Monitoring police data gathering

Why do police gather data

• Evidence• Intelligence

– CO11 (Public Order Unit)– ACPO extremism units (NPOIU, NETCU)– Special Branch units / Regional intelligence units.

• Databases– Criminal Intelligence– Public Order– ANPR – Stop and search

Why do police gather data

Who do police gather data on?

• ‘Known’ groups and individuals

• Associates of ‘known’ individuals

• Groups and individuals ‘of a type’ suspected of being involved in criminality

• Regular attendees at political protest

• ‘Two strands’ of intelligence

How is data gathered?

CCTV

• 7341 CCTV in the UK directly linked to police control centres

• Can set up mobile CCTV on cherry pickers or mobile vans, broadcasting images to control centre in real time.

• May even use drones

Cherry Picker Climate Camp

Police Drone

Photography

Photography

• Can be intrusive and intimidating

• Can involve following targets for sustained periods

• Occurs before, during and after demonstrations

• Police have used coercion and/or force

• People have a right not to co-operate

Forward Intelligence Teams

• Gather intelligence on individuals and groups involved in political protest.

• Record movements, associations, ‘cluster groups’, speech, clothing, appearance etc

• ‘Spot’ for individuals.

• Produce detailed audio and/or written notes, later collated into a Crimint report.

Forward Intelligence Teams

• Used to be instantly recognisable from wearing blue ‘bibs’ on yellow jackets

• Look for – Standing in twos ‘keeping an eye’– Use of audio recording/making detailed notes– Lone or paired officers from different regions– Contact with CO11 officers (CO prefix)– Following individuals or small groups

Stop and Search

• Used to gather personal data (name, address and photograph) of protesters

• Used as a ‘condition of entry’ eg Kingsnorth, or after containment in a police pen as a ‘condition of exit’ eg Gaza.

• Collected data held on a stop and search database

ANPR

• Automatic Number Plate Reader

• Capable of flagging up protester vehicles approaching site

• Police have collected a database of protester vehicle registration numbers

• Known to have been used as ‘disruption’ tactic

What should police monitors record?

• CCTV – use, type• FIT / CO11 - actions, numbers / photos• Police cameras - actions, numbers / photos• ANPR - collection of reg numbers• Stop and Search – data collection• Any other ‘disruption’ or intelligence gathering

tactic.