.

See also social workers, community coppers, bailiffs, salespeople ( remeber Bill Hicks ), debt collectors, traffic wardens, security guards, housing officers, anyone on Camden or Haringey Council ( if not thick then suspect )and also a very large proportion of this country's teachers....

Call them professionals. Call them key workers. Just don't call them round to dinner:-)

Wake up liberal motherfuckers. the ceremony is over.

I was only following orders. It's a job innit.

False accusations could be harassment

26.11.2004 19:20

I suggest that this amounts to harassment of you by the council. Saying there has been complaints against you for your loud TV when you don't have one is clearly a vindictive act.

I suggest you contact your local police force and say you have been the subject of harassment!?? Well, maybe not!

The local paper might be interested though if you approached them in the right way - don't go saying how the council wardens are a bunch of fascist spies, say you have had your privacy invaded and been slandered and feel under great stress at being harassed by the council.

Archie

irate teacher

27.11.2004 11:06

To the wanker who included most teachers in his diatribe against interfering jobsworth officials - I won`t teach your kids to read and write then, nor give them life skills, nor support them through personal crises, nor arrange work experience, or trips out or generally be an approachable trustworthy adult. I`ll go to Zimbabwe where my skills will be appreciated. Fucking Hell- I work all hours of the day for minimum wage (I`d earn more per hour working in tesco)and then I get idiots like this condemning the majoroty of the profession. Bastard. Has a teacher ever turned up at your door to spy on you or make any kind of judgement on your lifestyle ??? No. We see kids for six hours a day nad deal sensitively with whatever problems they ask for help with. They approach us....not the other way round. Idiot.

philippa

Why so much suspicion in the air?

29.11.2004 03:00

In view of the above exchange of comments, one should be careful when abusing persons in general under the umbrella "public sector" or any other umbrella. Teachers should never be abused.

Back to original article, it is likely that your own neighbour is spying on you or planning to accuse you of committing benefit fraud... I was quite shocked when reading, on the DWP site, under "benefit fraud" or something to that effect, that anyone could accuse anyone of benefit fraud without even having to give the accuser's name. Now this facility is available online, which makes things even worse. This has built on fear, hatred, mistrust, something that you can breathe on the air... But newly built neighbourhood- social forums should counteract this climate of suspicion amongst neighbours -- council neighbours in particular. Have you checked the idea of TIME BANKS? These were created in Great Britain a few years ago but i don't know if there is one in Sheffield yet.

sheffielder

Go on the offensive

29.11.2004 10:29

I suggest you go on the offensive and share some of you anger with them. In the first place its outrageous that they just turned up on the doorstep. A letter would be a more appropriate first step.

I'd write a very critical and angry letter as a first step then maybe insist on speaking to someone high up - perhaps the Manger of the wardens. Generally if you go on the offensive in these situations they'll get tired of you and won't want the hassle again in the future so leave you alone.

Don't know who these wardens are. Perhaps some relation the another new group calling themselves the Ambassadors. These people who dress in officious fluro have been spotted roaming around the city centre in the last year. The Ambassadors are supposedly there to help students though they won't shy from interfering in other people's business, such as stalls etc. if they see you. As far as I know they don't have the power of arrest so the best thing is to politely tell them to f*ck off.

Mr Outrage

sheffield warden

03.07.2005 22:15

Ive read the article and the replies and im amazed how many thick twats there are in sheffield just turned up at the door to spy from his window get a life atention seeker

dave d