A SQUAD of 26 council staff in Sheffield are being handed police-style powers to crack down on yobbish behaviour in the city.
Their powers range from being able to seize booze and cigarettes from young people to slapping fines on the parents of truant children and cyclists who ride on the pavement.
But today the Police Federation warned the plan was "half-baked" and hand
ing police powers to civilians would "lead to confrontation".
Public and private sector employees can apply under the Home Office's Community Safety Accreditation Scheme for powers normally enjoyed by beat bobbies.
More than 1,400 people across the country have so far been given extra powers, including seven employees of Sheffield Council.
A further 19 council staff are expected to be given accreditation by December.
South Yorkshire Police has described the civilians as "ambassadors" who will form part of the "wider policing family".
They are being given nine powers, including:
n Requesting the name and address of people committing anti-social behaviour
n Confiscating alcohol and cigarettes from young people
n Slapping on-the-spot fines on the parents of children who skip school, yobs who throw fireworks, cyclists who ride on the pavement, people who flout public booze bans and crank-callers.
Any organisation involved in community safety - NHS trusts and housing associations, for example - can ask for its employees to have the additional powers.
Controversially, private security firms are also being encouraged to apply.
Twenty-three forces in England and Wales have endorsed the scheme, and the chief constable of each force dictates the powers which the "accredited persons" have.
Those accredited must wear a badge on their chest which reads "Community Safety Scheme Accredited".
The growing civilian force represents a third level to the police service, behind fully-fledged officers and Community Support Officers.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Community Safety Accreditation Schemes enable chief constables to designate limited powers to employees of organisations who contribute towards community safety.
"CSAS supports Neighbour-hood Policing by building links, improving communications and helping in the delivery of effective policing to neighbourhoods."
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the scheme "allows statutory partnerships powers to have an impact on local issues affecting community safety".
But privacy campaigners have dubbed the new enforcers 'Stasi' after the East German secret police.
Phil Booth, of NO2ID, said: "This is a sinister move towards a Stasi snooper state in which jobsworths are devolved the powers of the police - including the right to demand you identify yourself."
Police Federation spokesman Peter Smyth said the public would not understand why "someone with a small badge" was "telling them what to do".
He said: "I think it's going to lead to confrontation.
"Are we going to put people out there with little or no training?"
Tory Shadow Home Secret-ary Dominic Grieve said: "This is a consequence of the Government's obsession with policing on the cheap as well as their staggering complacency towards the extension of surveillance by an increasing amount of different bodies."
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