to think calling someone without a criminal conviction an 'undesirable' is a bit off?

[AKMD]

An article in the Telegraph today about a murderer standing up for his rights in prison mentions that "separate figures, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, show police are paying criminals and other undesirables nearly £13,000 a day in return for information." Full article here.

Who are these 'undesirables'? Am I undesirable? :o

It's not going to ruin my day but I do think it's a bit off. It reminds me of the 'untouchables' in the Indian caste system. AIBU?

I know what you mean and would agree but by the very fact that some people accept regular payment to grass on others, use it as a career and have no honour amongst theives or anyone else, well that makes them undesiriable in my eyes!

I could be friends with a career criminal more readily than a career informant I think! (Depending on the criminal's specific career!)

Some people are clearly unpleasant even if they haven't been convicted of a crime, it just bothers me that 'undesirable' seems to imply that someone has no inherent worth.

Fair point, but then they'd be called worthless. Undesirible (for me) means I have no desire to know them. Though that is personal.

Maybe it should read 'criminals and unpleasant people'? :)

I think this is a strange choice of group to champion, given all the needy and disadvantaged groups out there. Unless you are taking money to inform on your criminal compatriots, you are not 'undesirable' and I don't think your campaign to rebrand them as 'friends of criminals' will get far.

Can you email them and ask them to clarify what they mean by undesirables? Just to see what they say in reply.

I want to like the idea of people being paid to inform on criminal activity if it helps the police to prevent crime or catch criminals, although I suspect in most cases it may be that the police turn a blind eye to the petty crimes of their informant to gain information on the greater crimes of someone else and that makes me feel a bit wobbly with the idea.

:o Hardgoing

My heart is not bleeding. I think 99.9% of people who accept money from the police to tell everything they know, guv'nor, are probably thorough wrong-uns who haven't done anything serious enough to get nicked yet. I'm not about to start an outraged campaign or a charity to balm their wounded feelings, I was just wondering if anyone else thought it was a bit off.