Councils conducting eleven RIPA surveillance operations "every day": campaign group
Councils have carried out more than eleven surveillance operations using their RIPA powers every day over the last two years, research by campaign group Big Brother Watch has claimed.
The group said 372 local authorities in Great Britain had conducted surveillance in 8,575 cases between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009.
Key findings from the research include:
- A number of authorities conducted surveillance operations on their own employees –to see if they were lying about their car parking, work times or sick pay – or on the wardens they employ to spot crime
- More than a dozen authorities used RIPA to spy on dog owners to see who was responsible for dog fouling
- Five authorities used the powers to investigate people suspected of breaking the smoking ban
- Bromley Council ‘spied’ on a charity shop to see people allegedly ‘fly-tipping’ donations at its door
- Suffolk Council used RIPA to make a test purchase of a puppy.
Newcastle City Council conducted the most RIPA investigations – 231 – during the two years.
The coalition government last week said it would ban the use of RIPA powers unless they are signed off by a magistrate and required for stopping serious crime.
Big Brother Watch welcomed the move but called on the government to strip councils of the powers in their entirety.
“If an alleged wrongdoing is serious enough to merit covert surveillance, then it should be investigated by the police,” it said.
Alex Deane, Director of Big Brother Watch, said: “Now that the absurd and excessive use of RIPA surveillance has been revealed, these powers have to be taken away from councils. The coalition government plans to force councils to get warrants before snooping on us is good, but doesn’t go far enough.”
