Law-abiding residents of Northamptonshire have been assured they have nothing to fear from a new police surveillance group which has been set up by forces across the East Midlands.
The Guardian newspaper yesterday reported that police forces in Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire had set up a ‘regional surveillance unit with the power to carry out covert and intrusive investigations’.
The paper warned the unit could use hi-tech surveillance techniques, such as monitoring people’s internet usage.
But Northamptonshire Police Authority member, Councillor Brendan Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre) yesterday said the vast majority of people had nothing to fear from the unit as it would only focus on serious criminals.
Read more on Northampton Chronicle.
Oh well, then, I’m totally reassured. It’s not like anything could wrong with this plan or like law enforcement employees ever misuse databases or technology for their own personal reasons, right?
Well, right?