Policing - in brief (13)
01 March 1998
UK: NCIS conference on criminal intelligence: on 17-19 March the UK National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) hosted a conference in Manchester on "criminal intelligence". Most EU countries were represented plus the USA, Chile, Canada, Australia, Norway, Singapore and Hong Kong. Mr Bruggeman, the deputy director of the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) in the Hague told the conference that "intelligence analysis" now figured in a number of international agreements and it was no longer possible to just depend on the "old boy's network". This is a reference to the established practice of officers and officials building up unofficial and unaccountable personal contacts in EU and non-EU agencies - this practice is unlikely to cease with the advent of computerised databases. Mr Bruggeman said that different legal systems placed different limits on gathering and storing "intelligence" as distinct from "evidence" to be used in court. He confirmed that the EDU, which will become "Europol" when the ratification process is completed, will "immediately add terrorism" to its remit - the Europol Convention says that the Council can add this task "within two years" of ratification. Home Office press release, 11.3.98.
UK-Canada: Agreement to share "hi-tec info": on 7 April the UK signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU's) with Canada to exchange information between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the UK Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB). The information and experience to be shared includes: perimeter intruder detection systems; video tape enhancement techniques; CCTV; low light photography; explosive device detection; and digital speech processing. The UK PSDB has a number of MoU's in force, one with the National Institute of justice in Washington, and a "trilateral agreement" with the Bundeskriminalamt in Germany and the Dutch National Police. Home Office press release, 7.4.98.
UK: Campaign against CS spray launched: Following the Ibrahima Sey inquest verdict of unlawful killing, after he was sprayed with CS gas while handcuffed in custody by police officers (see Statewatch Vol. 7, no. 6), supporters have launched a National Campaign Against CS Spray. The Campaign is calling for an immediate ban of the spray, which was approved for use by the police in October last year, and is collecting further evidence on its (mis)use. They would like to hear from anybody who is "dealing with cases where CS is being used, or where its use has been threatened." Incidents can be reported to the campaign on their Incident Reporting Line (0181 555 8151) or sent to The Ibrahima Sey Memorial Campaign, PO Box 273, London E7.
UK: Masons surrender police names: Freemasons averted a confrontation with Parliament in March when they surrendered the names of seventeen members whose identities had been sought in connection with police corruption scandals. Representatives of the secretive United Grand Lodge of England waited until the last minute before handing the names to the Home Affairs Committee inquiring into freemasonry, thus avoiding being summoned to the House of Commons to explain their actions and - in theory - being imprisoned. The Committee, which is chaired by Labour MP Chris Mullen, had given the Lodge 14 days to supply the names of police officers masons connected to the now disbanded West Midlands Serious Crime Squad, the Birmingham pub bombings and the Stalker affair. However, there is evidence to suggest that the list is not comprehensive and the Grand Lodge has claimed that its records are incomplete. Guardian, 6.3.98.