'Spy cameras are targeting teens'

1:50pm Saturday 26th July 2008

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By Jeremy Grimaldi »

A CAMPAIGNING civil rights activist has spoken out over the growing amount of covert surveillance in Swindon.

Andy Newman, a spokesman for Swindon Stop the War Coalition, says Swindon Council should think twice before they create a culture in the town where the local authority criminalises youths by spying on them.

He says he decided to speak out after reading an Advertiser investigation that found the council had used a law passed under anti-terror legislation, called Regulatory Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), to conduct 13 separate spy missions on suspected tagging teenagers last year.

He believes that because the council passes on photographic and video evidence of teenagers onto police they are unnecessarily putting children on the ‘wrong side of the law’.

He reckons the strategy may end up making things worse for everyone by turning ‘teenage hijinks’ into criminal behaviour.

He said: “Everyone does bad things when they are kids but it is a phase most grow out of.

“But now the council seem to be criminalising these kids by trying to catch them in the act and turning them over to the police.

“This isn’t a deterrent like speed cameras, because these cameras are not visible – it seems like they are more about catching people in the act.

“The question is, as a society do we really want to be putting our children on the wrong side of the law by spying on them?

“A lot of the things like graffiti that the council are spying on kids for were considered teenage hijinks 10-years ago but now we are trying to convict teenagers in the criminal justice system for it.

“These civil rights infringements are being justified by telling us they are there to protect society from bombers and terrorists.

“But look at our local authorities, now they are using them to hide cameras around town in an attempt to catch teenagers spraying paint on walls.”

During the Advertiser investigation the council was also found to have used secret cameras unsuccessfully last year to catch people causing criminal damage and twice this year for fly-tipping in what the council deem as problem areas.

Councillor Brian Mattock (Con, Old Town and Lawns), cabinet member for local environment and sustainability, says the cameras have cut graffiti by 50 per cent since last year.

He said: “If residents are saying the local authority should reduce the level of graffiti it’s up to the council to find ways of achieving that.

“The council are not criminalising youths – people of any age could be committing acts of graffiti or fly-tipping.

“Rules are there for us to use, and camera deployment is not being taken lightly, it has to be a director grade level who make the decisions on whether to use RIPA or not.

“We always make sure we follow all the requirements set out in the law.”