In an action that can only be regarded as the thin end of an extremely dangerous wedge, the Hertfordshire Constabulary are installing a 'ring of steel' around the Hertfordshire town of Royston. Nine Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are to be set up on all the access roads to the town to record the movements of every car that enters or leaves, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Privacy International, No CCTV and Big Brother Watch are all concerned about the severe invasion of pubic privacy. Several civil liberties groups have already contacted the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), concerned about the legality of the operation.
Charles Farrier, of No CCTV, said: “The national ANPR network is the biggest surveillance network that the public has never heard of. The use of ANPR as a mass surveillance tool constitutes a major assault on our common law foundations and the Rule of Law. It is a system of automated checkpoints that ought to have no place in a democratic society. We believe the public have a right to go about their daily business without central government essentially logging every single journey they make. This kind of system isn’t about preventing crime, it’s about building up a database which can be used at a later stage.” I am inclined to agree.
On the other side of the fence, Hertfordshire Constabulary has dismissed the complaint and said the cameras, funded by North Herts District Council and local businesses, “are entirely lawful”.
ANPR manager inspector Andy Piper said: “As I’m sure the majority of Royston residents are already aware, the cameras are entirely lawful, have been funded by local businesses and the town council and are welcomed locally. " Apparently, there is a claim that 91% of residents in Royston support the scheme - which is surprising as they have set up a web site as a focus for protest and are calling for a local referendum on the issue.
Inspector Piper goes on "We use ANPR to target criminals and unsafe drivers, not law-abiding motorists, and have caught hundreds of burglars, robbers, uninsured drivers, drug dealers and other serious criminals. For law-abiding drivers, the numberplate details are kept, under strict guidelines, for two years before being deleted. We won’t access this information unless the registration is linked to crime, disorder or an unsafe vehicle.”
How long before we have these cameras tracking every major road in the country? And who will be footing the bill?
The big issue for me is where will this stop. The Police are already calling for a change in the law to allow wider use of these data. You have to ask why?