Does This Strike You As Sinister, Or Is It Just Me?

I just can not help thinking that when a town council gets 9 year old's to spy, it is just a bit unsettling, but that is what Luton Borough Council has done, and nobody except me seems fazed by it, the scheme encourages its 650 volunteers to report 'environmental concerns', it is also recruiting 'Junior Street Champions', aged between 9 and 11, the 'environment volunteers' will report on litter louts, noisy neighbours - and even families putting their rubbish out on the wrong day, they are given information packs about how to collect evidence, including tips about writing down number plates, which could later be used in criminal prosecutions, volunteers are given a list of things to do when confronted with fly-tippers, (people who dispose of rubbish in the street or on public areas, not taking it to a council tip and paying for it's disposal) including taking photos 'without being seen', last year the council undertook a recruitment drive for youngsters aged nine and above, called Junior Eyes, children are given special books to write down reports on littering or graffiti in their schools, which they then send to the council, but what happens if some real "do-gooder" writes things down out of school and is seen by some one who does not like his activities being recorded? what is the council and these kids parents thinking? never mind that this sort of thing happened in Germany many years ago, what a way to put kids at risk! taking notes of some one who has already broken the law, nobody else seems to see that risk, but then for me there are two reasons for that, they are not my kids at risk and I am not a fat cat on the council not risking getting a clip round the ear, (or worse!).