News RSS Feed Send your news, pictures & videos


Watchdogs can't see prisoners on CCTV

11:40am Monday 1st December 2008 in


Police officers have stopped independent custody visitors viewing prisoners on CCTV – in case they breach their human rights.

Members of the Sussex Police Authority, which oversees Sussex Police, is even worried the independent custody visitors (ICVs), should not view fixed CCTV in town centres.

As a result the authority’s committee responsible has agreed that the ICVs – members of the community appointed to make sure the welfare of people detained in police stations is maintained – viewing of CCTV footage in custody will be suspended.

The decision has been slammed by Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and the South Downs. The Shadow Justice Secretary said: “This is absolutely ridiculous. These independent visitors are there to ensure the welfare of prisoners.

How can they possibly do so if they can’t see them?

“This won’t protect the rights of the prisoners. It will undermine them. It just shows how ludicrous the effect of the human rights act has become.”

The authority’s astonishing revelation was made in a report which said: “The ICV liaison inspector (Hastings custody inspector) raised concerns regarding ICVs viewing CCTV footage in custody.

“It was felt this could be a breach of detainees’ privacy, as they had not consented to being viewed in this way by ICVs.”

The report added that the ICV liaison inspector would seek clarification from the Home Office on the issue of ICVs monitoring fixed CCTV in town centres. An authority spokesman said: “Independent custody visitors started to view CCTV output when it was introduced to the custody facilities.

“This was as an addition to their face-to-face contact with detainees and was purely in the interests of checking on their welfare.

“The objective of their involvement was to provide reassurance to the wider community that the systems were operating fairly and properly.

“As stated in the Home Office/ACPO guidance document Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody 2006, it is a matter of local discretion.

“We are carrying out a review of the scheme as a whole. In the meantime, custody CCTV monitoring by ICVs will be suspended, pending the outcome of the review.”

What do you think of the police fears over breaching human rights? Tell us below.

Comments(16)

Tye says...
11:47am Mon 1 Dec 08

why do we bother?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

scoomer says...
12:13pm Mon 1 Dec 08

Here we go, "it's political correctness gone mad" et cetera.
I don't see anybody quoting any of the Human Rights Act: this is just a case of mischievous individuals within the police authority making up a possible issue in an attempt to discredit a piece of legislation which they want to see revoked.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Jonathon says...
12:22pm Mon 1 Dec 08

The worst thing this country introduced was the Human Rights Act. The only people to benefit is the woman from Liberty, the human rights organisation and her cronies. British citizens lose out all the time.
Your comments please Arther.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

feline1 says...
12:25pm Mon 1 Dec 08

this is the 4th most stupid thing I have heard about all day! (And it's not even my lunchbreak yet)

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Wivvy Dave says...
12:38pm Mon 1 Dec 08

So now we have a watchdog that is not allowed to watch. FFS.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Arther Daley says...
12:45pm Mon 1 Dec 08

Jonathon wrote:
The worst thing this country introduced was the Human Rights Act. The only people to benefit is the woman from Liberty, the human rights organisation and her cronies. British citizens lose out all the time. Your comments please Arther.
Thank you Jonny. Dont really understand the story, but what i will say is this: The Police are already too powerful and too unaccountable, good lord they are about to get Taser guns, so every fresh faced chinless wonder of a pc and probably pcso will be able to zzap your derriere for the most minor of infringements.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Osama bin there says...
12:47pm Mon 1 Dec 08

I think the police have deliberately and mischieviously misinterpreted the Human Rights Act to make some sort of obscure point.
Wouldn't be the first time.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

davyboy says...
1:04pm Mon 1 Dec 08

Tye wrote:
why do we bother?
totally agree!!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

WestWorthing says...
1:37pm Mon 1 Dec 08

This is extremely dangerous for the police to be even less accountable to independent scrutiny. I was held in custody for ten hours and it wasn't till the FIRST independent person that saw me called for emergency help and I was rushed to A&E with head injuries. The police treated me as a drunk and denied me medical attention up till that point of someone else's intervention. My solicitor had to ensure that the custody report was changed to show this. If the police can falsify custody reports there is no way their actions can be properly judged. They didn't cause the head injuries but the majority of deaths in police custody are from head injuries. If they can't tell the difference between life threatening injuries and a drunk then there MUST be independent scrutiny. Lets face it, locally the so called 'independent' police complaints body, Professional Standards, is staffed by ex police and socially the senior members of that body and the police socialise and shoplift together.....but the CPS are in on the act too!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Moon Pig says...
2:41pm Mon 1 Dec 08

FFS!! Is this REAL?!

Commit a crime, get viewed on CCTV whilst in custody. Seems fair to me.

They're prisoners, not hotel patrons! Tough if they don't like it, who flippin well cares what they want, they're locked up and don't have a choice.

I would have thought, as per WestWorthing's story that it might be better for someone independent to be looking anyway!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Moon Pig says...
3:09pm Mon 1 Dec 08

Aaah I see.... so to clarify, it's all about what the police want, and stuff the rest of you?

Nice to see they're looking out for someone's interests.... just a shame it's not ours!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Tye says...
5:02pm Mon 1 Dec 08

Regarding arthur complaining about the Police getting taser stun guns - God, I wished the Police had proper guns and used them!

It would stop a lot of crooks , thieves and murderers getting off due to the stupidity of the Jury or some Mr Loophole Lawyer

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Osama bin there says...
5:16pm Mon 1 Dec 08

"...the CPS are in on the act too!"

Too right. How come the CPS's case against the policewoman who allegedly stole alcohol from the Shoreham dept store has been dropped?


Report this post »    Register/Log In »

feline1 says...
5:24pm Mon 1 Dec 08

I liked it when Jersey police sacked the guy investing their paedogeddon and went "lol! evidence? don't be silly, nothing to see here, move along!"

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

sussex2 says...
4:11am Tue 2 Dec 08

CCTV is invasive but in the UK it is treated as some cure all for social ills.
In other countries its use is very much more restricted. Can you imagine a police station in the UK not having a blanket of CCTV surrounding it? In Spain such use of this spying system would not be allowed. A friend who has a bar with a CCTV system at the entrance was fined because, without their permission, it showed the faces of people passing in the street.
In the UK CCTV has been allowed to spread like wildfire in an unregulated and shotgun fashion.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Osama bin there says...
1:36pm Tue 2 Dec 08

As you can't comment on the alleged shoplifting policemen, I'll do it here.
I see the case against the woman involved has been dropped by the CPS, even though there was substantial evidence against her ( according to the CPS).
Do you think that might happen to me if I help myself to some booze in M&S? I'm not a policeman, by the way.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

More News stories


Most popular







Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »

Local Businesses