The Burger Bobbies ???

[Mark]

"The Burger Bobbies: Hard-up police force patrols streets with McDonald's marshals to beat crime"

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 18th November 2010


"Police are patrolling the streets with McDonald's workers - dubbed 'Burger Bobbies' - in a bid to save cash.

West Yorkshire Police, which is facing huge cuts to its £438million budget in the wake of the Government's spending review, has teamed up with fast food workers more used to flipping burgers than tackling crime.

Top brass say the so-called 'street marshals' - who are paid for by McDonald's - are pairing up with beat bobbies to patrol the streets of Leeds to crack down on drink-related violence.

Even the uniform worn by the 20 McDonald's staff  - a high-vis jacket with 'street marshal' written on it - are funded by the US burger chain, which has 1,250 eateries in the UK.

In the wake of the huge cuts to policing budgets across the UK, many other forces are keeping a close watch on how effective the project is.

Other forces run similar schemes using door staff at nightclubs and pubs, but the West Yorkshire project is the first in the UK to be entirely paid for by businesses in the area. Normally the bill for the street marshals is split between the local council and police force.

The aim is to use the burger workers to help police crack down on drunken yobs in the region, particularly in Leeds town centre.

Chief Inspector Vernon Francis, the city centre commander, said the project was the only one in the UK where the marshals are 'funded entirely' by local businesses and said it could be the way forward as forces around the UK are forced to shed jobs."

Full article here....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330885/Burger-Bobbies-Hard-police-patrol-streets-McDonalds-marshals-beat-crime.html