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[Nickbat]

"POLICE chiefs are facing the threat of a High Court privacy action over a nationwide network of cameras that is being used to take up to 14m photographs of motorists every day...

...New police figures show that the number of  images stored from vehicles in the Milton Keynes area alone has risen from almost 1.8m in 2008 to 8.9m last year."

Anyone worried? 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7086783.ece

[KW]

ANPR isn't even the tip of the iceberg

[Andy B]

I see that Jamie's favourite person .... Shami Chakrabarti .... has a mention! 

[Kevin Wood]

They might be capable of tracking 100m vehicles at a time, but I bet you'd still get a disinterested shrug of the shoulders if you reported your car stolen.

A network like this has the potential to eliminate car crime, IMHO, yet it is clearly only being put to use by the thought police.

Kevin

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Acute observation skills, and sixth sense, by the average police officer catches more offenders than anything else.

ANPR when fitted to patrol cars just alerts the officers to a potential road offence, or series of offences, by the use of a particular vehicle.  In Kent this device is generally not in the average patrol car, only in Traffic Div. cars.

CCTV is just useful for gathering evidence after the event, or tracking suspects. 

It all still takes the professionalism and skills of police officers to do the rest.  If you have nothing to hide you should not have a problem with these devices.

[Kevin Wood]

If you have nothing to hide you should not have a problem with these devices.

I used to agree with that. Now I would add the caveat that you also have to trust that the powers that be will use the information responsibly, and I don't, I'm afraid.

When it comes to "tagging" vehicles for innocently being in the wrong place at the wrong time and then getting heavy handed with their occupants I'm afraid it's gone too far.

Kevin

[Lizzie_Zoom]

If you have nothing to hide you should not have a problem with these devices.

I used to agree with that. Now I would add the caveat that you also have to trust that the powers that be will use the information responsibly, and I don't, I'm afraid.

When it comes to "tagging" vehicles for innocently being in the wrong place at the wrong time and then getting heavy handed with their occupants I'm afraid it's gone too far.

Kevin

But no-one has the resources to follow up on every single event shown in the millions of hours worth of digital, dvd, or video pictures which just involves the average member of the public. 

Only those who are of real "interest" to the various agencies will be noted.

[Mr Skrunts]

I dont have a problem with the devices or the pitures used for prosecution.

But cant abd won accept accept  these images being stored for years.

Anything they do should be pre planned and fully acrpeted by all sides.  I also understand the theory behind tracking people after the event, but it seems they are pushing the boundries.  so what really is the truth of what they are up to.

[albitz]

Depends on what the agencies are and why they are interested. I think that the days when a government agency is only interested in keeping an eye on what we used to think of as criminals are long gone.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I dont have a problem with the devices or the pitures used for prosecution.

But cant abd won accept accept  these images being stored for years.

Anything they do should be pre planned and fully acrpeted by all sides.  I also understand the theory behind tracking people after the event, but it seems they are pushing the boundries.  so what really is the truth of what they are up to.

It all depends on who "they" are

[Kevin Wood]

But no-one has the resources to follow up on every single event shown in the millions of hours worth of digital, dvd, or video pictures which just involves the average member of the public. 

Only those who are of real "interest" to the various agencies will be noted.

There aren't the resources to sit and watch every inch of footage, but once you start pulling number plates out using ANPR there's all sorts of data mining that can be carried out using very little manpower, and retaining much less data.

This is when you get pulled over and threatened with arrest for having the audacity to be in Brighton at the wrong time.

I wouldn't even put it past them selling (or losing!) the information in future, as they have with the electoral register, so my insurance company can poke around and decide if they want to cover me or not. Paranoid? perhaps, but things have been gradually moving in this direction and enough is enough.

Kevin

[albitz]

Very well put Kevin. I agree with every word.

[Sixstring]

All this information can be extremely profitable if you are selling insurance, breakdown policies, and car servicing, not only that, the CAR THIEF fraternaty could really benefit from the info too.
I personally am worried that YET AGAIN my personal circumstances, property, movements and business are being logged, and could be sold to the highest bidder without my knowledge.

BIG BROTHER???   more like a dictatorship by the day.

[JamesV6CDX]

ANPR Aside for a second, the wider data protection issue in this country does worry me.

When I recently changed my car insurance policy details, online, to cover the pug - the same and next day, I had loads of calls from "Accident injury firms"

Sir, I understand you were hurt in a non-fault accident in 2008. You are owed compensation for this, and we can get it for you...

Me - "But I wasn't injured"

Them - "Did you not even feel the slightest bit of pain or distress sir"?

All I want is to insure my darn new car, leave me alone 

[Del Boy]

Acute observation skills, and sixth sense, by the average police officer catches more offenders than anything else.

ANPR when fitted to patrol cars just alerts the officers to a potential road offence, or series of offences, by the use of a particular vehicle.  In Kent this device is generally not in the average patrol car, only in Traffic Div. cars.

CCTV is just useful for gathering evidence after the event, or tracking suspects. 

It all still takes the professionalism and skills of police officers to do the rest.  If you have nothing to hide you should not have a problem with these devices.

Notice a 95% of the new Skoda's now have ANPR on.