Liberty's director Shami Chakrabarti has criticised the use of terror laws to fight petty crime
Croydon Council has come under attack from a civil liberties group for using controversial anti-terrorism legislation to fight petty-crime.
The council told the Croydon Guardian it had used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) six times in the past 12-months for tracking rogue traders, fly-tippers and counterfeiters.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group Liberty, said: "You don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, nor targeted surveillance to stop a litter bug.
"You can care about serious crime and terrorism without throwing away our personal privacy with a snoopers' charter.
"The law must be reformed to require sign-off by judges not self authorisation by over-zealous bureaucrats."
A town hall spokesman said: "RIPA was not specifically designed to allow covert surveillance of suspected terrorists and gangsters.
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"It does not give the council or anyone else new powers to carry out surveillance. It simply controls how a wide range of public bodies, including councils, actually carry out what they have been doing for a number of years."
"You don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, nor targeted surveillance to stop a litter bug."
Shami Chakrabarti
The council said this had involved surveillance to combat and prevent the sale of certain goods like alcohol, solvents, cigarettes and spray paints to under age people and the sale of pirate or counterfeit goods to the public.
The authority claims that by using the act to gain information on people who may be breaking the law, it is protecting the interests of law-abiding residents. The use of RIPA, it claims, "should be reassuring to parents and consumers in Croydon."
The spokesman went on to say: "We are committed to looking after the interests of local people and will use whatever appropriate powers exist to catch rogue traders, doorstep criminals and scam artists who cheat the taxpayer and prey on the young, the vulnerable and elderly."
Posted by: Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher on 6:52pm Mon 19 May 08
All this from the Council that can't stop drunks drinking, urinating and defecating in the High Street, allows its schools and playgrounds to become gangland no-go areas, and turns a blind eye to yobs "cruising" at high speed despite repeated complaints from residents and business owners.
All this from the Council that can't stop drunks drinking, urinating and defecating in the High Street, allows its schools and playgrounds to become gangland no-go areas, and turns a blind eye to yobs "cruising" at high speed despite repeated complaints from residents and business owners.
Posted by: Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher on 9:51pm Mon 19 May 08
[quote][bold]ANNE GILES[/bold] wrote:
Not Civil Liberties again protecting the rights of the criminals?? Will someone tell this group to go away and let the Council get on with the job?[/quote] No on both counts.
ANNE GILES wrote:
Not Civil Liberties again protecting the rights of the criminals?? Will someone tell this group to go away and let the Council get on with the job?
Posted by: Paul, Upper Norwood on 8:05am Tue 20 May 08
RIP Act *regulates* the manner in which certain methods can be used by those *permitted* to use and exactly who can authorise their use.
The Act itself is not 'useable' as an investigatory tool itself, ie surveillance, but *regulates* the manner in which that surveillance is authorised, by whom, for what and by whose use.
Shami Chakrabati is really pushing the boat out by making comments on Croydon Council doing things properly when she could be ranting about S60 being used London wide for stop and search when powers already exists S1 PACE 1984.
These Human Rights Lawyers are a blight on society - we'd be better off if they actually worked fopr the favour of us rather than kicking any reasonable attempt to get things sorted out fairly and squarely in the nuts.
RIP Act *regulates* the manner in which certain methods can be used by those *permitted* to use and exactly who can authorise their use.
The Act itself is not 'useable' as an investigatory tool itself, ie surveillance, but *regulates* the manner in which that surveillance is authorised, by whom, for what and by whose use.
Shami Chakrabati is really pushing the boat out by making comments on Croydon Council doing things properly when she could be ranting about S60 being used London wide for stop and search when powers already exists S1 PACE 1984.
These Human Rights Lawyers are a blight on society - we'd be better off if they actually worked fopr the favour of us rather than kicking any reasonable attempt to get things sorted out fairly and squarely in the nuts.
Posted by: Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher on 9:42pm Tue 20 May 08
There's something very fishy about this exclusive. There is no mention of this story on either the Liberty website or the Council's. Who is this anonymous Town Hall spokesman? I think we should be told - did Harry Miller make this up over a pint in the Spread Eagle?
There's something very fishy about this exclusive. There is no mention of this story on either the Liberty website or the Council's. Who is this anonymous Town Hall spokesman? I think we should be told - did Harry Miller make this up over a pint in the Spread Eagle?
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