Perpetuity Research

Big Brother Watch report questions UK surveillance

A report by Big Brother Watch, entitled ‘The Price of Privacy’, has raised questions about the cost effectiveness of surveillance across the UK. The report claims that ‘...CCTV does not have a significant deterrent effect on crime, and is not a substitute for police, yet it continues to be claimed-without evidence- that more CCTV improved public safety’.

The report is based on a survey conducted by Big Brother Watch sent to over 400 local authorities throughout the country. The results showed that, from 2007 to 2011, the cost of installing, operating and maintaining CCTV cameras came to £525 million; money which Big Brother Watch suggests could be more effectively spent employing 4,121 Police Constables or 5,894 Police Community Support Officers.

The report stated that ‘CCTV serves as a costly placebo for many local authorities, designed to appease neighbourhoods suffering from anti-social behaviour problems’, and compared to conventional policing  it has no demonstrable success in reducing crime.

The report calls for ‘major changes’ to improve the regulation and evaluation of CCTV by local authorities. Big Brother Watch maintains cameras that haven’t helped solve a crime in three years should be switched off. The report suggests that councils should use crime data to decide where surveillance cameras ought to be positioned while using non-fixed camera to help tackle the root cause of the problem. However they highlighted that ‘this will only work if cameras are part of the police’s actions rather than being used instead of them’.

To read the full report click here.

Professor Martin Gill led a piece of research for the Home Office published in 2005, entitled ‘Assessing the Impact of CCTV’, which identified a number of limitations in the use of CCTV.

Report shows an increasing number of children living in destitution

A report published by the Children’s Society has urged the government to do more to help prevent young refugees and asylum seekers falling into destitution.

The report, entitled ‘I Don’t Feel Human’ was commissioned after the charity saw a significant increase in the amount of destitute young people seeking its help. The report documents young people’s experiences and suggests that more people are suffering from homelessness and hunger due to the restrictions on benefits they are entitled to.

The Children’s Society’s policy director, Enver Solomon, said that these children were being treated as if they had a ‘second class status’, and the charity has urged the government to review the support provided to these vulnerable groups.

The report highlights that there is an increasing number of children, to whom asylum had been refused, who remain in the UK, who are sleeping rough and vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

The charity documented a rise in the number of destitute young people using its ‘New Londoners’ service. The report defines destitute as ‘the lack of regular access to essential resources such as food, clothing, toiletries, medicine and a place to live’.  Between 2009 and 2010 25 out of 174 refugees using the scheme were destitute (14%). These figures rose to 17% in 2010-2011, and between April and September 2011 34% of young people using the service were destitute. 

A spokesman for the UK Boarder Agency said that they work to provide support to asylum seekers until a decision is reached on their application. They went on to state that ‘when we and the courts have decided that they do not need international protection, support is discontinued and we expect them to return home voluntarily’.

To read the full report click here.

London sobriety scheme for repeat offenders

A pilot scheme has been launched in London which aims to reduce reoffending by ensuring that alcohol does not act as a forerunner to criminal activity. The pilot is based on a scheme with targeted drink drivers in South Dakota.

Offenders who commit crimes such as assault and criminal damage may be offered the choice of compulsory sobriety instead of custody. This will involve the offender being routinely monitored via an electronic bracelet which can measure blood alcohol levels.

The scheme has been criticised due to fears that it fails to address genuine alcohol issues.

G4S to run Lincolnshire police station

Private Security firm G4S has an agreement with the Lincolnshire police to design, build, and run one of their police stations. This contract is estimated to save Lincolnshire at least £20 million.

As part of the deal two-thirds of the staff employed by the force (540 employees) would be transferred to G4S. The Police Federation has raised concerns over this and worry that private sector employees may not have the same sense of public duty as police force staff.

The police authority will pay G4S £200 million over ten years to deliver a wide range of services, including human resources and IT. It is hoped that due to G4S taking over a range of support functions, the force’s aim of being able to put 97% of its warranted officers in front-line roles will be achieved  by April.

Ten other police forces have expressed interest in becoming ‘strategic partners’, and outsourcing some of their services to a private security company.

Perpetuity recently undertook a project examining how the police and private sector work together, and what services could and were being outsourced to private security firms. We produced a report called ‘The Opportunities and Barriers to Partnership Working between the Police and Private Security’ as part of our Security Research Initiative (SRI). Click here for more information.

