Surveillance cameras in Birmingham track Muslims' every move
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Surveillance cameras in Birmingham track Muslims' every move
Counterterrorism police have targeted hundreds of surveillance cameras on two Muslim areas of Birmingham, enabling them to track the precise movements of people entering and leaving the neighbourhoods.
The project has principally been sold to locals as an attempt to combat antisocial behaviour, vehicle crime and drug dealing in the area. But the cameras have been paid for by a £3m grant from a government fund, the Terrorism and Allied Matters Fund, which is administered by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
About 150 automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook in recent months. Birmingham's two predominantly Muslim suburbs will be covered by three times more ANPR cameras than are used to monitor the entire city centre. They include about 40 cameras classed as "covert", meaning they have been concealed from public view.
The funding arrangement was not made clear to the handful of councillors who were briefed that the cameras would appear in their area. Instead, they were told only that the money had come from the Home Office. "I raised my concern then: is this really about spying?" said Salma Yaqoob, a member of the Respect party and councillor for Sparkbrook.
"The terrorism aspect was certainly not emphasised in that meeting. In fact it was me having to be portrayed as the awkward squad, or even paranoid, for even raising the issue of whether this was really about counterterrorism. They were very much saying, 'No, this is about burglary and crime.'"
The criteria for TAM funds state clearly that a police force must prove a project will "deter or prevent terrorism or help to prosecute those responsible".
Police sources said the initiative, code-named Project Champion, is the first of its kind in the UK that seeks to monitor a population seen as "at risk" of extremism.
When the cameras become operative, residents will not be able to drive into or leave the two neighbourhoods without their movements being tracked.
Officials maintain the cameras will prove useful for tackling a whole range crime. The areas were ringfenced for intense surveillance in 2007 after a police investigation into a suspected plot to kidnap and kill a British soldier in the area.
The Safer Birmingham Partnership, a joint initiative between police and the local authority which will run the cameras, expressed "regret" there had not been fuller consultation. Senior SBP officials said they only became aware that the cameras were paid for by counterterrorism funds as a result of Guardian inquiries.
Jackie Russell, the director of the partnership, said: "Just because the funding has an interest in counterterrorism doesn't mean that for us, that is our focus. For us, it is about community safety."
Steve Jolly, a local activist leading a campaign to have the cameras removed, called on the deputy prime minister to intervene: "Nick Clegg has made a real point of emphatically drawing attention to the surveillance society and promising to stop unnecessary infringements of privacy," he said. "I think we should hold him to his word, and say, 'Look at what is happening in Birmingham – are you going to allow it to go ahead?'"
About bloomin time? or Too much Big Brother?
Counterterrorism police have targeted hundreds of surveillance cameras on two Muslim areas of Birmingham, enabling them to track the precise movements of people entering and leaving the neighbourhoods.
The project has principally been sold to locals as an attempt to combat antisocial behaviour, vehicle crime and drug dealing in the area. But the cameras have been paid for by a £3m grant from a government fund, the Terrorism and Allied Matters Fund, which is administered by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
About 150 automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook in recent months. Birmingham's two predominantly Muslim suburbs will be covered by three times more ANPR cameras than are used to monitor the entire city centre. They include about 40 cameras classed as "covert", meaning they have been concealed from public view.
The funding arrangement was not made clear to the handful of councillors who were briefed that the cameras would appear in their area. Instead, they were told only that the money had come from the Home Office. "I raised my concern then: is this really about spying?" said Salma Yaqoob, a member of the Respect party and councillor for Sparkbrook.
"The terrorism aspect was certainly not emphasised in that meeting. In fact it was me having to be portrayed as the awkward squad, or even paranoid, for even raising the issue of whether this was really about counterterrorism. They were very much saying, 'No, this is about burglary and crime.'"
The criteria for TAM funds state clearly that a police force must prove a project will "deter or prevent terrorism or help to prosecute those responsible".
Police sources said the initiative, code-named Project Champion, is the first of its kind in the UK that seeks to monitor a population seen as "at risk" of extremism.
When the cameras become operative, residents will not be able to drive into or leave the two neighbourhoods without their movements being tracked.
Officials maintain the cameras will prove useful for tackling a whole range crime. The areas were ringfenced for intense surveillance in 2007 after a police investigation into a suspected plot to kidnap and kill a British soldier in the area.
The Safer Birmingham Partnership, a joint initiative between police and the local authority which will run the cameras, expressed "regret" there had not been fuller consultation. Senior SBP officials said they only became aware that the cameras were paid for by counterterrorism funds as a result of Guardian inquiries.
Jackie Russell, the director of the partnership, said: "Just because the funding has an interest in counterterrorism doesn't mean that for us, that is our focus. For us, it is about community safety."
Steve Jolly, a local activist leading a campaign to have the cameras removed, called on the deputy prime minister to intervene: "Nick Clegg has made a real point of emphatically drawing attention to the surveillance society and promising to stop unnecessary infringements of privacy," he said. "I think we should hold him to his word, and say, 'Look at what is happening in Birmingham – are you going to allow it to go ahead?'"
About bloomin time? or Too much Big Brother?
Edited by Agrilla on Wednesday 9th June 22:40
AndrewW-G said:
Big brother, if only the traitorous scum of the labour party had only spent as much time controlling our borders and immigration as they have done watching and controlling the people of this little island
shutting stable door after horse has legged it.
Edited by odyssey2200 on Wednesday 9th June 23:33
Another article
£3million? Good grief.
