Security and Surveillance - calls for vigilance (24/07/07)
Leading academics and practitioners raise a number of concerns about the extension of surveillance and security measures in the latest edition of Criminal Justice Matters, the quarterly magazine of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College, London.
The information commissioner, Richard Thomas, says 'we need to be more discriminating, more focused as to the purposes, the benefits, the raison d'etre for every piece of surveillance, whether its in the street or in shopping centres, cameras in stations and so on, before its actually deployed'. He says the 'jury is still out' on the role of CCTV cameras in the prevention of crime and also calls for the 'very tightest control framework' for techniques that attempt to predict the criminals of the future.
Professor David Lyon of Queen's University Ontario, one of the world's leading academics in the study of surveillance, warns that 'fear and suspicion' are being reinforced by new surveillance technologies and calls for 'alternatives that promote trust, inclusion, recognition and respect'.
Reporting on a study of children and young people's views of the government's new information sharing database 'ContactPoint' which will contain records of every child, researchers Zoe Hilton and Chris Mills highlight how concerns about the quality of data and how it might be used. The study concludes that the government needs to 'devise information sharing initiatives which will win the support of children and young people'.
Dr Basia Spalek of the University of Birmingham and Bob Lambert examine Muslim communities under surveillance arguing that anti-terrorism policies and increased police activity have alienated Muslims and failed to improve national security. They call for 'a more enlightened counter-terrorism policy that empowers all sections of Muslim communities, rather than one that empowers one section against another'.
Professor Mike Nellis of the University of Strathclyde, a leading expert on electronic monitoring assesses the effect of satellite technology on the supervision of offenders. He highlights its limitations noting that electronic monitoring 'merely facilitates data gathering about someone rather than knowledge of someone, and it entails a dyadic link between a single authority and a subject, rather than multiple links within a network'.
Professor Richard Ericson of the University of Toronto reviews the changing face of the law relating to security and surveillance. He concludes that 'when law and other democratic institutions are most threatened by seemingly intractable problems, the response is to devise new forms of counter-law that further threaten those institutions ... Security trumps justice, and insecurity prove itself'.
Copies of articles in the latest edition of Criminal Justice Matters are available on the CCJS website, www.kcl.ac.uk/ccjs or from .
Richard Garside, Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, which publishes Criminal Justice Matters, said:
'In just over a decade Britain has become one of the most surveilled societies in the world. Supporters claim this has brought greater security. Critics hold up the spectre of Big Brother and the police state'
'The articles in this new issue of Criminal Justice Matters seek to cut through these entrenched positions, offer fresh and critical insights into one of the most significant series of policy developments of recent years.'
Contact: Enver Solomon, Deputy Director the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: 0207 848 1679; 07939 221 381
Notes to editors:
- Criminal Justice Matters is the quarterly magazine of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, an independent charity based at King's College. The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
- The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is an independent charity based at King's College London. It was established in 1931 and aims to inform and educate about all aspects of crime and the criminal justice system from an objective standpoint. It encourages and facilitates healthy debate and understanding of the complex nature of issues concerning crime.
- The full list of articles is as follows:
EDITORIAL - SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE Kevin Stenson puts this issue in context. HOW DID WE GET HERE? David Lyon examines the background to our surveillance society and calls for vigilance to keep it under control. SECURITY, SURVEILLANCE AND COUNTER-LAW Richard Ericson reviews the changing face of the law relating to security and surveillance. POLICING OPERATION ORE Caroline Metcalf examines the difficulties British police face in tackling child sexual abuse through the internet. TRACKING OFFENDERS BY SATELLITE - PROGRESS OR COST-CUTTING? Mike Nellis is concerned about the effect of satellite technology on the supervision of offenders. MUSLIM COMMUNITIES UNDER SURVEILLANCE Basia Spalek and Bob Lambert argue that anti-terrorism policies and increased police activity have alienated Muslims and failed to improve national security. US AND THEM - THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF 'NEW SURVEILLANCE' TECHNOLOGIES Michael McCahill argues that new surveillance technologies are reinforcing and worsening social inequalities. ASK THE CHILDREN Zoë Hilton and Chris Mills summarise their research on what young people think about the government's information sharing proposals. ENHANCED SUPERVISION OR SURVEILLANCE? THE USE OF CCTV IN APPROVED PREMISES Bernie Heath is concerned about the wholesale introduction of CCTV in probation hostels and the implications for high-risk offenders. POLICING PRIVATE SPACE - A THREE DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS Mark Button looks at security officers and their contribution to policing and surveillance. TAKING SURVEILLANCE OUT OF THE ISSP Tony Goodman hopes that the Brown administration will take a more welfare approach to working with young offenders. 'DRAWING THE LINE' AND 'APPLYING THE BRAKES': AN INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD THOMAS, THE UK'S INFORMATION COMMISSIONER Enver Solomon and Kevin Stenson ask Richard Thomas how he sees the future of surveillance and information collection. RISKY OR AT RISK? YOUNG PEOPLE, SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY Surveillance strategies need to focus more on young people as victims rather than potential criminals write Denise Martin, Caroline Chatwin and David Porteous. BALANCE, SCRUTINY AND IDENTITY CARDS IN THE UK Cheryl A Edwardes, Ian Hosein and Edgar A Whitley contend that the government's argument that ID cards are for the 'greater good' needs to be scrutinised and balanced against the needs of the individual. OPEN-STREET CCTV CANADIAN STYLE Randy Lippert describes how Canada is moving towards increased CCTV presence. THE ARCHITECTURE OF SURVEILLANCE Richard Jones writes about the politics and design of surveillance systems and compares the views of leading theorists. ELECTRONIC MONITORING, COMMERCIAL SURVEILLANCE AND THE 'MALFUNCTIONING SUBJECT' Craig Paterson looks at the implications of electronic monitoring for modern society. SECURING THE NEUROCITY David Murakami Wood warns that cities could be transformed beyond recognition by hi-tech surveillance if protocols are not put in place. STOLEN IDENTITIES Jennifer Whitson and Kevin D Haggerty argue that companies' zest for customer data and the huge growth in e-commerce is exacerbating the problem of identity theft. DILEMMAS OF PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE: CHALLENGES OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE Nigel Gilbert looks at future advances in electronic data collection and surveillance and urges engineers and government to work together to maintain the public's trust.
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