From: Mutualist Blog: Free Market Anti-Capitalism: Sam Smith on Community Policing.
Imagine ... that the community had its own constables -- with police training and powers --but who lived in the community, were known in the community and helped the community maintain its own order. In minor non-violent offenses, the first person on the scene would be the constable, who could quickly bring the offender before a community judicial board instead of waiting months for the matter to wend its way through the normal judicial labyrinth. If found guilty, the offender would have to provide restitution or perform community service.
I haven't gone back to the original source to read it in full but I quite like the sound of this. I have some misgivings - mainly founded in the enthusiasm of most local communities for ASBOs which may appear to work but in practice end up criminalising non-criminal activity. Even so, this is an idea worth thinking about.
