Council surveillance review urged
Councils in England have been urged to review the way they use surveillance powers to investigate suspected crime. Under laws brought in to help fight terrorism, councils can access phone and e-mail records and use surveillance to detect or stop a criminal offence. But Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton has written to councils warning overzealous use of the powers could alienate the public. They should not be used for "trivial offences" such as dog fouling, he adds. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act, part of the government's anti-terror drive, gave councils the power to use the surveillance and to access phone and e-mail records. But concerns have been raised about the way some councils have used the powers. Recent examples include a family in Dorset followed for several weeks to see if they really did live in a school catchment area. Other uses have included examining rubbish to monitor household waste. In his letter, Sir Simon said: "Parliament clearly intended that councils should use the new powers, and generally they are being used to respond to residents' complaints about fly tippers, rogue traders and those defrauding the council tax or housing benefit system." snip http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7468430.stm Welcome statement of course, but he seems to be saying that these laws shouldn't be used to detect minor "crimes" but reserved for serious stuff like benefit fraud, fly tipping and council tax evasion. These laws were supposed to be about terrorism, not bloody council tax evasion.
Councils in England have been urged to review the way they use surveillance powers to investigate suspected crime. Under laws brought in to help fight terrorism, councils can access phone and e-mail records and use surveillance to detect or stop a criminal offence. But Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton has written to councils warning overzealous use of the powers could alienate the public. They should not be used for "trivial offences" such as dog fouling, he adds. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act, part of the government's anti-terror drive, gave councils the power to use the surveillance and to access phone and e-mail records. But concerns have been raised about the way some councils have used the powers. Recent examples include a family in Dorset followed for several weeks to see if they really did live in a school catchment area. Other uses have included examining rubbish to monitor household waste. In his letter, Sir Simon said: "Parliament clearly intended that councils should use the new powers, and generally they are being used to respond to residents' complaints about fly tippers, rogue traders and those defrauding the council tax or housing benefit system." snip http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7468430.stm Welcome statement of course, but he seems to be saying that these laws shouldn't be used to detect minor "crimes" but reserved for serious stuff like benefit fraud, fly tipping and council tax evasion. These laws were supposed to be about terrorism, not bloody council tax evasion.