Issue - items at meetings - Surveillance Policy

Report of the Director of Finance (copy attached).

(1)         That Cabinet approves the continued use of covert surveillance and the accessing of communications data as an enforcement tool to prevent and detect all crime and disorder investigated by its officers, providing the necessity and proportionality rules are stringently applied.

(2)         That Cabinet notes the surveillance activity undertaken by the authority since the last report to Cabinet in March 2011 as set out in Appendix 1.

(3)         That the Cabinet notes the outcome of the internal review and approves the implementation of the proposed changes with immediate effect.

14.1         The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance informing Members of the activities that had been undertaken utilising the powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) since the last report to Cabinet in March 2011.

14.2         The Chair noted that the powers continued to be used sparingly and that he welcomed the approach taken by officers.

14.3         In response to questions from Councillor Theobald, the Director of Finance advised that the statistics were broadly similar to previous years and agreed to add comparative figures to the next report. She explained that the council was obliged to report any errors that occurred and noted that the error in the report was a breach that had been outside of the council’s control.

14.4         RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:

(1)         That the continued use of covert surveillance and the accessing of communications data as an enforcement tool to prevent and detect all crime and disorder investigated by its officers, providing the necessity and proportionality rules are stringently applied, be approved.

(2)         That the surveillance activity undertaken by the authority since the last report to Cabinet in March 2011, as set out in Appendix 1, be noted.

(3)         That the outcome of the internal review be noted and approval be given for the implementation of the proposed changes with immediate effect.