This article also suggests that further cameras have been installed in Kings Heath & Moseley
Noted that the liaison officer for the Safer Birmingham Partnership is Inspector Kevin Borg.
Hmmm.
£3million? Good grief.
This article also suggests that further cameras have been installed in Kings Heath & Moseley
Noted that the liaison officer for the Safer Birmingham Partnership is Inspector Kevin Borg.
Hmmm.
DAVEVO9 said:
Agrilla said:
Police sources said the initiative, code-named Project Champion, is the first of its kind in the UK that seeks to monitor a population seen as "at risk" of extremism.
Good! money well spent.. someone has to keep an eye on the f
kers!Chris_w666 said:
DAVEVO9 said:
Agrilla said:
Police sources said the initiative, code-named Project Champion, is the first of its kind in the UK that seeks to monitor a population seen as "at risk" of extremism.
Good! money well spent.. someone has to keep an eye on the fkers!not even the partners/parents knew what the 7/7 guys had planned - hilarious to think that a whole community would.
dreamz said:
Chris_w666 said:
DAVEVO9 said:
Agrilla said:
Police sources said the initiative, code-named Project Champion, is the first of its kind in the UK that seeks to monitor a population seen as "at risk" of extremism.
Good! money well spent.. someone has to keep an eye on the fkers!not even the partners/parents knew what the 7/7 guys had planned - hilarious to think that a whole community would.
Look at how the EDL marches gathered steam and following from people who would not usually bother, those marches have a huge threat of a major kick off. If an extreme muslim group carried the same weight of feeling amongst some disaffected men in their community and the 2 groups met then the consequences in places like Birmingham could be huge.
I'm really in two minds about them. I guess in the end the sad fact is we need to protect ourselves from terror attacks, but this is a step too far. I don't believe in the whole 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' rubbish either, this is stepping on our civil liberties, especially claims that some cameras can see right into people's homes.
TVR Moneypit said:
Agrilla said:
But surely the 'terrorists' will just move any suspicious terrorist behaviour up the road to Bordesley Green/Balsall Heath/Ladywood/Highgate etc - all areas which are near, all which seem predominantly Muslim?
I'd be amazed if these cameras actually dealt with the issue at all.
They wont.I'd be amazed if these cameras actually dealt with the issue at all.
All that will happen is that they will either move up the road like you said, catch the bus, or walk.
There you go. £3'000'000 made useless in the blink of an eye.
If they know there is ob's on them, (and they will now), do you really think they will stick around?
However for the citizens who are now tracked 24/7 I would imagine that the coverage will be an intense source of comfort....
No idea about terrorism but based on experiences of Sparkbrook, I would hazard a guess that about 4000 Asian lads are logged on to confused.com and are busy buying motor insurance about now. They may start wearing their seat belts as well!
I guess I will be logged every time I go and buy samosas.
pp
I guess I will be logged every time I go and buy samosas.
ppPickled Piper said:
No idea about terrorism but based on experiences of Sparkbrook, I would hazard a guess that about 4000 Asian lads are logged on to confused.com and are busy buying motor insurance about now. They may start wearing their seat belts as well!
I guess I will be logged every time I go and buy samosas.
pp
I guess I will be logged every time I go and buy samosas.
pp
the_lone_wolf said:
Agrilla said:
Jackie Russell, the director of the partnership, said...
Parents can be so cruel...http://www.electraisd.net/alumni/display_class.asp...
"Surveillance cameras in Birmingham track Muslims' every move"
Wow, that really is an amazing advance in surveillance technology - the ability to track people purely on the basis of their religion in a hugely multi-cultural area!
Or is it a complete non-story and in actual fact it tracks everyone passing through the area just like every other cctv/anpr system in the world. . . . . . . .
Wow, that really is an amazing advance in surveillance technology - the ability to track people purely on the basis of their religion in a hugely multi-cultural area!
Or is it a complete non-story and in actual fact it tracks everyone passing through the area just like every other cctv/anpr system in the world. . . . . . . .
A sensationalist headline which does nothing but cause community tension. Would anyone care if you replaced the word 'Muslim' with 'Gypsy' if the authorities were targeting 'community specific criminality'?
All that will happen is that they will either move up the road like you said, catch the bus, or walk.
There you go. £3'000'000 made useless in the blink of an eye.
If they know there is ob's on them, (and they will now), do you really think they will stick around?Even if they did, their absence may be the final part in completing an intelligence picture. The intelligence gained already may well justify the investment. Also, if it is for ANPR it has sustainable use for other crime matters, especially if it's an area that has crime interests beyond terrorism.
The problem is we're tempting to draw negative conclusions as we'll never ever have access to the true motives, use and worth of this system because of the protected nature of the subject matter.
TVR Moneypit said:
Agrilla said:
But surely the 'terrorists' will just move any suspicious terrorist behaviour up the road to Bordesley Green/Balsall Heath/Ladywood/Highgate etc - all areas which are near, all which seem predominantly Muslim?
I'd be amazed if these cameras actually dealt with the issue at all.
They wont.I'd be amazed if these cameras actually dealt with the issue at all.
All that will happen is that they will either move up the road like you said, catch the bus, or walk.
There you go. £3'000'000 made useless in the blink of an eye.
If they know there is ob's on them, (and they will now), do you really think they will stick around?
The problem is we're tempting to draw negative conclusions as we'll never ever have access to the true motives, use and worth of this system because of the protected nature of the subject matter.
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