ianstone
09-30-2010, 04:29 PM
Police Apologise For Spying On Muslims
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6:43pm UK, Thursday September 30, 2010
Alex Watts, Sky News Online
West Midlands Police have apologised for installing more than 200 surveillance cameras in two largely Muslim neighbourhoods.
The force caused outrage and anger after introducing the £3m CCTV system - dubbed Project Champion - in Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath in [URL="http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/West_Midlands"]Birmingham (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/West-Midlands-Police-Apologise-For-Spying-On-Muslims-In-Sparkbrook-And-Washwood-Heath-Birmingham/Article/201009415749009?lpos=UK_News_First_UK_News_Article _Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15749009_West_Midlands_Police_Apologis e_For_Spying_On_Muslims_In_Sparkbrook_And_Washwood _Heath%2C_Birmingham#comments).
Dozens of the cameras were hidden, and some were even positioned to peer into residents' homes.
Chief Constable Chris Sims said he was "deeply sorry" that his force got the balance between counter-terrorism and intrusion into people's lives "so wrong".
He said he fully accepted the findings of a highly critical independent review, conducted by Thames Valley Police, of his force's handling of the scheme.
The report found "little evidence of thought being given to compliance with the legal or regulatory framework" before the cameras were put up.
"The consultation phase was too little too late, and the lack of transparency about the purpose of the project has resulted in significant community anger and loss of trust," it concluded.
Sky's Darren Little said: "Fifty covert cameras which were put up have been taken down, the rest remain here with bags over them.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Sep/Week4/15748989.jpg Two of the cameras installed in Birmingham
"It's still to be decided what they are going to do with them, but in terms of community relations this really was a massive own goal by West Midlands Police."
Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, said the report was "a devastating critique of Project Champion that will confirm the community's worst fears about blanket, discriminatory and unlawful surveillance."
The scheme was organised by the Safer Birmingham Partnership, an initiative including West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council and other agencies.
The partnership has admitted it should have been more transparent about the role of the city's Counter Terrorism Unit in setting up the 218 cameras.
The cameras were financed under a counter-terrorism initiative but were marketed to locals as a general crime prevention measure.
Referring to relations between local people and the police, one community leader told the review team: "This has set relations back a decade."
Charles Farrier, of campaign group No CCTV, welcomed the criticism of the police in the report, but said it did not go far enough.
"It doesn't address whether having cameras there is right or wrong," he said. "We want to see the cameras come down."
Police Apologise For Spying On Muslims
[/URL]
6:43pm UK, Thursday September 30, 2010
Alex Watts, Sky News Online
West Midlands Police have apologised for installing more than 200 surveillance cameras in two largely Muslim neighbourhoods.
The force caused outrage and anger after introducing the £3m CCTV system - dubbed Project Champion - in Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath in [URL="http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/West_Midlands"]Birmingham (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/West-Midlands-Police-Apologise-For-Spying-On-Muslims-In-Sparkbrook-And-Washwood-Heath-Birmingham/Article/201009415749009?lpos=UK_News_First_UK_News_Article _Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15749009_West_Midlands_Police_Apologis e_For_Spying_On_Muslims_In_Sparkbrook_And_Washwood _Heath%2C_Birmingham#comments).
Dozens of the cameras were hidden, and some were even positioned to peer into residents' homes.
Chief Constable Chris Sims said he was "deeply sorry" that his force got the balance between counter-terrorism and intrusion into people's lives "so wrong".
He said he fully accepted the findings of a highly critical independent review, conducted by Thames Valley Police, of his force's handling of the scheme.
The report found "little evidence of thought being given to compliance with the legal or regulatory framework" before the cameras were put up.
"The consultation phase was too little too late, and the lack of transparency about the purpose of the project has resulted in significant community anger and loss of trust," it concluded.
Sky's Darren Little said: "Fifty covert cameras which were put up have been taken down, the rest remain here with bags over them.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Sep/Week4/15748989.jpg Two of the cameras installed in Birmingham
"It's still to be decided what they are going to do with them, but in terms of community relations this really was a massive own goal by West Midlands Police."
Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, said the report was "a devastating critique of Project Champion that will confirm the community's worst fears about blanket, discriminatory and unlawful surveillance."
The scheme was organised by the Safer Birmingham Partnership, an initiative including West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council and other agencies.
The partnership has admitted it should have been more transparent about the role of the city's Counter Terrorism Unit in setting up the 218 cameras.
The cameras were financed under a counter-terrorism initiative but were marketed to locals as a general crime prevention measure.
Referring to relations between local people and the police, one community leader told the review team: "This has set relations back a decade."
Charles Farrier, of campaign group No CCTV, welcomed the criticism of the police in the report, but said it did not go far enough.
"It doesn't address whether having cameras there is right or wrong," he said. "We want to see the cameras come down."
Police Apologise For Spying On Muslims