16.08.07 Should number plate data be available to police in the fight against crime?
Thanks to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data being made available to the police, those responsible for the recent attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow were apprehended quickly. Not many of us would quibble about the data being used in this way, but just how much “snooping” will the public tolerate?
The Home Office recently released, in error, plans to allow road pricing technology to be used by police not just in fighting terrorism but in the general fight against crime. Is this too redolent of Big Brother or does the law abiding citizen have nothing to fear?
Should number plate data be available to police in the fight against crime?
Currently the police have to apply on a case by case basis for access to the ANPR data, but Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has recently lifted restrictions imposed under the 1998 Data Protection Act. This will allow instant access by the Metropolitan Police to data collected in the Congestion Charging Zone, where it is in the interest of national security.
The Home Office’s plans however, are far more wide ranging. It is proposed that the police would be given instant access to details of motorists’ number plates from the two thousand “smart” cameras used to monitor traffic in city centres and on major roads, not just to address terrorism but also to combat motoring offences. This would include “convoy analysis”, in which a motorist following the vehicle of a known criminal could come under police suspicion and be asked to account for his movements.
There is reported to be disagreement within Whitehall, with the Department for Transport fearing that this intrusion into motorists’ privacy could backfire and make people even more opposed to the road pricing measures for which the technology was initially intended.
Politicians from all sides feel that this proposal is a step too far without proper consultation and debate. Meanwhile, Shami Chakrabarti, director of the civil liberties group, Liberty, likens the move to a Trojan horse which will lead to a loss of trust in the government.
Do you feel comfortable with the police having instant access to your personal data or is this an intrusion on your privacy?
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While the information used by the police did lead to the arrest of the animals responsible for the Glasgow and London bombings, I feel that this would be an invasion of privacy. What if I was inadvertantly driving behind a criminal? Would the police be suspicious of my vehicle as well? Would it go on my record?
Call me suspicious but this smacks of Big Brother...
1984? 23 years late but I guess that could be accounted for by the general incompetance of politicians, even for things they really want.
This is too far ... not to mention the fact that the entire road charging fee is too far ... the public owns the roads, not politicians ... we control them, not vice versa.
I am sick of this freedom-crushing government, why is their solution to everything stripping freedoms? "We'll keep you safe from terrorists, just hand your freedom and a DNA sample", "We can keep you safe from crime, just wear this little monitor!" ... they ignore common sense solutions like tougher sentencing or deportation for immigrant criminals just to complete their Big Brother state.
If they do everything conceivable to lower crime and we still suffer too much, maybe then we could think about a Big Brother state, but when they are too power-hungy to accept solutions that don't give them the much wanted power, they have no right to ask us to surrender our freedoms.
Makes we wonder what the point in fighting every single war we ever fought was for, our freedoms are under attack at home and its not some clumsy terrorists.
When will people realise even the charade of the democracy of previous years is slippping quickly into big brother facism?
We need to rise up and stop the politicans taking our personal freedoms!
What is wrong with people - if they have nothing to hide they have nothing to worry about, nothing to do with big brother but everything to do with closed and small minds. Get a life and stop worrying. ANPR is the best thing since sliced bread, it's a pity it is not used more, after all there are millions of untaxed, uninsured cars on the roads and the consequences of that affects us all. It's time these criminals were caught and cars crushed, that will soon stop them driving about .
I agree with Ian, 20.09.2007.
Has it not occured to anyone who is resisting the concept of ANPR but shouting "Big Brother" quite loudly that if they really felt true to their convictions theywould never have added their comments to this blog. The site demands your full name and e-mail address before you can click "add comment"! The details will be stored confidentially and never given out to third parties,how is this statement perceived by the suspicious minded?
I run a National Taxi Monthly Trade Publication called Taxi-Today and the news coverage of murders, muggings, beatings etc that is been carried out against drivers, then anything that can trace crime or help in the apprehension of criminals must be used when ever possible.
have a look at my web site and download a copy of the publication and read for yourselves what's going on in the trade and what drivers have to put up with day in and day out.
www.taxi-today.com www.taxiforums.co.uk www.taxihypermarket.com
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i like to be a police