One of the major reasons we are opposed to local councils possessing the RIPA powers (as detailed in our last report - The Grim RIPA) is that council officers do not have the respect or the accountability of the police - and have not had the same training - yet for some reason they do have the power to place members of the public under covert surveillance.
This latest story from the Uxbridge Gazette suggests that in some local authorities, council officers may have gained an additional advantage:
Seven staff members at Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) have been granted special powers, including access to the police national computer - which holds sensitive information including previous arrests, cautions and convictions.
Four environment officers, two housing officers and an animal control enforcement officer are now able to ask for the name and address of anyone suspected of causing anti-social behaviour or noise nuisance, such as minor offences including leaving car alarms unattended.
As with RIPA, the council's defence is that they are tackling the issues their residents want tackled. But I am certain that most people living in TRDC would rather the police cracked-down on anti-social behaviour, than a bureaucrat with a few weeks training.
Then there is the question of what other information these council officers could see or get hold of while carrying out their duties?
On the day that the Home Secretary admits more civilians will have to be involved with the police to balance the books, the slow, sly transfer of policing powers to faceless bureaucrats and private firms is a very worrying trend.
By Dylan Sharpe
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