Martin Gill on the radio

Martin Gill took part in a discussion on Radio 5 Live at 5.20pm yesterday to share his expertise about CCTV.

Click here to listen (about 80 minutes in).

Police warn of an increase in the theft of smart phones

Police are warning people to be more vigilant when using their phones in public. In the London borough of Islington there has been a 400% rise in the number of phones snatched over the past year; with the number of stolen phones increasing from 157 in 2010 to 786 in 2011. Other areas of London have also seen significant increases in this type of theft.

The large number of Smartphones, with handsets worth hundreds of pounds, has been seized on by thieves who view pedestrians using their phones as easy targets. Criminals often ride bikes or mopeds, and frequently pass the phones on to organised gangs who ship them abroad to sell on. Phone retailer Phones 4U told the city of London that it had suffered a 25% drop in earnings over the past year, citing the rising numbers of claims for stolen or lost Smartphones.

Detective Inspector Karen Gilmour said that in the majority of cases the stolen phones are quickly switched off, the SIM card removed, and the handset passed on to handlers who ship them abroad. The blocks put on handsets by phone operators only work within the UK so the handsets maintain their value when sold on abroad.

Gilmour said that typically stolen iPhones are sold on for anywhere between £100 and £200, and investigations so far have shown that some are going to Algeria and India. 

Increase in ‘lock snapping’ burglaries

Police have reported that a quarter of burglaries in West Yorkshire are being committed by criminals using a technique called ‘lock snapping’. This technique involves applying enough force to the lock cylinder to snap it in two.

Ex-burglar, Peter Findlay, said that snapping locks was much ‘simpler and quicker’ than alternative lock picking methods; and since 2009 the area has experienced a marked increase in this technique.

Police are warning that this technique is prevalent with euro cylinder locks which are fitted to millions of properties, commonly on UPVC or double glazed doors. They are encouraging people who are unsure about the standard or quality of their locks to contact their Local Crime Reduction Officer for free advice.

The Association of Chief Police Officers are currently working with the door and lock industry to come up with a British standard for locks that are stronger and more resistant to attacks.

Councils fined for deficient data security

The Information Commissioner’s Office has served monetary penalties of £180,000 on Croydon Council and Norfolk County Council for failing to keep sensitive information about child welfare secure. These latest penalties bring the total amount served by the ICO to organisations found in serious breach of the Data Protection Act to over one million pounds.

Croydon Council is being fined £100,000 after an unlocked bag belonging to a social worker was stolen from a London pub last year. The bag contained papers relating to the care of a child sex abuse victim and has not been recovered.

Norfolk County Council has been served with an £80,000 penalty. This was awarded in connection to an incident last year where a social worker accidentally wrote the wrong address on a report containing confidential and sensitive personal information, and hand delivered it to the intended recipient’s next door neighbour.

Stephen Eckersley, the ICO’s head of enforcement, said that ‘While both councils acted swiftly to inform the people involved and have since taken remedial action, this does not excuse the fact that vulnerable children and their families should never have been put in this situation.’

Both councils have since taken remedial action and will now ensure that effective data protection measures are put in place.

Cyclist safety courses offered in London

Cyclists are being urged by London Councils to sign up for safety training to help increase their skills and confidence to ride in the capital. Responding to The Times campaign to improve cyclists’ safety across the city, London Councils is urging cyclists to take part in the free or subsidised training in order to try and reduce the number of cycling casualties on London’s roads.

The cycling training is provided by qualified instructors and offers a range of different courses according to cyclists' age and ability. The training includes tips on dealing with heavy traffic, correct positioning on the road and being visible to drivers. Instructors will also offer advice on the safest routes to take for everyday journeys in the city.

Several boroughs in London also offer cyclist awareness for heavy goods vehicles drivers. This training encourages HGV drivers to identify with cyclists by providing them with the experience of riding a bike on busy roads.  

Online tool to rank website security launched

An online tool, PrivacyScore, has been launched which allows internet users to rank websites on their privacy and security. The tool ranks websites out of 100 and provides real-time privacy scores for each website.

Websites are analysed on their collection and use of personal data and the collection and practices of third party companies they allow to track users on their websites. Websites are rated according to a number of different activities, for example a site might receive 10 points if it deletes data promptly when an account is closed or 30 points if it doesn’t share personal data such as names, email addresses or phone numbers.

Users can visit the PrivacyScore website to search for websites to view their scores. They can also download a free plug-in that gives real-time privacy ratings for each website they visit.

To visit the PrivacyScore website click here.