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Shame on Basil McCrea and the Policing Board

26 January 2011

Commenting on the Policing Board's Human Rights Committee condemning police use of CCTV to identify criminals TUV Leader Jim Allister QC said:-

“A primary function of the police is to prevent and detect crime. They can not do so with their arms tied behind their back. They must have access to every lawful and modern tool if society is to be protected from the law-breaker and the guilty brought to justice. Instead, under the chairmanship of Basil McCrea the Human Rights Committee of the Policing Board has lined itself up on the side of the law-breaker. Basil McCrea, in particular, should be ashamed of fronting up this daft report.

“Section 29(1) of the Data Protection Act, which is human rights compliant, expressly allows for the release of police-held personal data for the prevention and detection of crime. Thus, I utterly reject the hysteria from some, who present as human rights do-gooders, demanding that law-breakers, young or old, should be gifted the advantage of available CCTV footage not being used to identify them. The use of such footage, for investigative, proportionate purposes, is in my view not only lawful, but necessary, if we are to successfully prosecute the fight against crime.

“When individuals engage in criminal activity in a public place there is, I believe, no right to privacy, whatever their age, which overrides the public interest of making them amenable for their crimes. If there is, then as a society we have lost the run of ourselves in swinging the pendulum too far in favour of worshipping the god of ‘human rights’. A sustainable and sensible approach to human rights does not so pervert common sense.  

“The boys who murdered Jamie Bulger would probably never been caught if they had not been shown leading their victim away on CCTV. Yet, some foolishly suggest the human rights of law-breakers should preclude public use of CCTV for investigative and identification purposes. I strongly disagree. I also  note the contrasting absence of any concern for the human rights of victims and of police officers whose lives are put at risk by actions such as those of the Ardoyne rioters, whom Basil McCrea would shield from public exposure."
 
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